As coronavirus spreads across the globe — with Chinese authorities confirming nearly 6,000 cases and 132 people dead as of Wednesday — the reaction on social media in particular has largely been marked by fear and panic. For some conspiracy theorists, however, it has also served as a prime opportunity to spread misinformation and baseless rumors about the disease — some of which are potentially extremely dangerous.

One terrifying example? QAnon supporters are encouraging people to drink MMS — or Miracle Mineral Solution, a bleaching agent that has been touted as a "miracle cure" by anti-vaxxers and other fringe groups — to ward off coronavirus. And despite restrictions on such content on platforms like YouTube, it is nonetheless fairly easy to find.

According to the Daily Beast, proponents of QAnon — the elaborate conspiracy theory purporting that President Donald Trump is waging a secret war against a ring of Democratic child sexual abusers — have been promoting MMS as a "cure" for coronavirus on Twitter, particularly the MMS-branded "20-20-20 spray," with one account alleging it "kills viruses instantly." Another prominent conspiracy theorist tweeted, "#coronavirus is a depopulation program," recommending colloidal silver (a supplement that, if taken in large amounts, can result in discoloration of the skin and nails, or kidney damage) and MMS to ward off the disease.

The high price of insulin, which has reached as much as US$450 per month, has raised outrage across the country. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has called it a national embarrassment, wondering why U.S. residents should have to drive to Canada to buy cheaper insulin.

As a legal scholar who focuses on the contradictory role of property rights on economic well-being, including through the role of intellectual property rights, my research makes it clear that drug pricing is far more complicated than any candidate on the debate stage has time to explain. To fully understand these complexities requires looking at a web of international patent law and trade agreements. Insulin was discovered almost 100 years ago, saving the lives of many people with diabetes. Its soaring costs in recent years has brought outcries from patients and politicians.

Stephen King has found himself the target of Twitter's woke army, after having the audacity to argue that quality is more important than diversity when it comes to art. His attempt to clarify the issue only brought more attacks.

The famed author - revered by many on social media for his outspoken liberal views - was barraged by angry messages after weighing in on a debate sparked by this year's Academy Award nominees, who have been criticized for not being adequately diverse.

Noting that as a writer he is allowed to offer nominations in three categories - Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Screenplay - King disclosed that "the diversity issue" never factors into his decision-making.

On Jan. 23, 2020, the Trump Administration finalized a rule rolling back the Clean Water Act (the Act), marking the first time it has ever been reduced in power outside of the courts. Specifically, the changes lay waste to protections for ephemeral and intermittent waterways that flow only in response to precipitation, and wetlands that aren't directly connected to a major "navigable" river or waterway. Trump's "Dirty Water Rule," as it is being called across social media, has sparked outrage, concern, and fear amongst the environmental community.

The modifications to the rules were announced at the National Association of Home Builders International Builders' Show in Las Vegas - an event featuring the industry many critics say will benefit most from the changes. Meanwhile, others see this as a huge win for agriculture, while still other opponents claim the rules were ramrodded through at the behest of the mining industry.

The Act has been weakened before by the courts in United States v. Riverside Bayview Homes, Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. United States, and Rapanos v. United States. Nevertheless, headlines like 'Biggest Loss of water protection the country has ever seen': Trump Guts Safeguards for US Streams and Wetlands, rang out around the country, reporting this as the biggest assault on water quality in U.S. history. But will the rollbacks be as devastating as news agencies and environmental groups claim? What's the real scoop, and should you be concerned? In an effort to find out the answer to those questions, EnviroNews Editor-in-Chief Emerson Urry spoke in-depth with Erin Brockovich, one of America's most well-known water protectors.

Brockovich gives it to readers straight in regards to the President (undergoing an impeachment trial in real-time), the changes to the Clean Water Act, and whether citizens should feel concerned over their own water supplies because of this recent move. The transcript to that interview reads as follows:

Striking French firefighters faced off against riot police who deployed water cannons and smoke grenades, and erected large metal barriers to block off the fire service as they protested in Paris on Tuesday.

Several thousand firefighters protested understaffing, the threat to their government pensions and a lack of recognition of their work, including risk premiums that match those of the police and the gendarmerie.

Police decried the fact that many protesting firefighters had abandoned the prearranged route, and it didn't take long before the march descended into clashes with riot police.


Police repeatedly deployed a variety of crowd control grenades despite several controversies stemming from their use against both the Yellow Vest protesters and the pension reform protesters.


At one point, multiple firefighters symbolically set themselves on fire in protest at government pension reforms.

Injuries have been reported as Palestinian protesters face Israeli security troops in the West Bank in non-stop protests after Donald Trump announced his peace plan for the region.

Scores of protesters flooded the streets in different parts of the West Bank, demonstrating against a US-proposed plan that they expect to lead to annexation of much of Palestinian land.

In Bethlehem, protesters have been throwing stones at Israeli forces, and setting tires on fire. They also burned a US flag. Israeli security troops responded with tear gas to disperse the crowds. Sources from the Palestine Red Crescent Society told local media that they have been treating those who were hit with tear gas canisters as well as suffocation due to the gas itself.

CNN anchor Don Lemon laughed until he cried during a Saturday show that featured panelists Rick Wilson, a former GOP strategist, and New York Times columnist and CNN contributor Wajahat Ali who mocked President Donald Trump's supporters — Wilson going so far as to call them "the credulous Boomer rube demo."

The topic at hand? State Secretary Mike Pompeo's tense interview about Ukraine and Marie Yovanovitch with NPR host Mary Louise Kelly, after which she said he yelled the f-word at her.

"[Pompeo] also knows deep within his heart that Donald Trump couldn't find Ukraine on a map if you had the letter U and a picture of an actual physical crane next to it," Wilson said, prompting Lemon to burst into laughter. "He knows that this is, you know, an administration defined by ignorance of the world. And so that's partly him playing to the base and playing to their audience. You know, the credulous boomer rube demo that backs Donald Trump."

A new study has delivered a huge reality shock to career politicians and liberal elites — that dissatisfaction with democracy has been rising for decades, and especially in the developed world is approaching an all-time global high.

World leaders love to toot the horn of democracy. To take just three recent examples, Angela Merkel, Justin Trudeau and even Barack Obama have all weighed in on how great their country's democracies are. This would be all very well, if only the people agreed.

But according to research published this week by the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, a think-tank based at the University of Cambridge, they do not. The findings were borne by asking citizens a simple question; whether they were satisfied or dissatisfied with democracy in their countries. Surveys conducted between 1973 and 2020 were analysed.

In total, the question was posed to over 4 million people. By combining all of these sources they were able to outline the changing perceptions of democracy over the past 25 years worldwide, and over the past 50 years in Western Europe.

The Torkham border crossing, one of the principle land connections between Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been shut down for all traffic. It comes after a reported rocket attack from the Afghan side.

The road passing by Torkham leads to the Afghan capital, Kabul through Jalalabad. On the Pakistani side, the crossing is connected to the capital, Islamabad through Peshawar. Torkham was temporarily shut down by the Pakistani authorities on Wednesday, with officials citing security concerns, according to media reports. The closure was said to be prompted by a rocket attack at the checkpoint, which left two Pakistani soldiers injured.

Local Afghan officials cited by media say talks are underway to reopen the crossing.

Since September 2019, the Torkham crossing, which is used by thousands of people daily, has operated around the clock. Previously, it was opened only for 12 hours a day.

The shortage of operational infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) in the Bundeswehr is now so bad that soldiers are officially advised to use cars during training, a media report claims.

Confidential army documents obtained by the Bild newspaper suggest that military units lacking the necessary equipment should work out "alternative solutions" and find "innovative training opportunities."

The recommendations, according to the outlet, literally suggest that motorized infantry battalions who do not have enough operational IFVs should replace them with ordinary cars and then tell soldiers to pretend they are jumping out of armored carriers.