The Great Plague of London (1665-1666) conjures images of destruction on a savage, Gothic scale. An estimated 100,000 Londoners, or 20 percent of the population

'Venezuela first approached the Bank of England at the end of 2018. ... In January 2019, the Bank of England refused the request. ... The decision, however, came just days after Mr Maduro's rival, Juan Guaidó, had declared himself president, arguing that the 2018 election which returned Mr Maduro to power had been fraudulent. Mr Guaidó, who was quickly recognised as the legitimate leader by more than 50 nations - including the UK and the US, asked the Bank of England not to hand the gold over to the Maduro government, arguing that it would be used for corrupt purposes."

Considering the number of UN resolutions that Israel has violated throughout the years – the perpetual occupation of Palestine, the siege on Gaza, and the elaborate system of apartheid imposed on Palestinians, finding Israel guilty of war crimes, among others “serious crimes” should be a straightforward matter. | by Romana Rubeo and Ramzy Baroud

After 2008, Lebanon’s oligarchic elites engineered a financialized boom that fueled inequality and lined the pockets of bankers. Now its economy has imploded, leaving the country’s working class to foot the bill.

Canada never came close to hitting the so-called “debt wall” in the 1990s and is not in danger from government spending during the pandemic.

'Another, probably more severe pandemic has been predicted. Scientists know how to prepare, but someone must act. If we choose not to learn the lessons that are right before our eyes, the consequences will be dire.'

Latin America appears to be on a precipice, about to lose what little control over the COVID-19 pandemic it had.

Like viruses, conspiracy theories are socially contagious and hard to stop once set in motion. We must understand what they do to us.

"In recent weeks, tens of thousands of Israeli troops have been participating in a massive exercise at the Elyakim military base. On a recent day, four Israeli tanks rumbled up to the edge of a ridge and fired powerful 120-millimeter shells streaking across the valley, scoring direct hits on targets several kilometers (miles) away. Ground troops maneuvered through a mock Lebanese village. Air force, navy and cyber units joined the drill."

In addition to the short-term concerns, there are important questions related to how the gig economy will evolve in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeon et al. (2019) showed that the size of the gig economy increased from 6.0% in 2008 to 6.8% in 2009 as some of those who lost their wage employment during the recession were “pushed” into self-employment (Chart 2). Whether a similar trend will occur in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely depend on the speed and intensity of the post-COVID-19 overall economic recovery.

American war planners are advising that the United States greatly expand its “online psychological operations” against China.

Mrs. America, the new miniseries about Phyllis Schlafly, doesn’t want us to come away with a harsh view of its subject. But we should: Schlafly’s right-wing views were consistently monstrous, doing untold damage to the country.

Many states are lifting stay-at-home orders and other restrictions on social and business activity that were put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19. Questions linger, however, about whether some states meet criteria set by public health experts and the federal government for doing so. Experts are keeping a close eye on whether states that have reopened are seeing an uptick in cases or a worsening in other key metrics.