"Critics warn that President Donald Trump's spurning of international cooperation on COVID-19 research could result in disaster and set back efforts to cure the disease even as the president promised in a town hall with Fox News Sunday that the US would have a vaccine for the coronavirus by the end of the year," Common Dreams reported Monday. International diplomats and advocates "fear the White House's rejection of cooperative efforts hints at a future stance that will emphasize competing with other countries for a vaccine rather than ensuring one is available for everyone in the world." How big of a concern should this be?
"The government of [Venezuelan] President Nicolás Maduro said it had thwarted an early morning 'invasion' off its Caribbean coast on Sunday, alleging its intelligence forces had uncovered a plot, ambushed the attackers and captured or killed 10," the Washington Post reported Sunday. What are we to make of all of this?
On April 21, we discussed how CNN got a lot of folks in a dither on April 20 by reporting that the US was "monitoring intelligence that suggested North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger after undergoing surgery, according to a US official with direct knowledge. A second source familiar with the intelligence told CNN that the US was closely monitoring reports on Kim’s health." CNN correspondent Jim Sciutto was credited with breaking this story. Well now we know, or all indicators point to the fact, that Kim can quote Mark Twain in saying: “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Photos verified by the South Korean government have appeared, showing Kim to be alive and well, having a great time. What are we to make of all of this?
"In northern Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition has so far offered little reprieve to civilians during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan," MintPress News reported Friday. "Several regions — including Marib, Al-Jawf, Beydha and Sadaa — have been under almost constant aerial bombardment, and the continued violence is not the only thing making the lives of civilians in Yemen’s difficult this Ramadan." What going on here with the long game?
GUESTS:
Teresa M. Lundy — Government Affairs and Public Relations Specialist and principal of TML Communications, LLC.
Nino Pagliccia — Activist and freelance writer based in Vancouver. A retired researcher from the University of British Columbia, Canada, Pagliccia is a Venezuelan-Canadian who follows and writes about international relations with a focus on the Americas, and is also the editor of the book “Cuba Solidarity in Canada – Five Decades of People-to-People Foreign Relations.”
Daniel Lazare — Journalist and author of three books: "The Frozen Republic," "The Velvet Coup" and "America's Undeclared War."
Kathy Kelly — Co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
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