After devastating China, Europe and the United States, the coronavirus pandemic is now intensifying across the Global South. The United Nations warns the pandemic is poised to destroy fragile economies in poor nations, decimating food security, education and human rights. We speak with Yanis Ben Amor, assistant professor of global health and microbiological sciences at Columbia University and executive director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute.

In India, 1.3 billion people have been locked down for more than a week to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The country reports nearly 2,000 cases and at least 50 deaths. Millions living in poverty and migrant workers were stranded far from home when the lockdown was announced, and some have reportedly died making the perilous journey home. More than 80% of India's workforce is informal, with most living off daily wages often less than $2 or $3 a day — wages they cannot earn under the present curfew — and more than 4 million Indians are homeless. We speak with Indian journalist Rana Ayyub, a contributing global opinions writer for The Washington Post. Her recent piece in Foreign Policy is headlined "Social Distancing Is a Privilege."

As the United States leads the world in coronavirus cases, the nation’s healthcare system is already stretched to capacity and protective gear in short supply. President Trump and his health advisors say more than 100,000 Americans could die from the coronavirus in the next two weeks. Meanwhile, millions of people have lost their jobs, and a record 6.6 million unemployment claims were filed this week, on top of last week’s 3.3 million claims. For more on the economic impacts of the coronavirus, and how Trump has responded to the pandemic by rewarding pharmaceutical corporations like Gilead Sciences and indefinitely suspending environmental regulations, we speak with Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen.

As Global COVID-19 Cases Approach 1 Million, U.S. Emergency Medical Stockpile Is Depleted, U.S. Shipped Life-Saving Medical Equipment Abroad Even as Coronavirus Spread, New York Governor Warns of "High Death Rate" from COVID-19 Through July, Georgia Governor Claims He Was Surprised to Learn of Asymptomatic Coronavirus Carriers, More Governors Order Residents to Remain at Home as Trump Defies Calls for Nationwide Lockdown, Lawmakers Begin Planning 9/11-Style Commission on Pandemic, CDC Considers Recommending Everyone Wear a Mask in Public, Trump Refuses to Reopen Healthcare Enrollment as Millions Lose Employer-Based Coverage, Coronavirus-Stricken U.S. Aircraft Carrier Evacuated in Guam, New Orleans Jazz Legend Ellis Marsalis Dies of COVID-19, Fountains of Wayne Co-Founder Adam Schlesinger Dies of COVID-19, Top Coronavirus Expert Dr. Anthony Fauci Gets Security Detail After Death Threats, Driver Crashes Train Near Naval Hospital Ship in L.A. Port to Promote Conspiracy Theory, Bodies in Guayaquil, Ecuador Left Rotting in the Streets as COVID-19 Overwhelms Health System, After Hungry Residents Demand Food, Philippines President Orders Soldiers to Shoot Curfew Violators, Italy Trails in Counting COVID-19 Deaths as Vice President Pence Says U.S. Faces Similar Fate, Coronavirus in U.S. Jails a "Public Health Disaster Unfolding Before Our Eyes", Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Husband Shifted Investments to Medical Supplier Ahead of Market Crash, United Nations Postpones COP26 Climate Talks over Coronavirus Fears, Wisconsin Governor Rejects Calls to Delay April 7 Primary Amid Deadly Pandemic, Asian Americans Say Trump Stoking Racist Attacks with "Chinese Virus" Rhetoric

A Signatory of the Letter to the Owners of Fox to Stop Spreading Lies and Misinformation | Dr. Fauci Gives the White House Cover, Forcing the Press to Broadcast Trump's Daily Political Rallies | 6.65 Million Apply for Benefits in a Week and Unemployment Could Reach 32.1% backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Why There is no National Lockdown in the U.S.; Getting Around Trump With a Bipartisan Approach to Deal With the Crisis; How the Pandemic Will Impact Geopolitics as China Rises and the U.S. Declines backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Propaganda is Working For Trump, Helped by Coverage From the Mainstream Press | As Trump Wrecks the Home Front, Pompeo Wreaks Havoc Abroad | The Author of "Has China Won?: The Chinese Challenge to American Primacy" backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

The False Choice Between Saving Lives and Saving Livelihoods; The Need for a Multi-State Solution to Enable Voting by Mail; Venezuela's Opposition Leader's Call to Form an Emergency Government backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

FEATURING KEN KLIPPENSTEIN – In 2017 the US military produced a detailed 100-page document warning that in the event of a pandemic – including a coronavirus pandemic – the US was woefully unprepared. According to a leaked copy of the document obtained by The Nation, ““The most likely and significant threat is a novel respiratory...

FEATURING LAURA CARLSEN – Mexico has finally declared a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic this week after the World Health Organization says that confirmed cases of infection surpassed 1,000. Still the country has far fewer confirmed cases than the US and has only recently begun implementing social distancing measures and advising people to limit...

6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits in the last week of March, a staggering figure, twice that from the week before and bringing the total figure for the month of March to over 10 million. Economists are speculating that the real figure may be much higher due to the lag time between losing one’s...

FEATURING ANTHONY CARFELLO – As the month of April begins, with millions of Americans having been laid off from the coronavirus-related economic standstill, those renting homes are wondering how they will pay their monthly rent.  In the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles, California, where a majority of residents are renters, one organization has gone on...

On today's BradCast: Yes, it is as bad as we warned it would be. And it is getting even worse. And the way some state officials are now behaving, even upcoming elections may be unable to reverse much of this madness. [Audio link to full program is posted at end of summary.] On Thursday, the U.S. [...]

IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Critical United Nations climate conference cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic; Bankrupt coal company hopes to dump obligations to retired miners onto taxpayers; State legislatures use crisis to criminalize pipeline protests; PLUS: Trump Interior Department keeps national parks open after employees test positive for COVID-19... All that and more in today's Green [...]

On today's BradCast: We are finally beginning to hear, at least from some in the media, about the unprecedented and nearly inconceivable depth of the crisis that coronavirus will wreak on both the lives of Americans and the U.S./world economy. But, for the moment, it's already wreaking havoc on the Presidential Primary election astonishingly still [...]

On today's BradCast, the news remains largely grim --- we'd expect no less during a global pandemic --- but there continue to be signs of light, way, way...way down at the end of the tunnel. For many in the journalism industry, however, the tunnel may be far too long and dark to make it out [...]