2020-03-21: News Headlines

WSWS (2020-03-21). President Trump and Florida Governor DeSantis declare south Florida a COVID-19 epicenter. wsws.org While some Florida counties have been closed to nonessential business, concern grows over unemployment and a large prison population.

Norbert Ross (2020-03-20). Poverty in the Time of Corona: Victims of a Sickness That is Yet to Exist. counterpunch.org In the days on COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, we sometimes forget that the virus is not a "natural disaster," nor does it affect all people equally. While we can all get sick (which is why there is so much attention on COVID-19), the virus is in no way an equal opportunity perpetrator, meaning that

teleSUR (2020-03-20). Africa, Latin America Fragile Targets for Coronavirus Spread. telesurenglish.net The West African nation of Mali has roughly one ventilator per 1 million people — 20 in all to help the critically ill with respiratory failure. In Peru, with more than 32 million people, about 350 beds in intensive care units exist. | RELATED: | Many of their nations are slamming shut borders and banning large gatherings in the hope of avoiding the scenes in wealthier countries such as Italy and the U.S., but…

Derek Royden (2020-03-20). Not fit for purpose: Neoliberalism and Covid 19. nationofchange.org At this time of crisis, we will still need to raise our voices to call on governments to use their resources to care for ordinary citizens, not cater to the whims of industry and the wealthy.

Fight Back (2020-03-20). Unemployment Insurance applications surge. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – On Thursday, March 19, the Department of Labor reported a surge of applications for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits as the COVID-19 pandemic began to bite into the economy. For the week ending March 14, a seasonally adjusted 281,000 claims were filed, up 70,000 (or one-third) from the week before and much greater than the predicted 220,000. A National Public Radio poll also conducted last week showed that 18% of all households had already lost income from layoffs or reduced work hours. | But this is just the beginning of the tidal wave of layoffs in the works. In the first three workdays of th…

news.un (2020-03-20). FIRST PERSON: The 'inseparable bond' between Hawaiian culture and native plants. news.un.org The 17 goals agreed by the global community to reduce poverty and create a sustainable planet are the responsibility of all people, wherever they are in the world, according to the United Nations. The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs represent a boundary-pushing blueprint for the future of the Earth and it's anticipated they will be realized by 2030. UN News joined the International Labour Organization on a visit to Hawaii where many people are already living aspects of the goals in their everyday work.

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-03-20). With Millions Out of Work in Unparalleled Moment, Trump Tells States to Hold Back Unemployment Numbers. commondreams.org "The Trump administration would apparently rather you not hear those numbers." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/nyc_corona.jpg

Charles Pierce (2020-03-19). Proposals for the 2020 US Elections. dissidentvoice.org The broad left has been uniting behind the Democratic Party for the past four decades without having achieved much real progress for its base constituencies. In fact, there has been considerable regress: increased inequality of wealth and income, diminished collective bargaining, increased homeless numbers, rising student debt burdens, reduced abortion access, increasingly unaffordable costs of …

Staff (2020-03-19). Joseph Stiglitz: Trump's "Trickle-Down" Economic Plans Are Not Enough to Meet Coronavirus Challenge. democracynow.org The coronavirus relief package signed by President Trump Wednesday provides unemployment benefits and free coronavirus testing to millions of Americans suddenly out of a job, but guarantees paid sick leave to less than 20% of American workers. Earlier this month, Trump signed into law an $8 billion coronavirus response package and has laid out the first details of a third, $1 trillion economic package and invoked the Korean War-era Defense Production Act to allow the government to direct industrial production. For more on those bailouts and who benefits, we speak with Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize-winning economis…

Staff (2020-03-19). "Coronavirus Capitalism": Naomi Klein's Case for Transformative Change Amid Coronavirus Pandemic. democracynow.org Author, activist and journalist Naomi Klein says the coronavirus crisis, like earlier ones, could be a catalyst to shower aid on the wealthiest interests in society, including those most responsible for our current vulnerabilities, while offering next to nothing to most workers and small businesses. In 2007, Klein wrote "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism." Now she argues President Trump's plan is a pandemic shock doctrine. In a new video for The Intercept, where she is a senior correspondent, Klein argues it's vital for people to fight for the kind of transformative change that can not only curb…

Staff (2020-03-19). Naomi Klein Makes the Case for Transformative Change Amid Coronavirus Pandemic. truthout.org Author, activist and journalist Naomi Klein says the coronavirus crisis, like earlier ones, could be a catalyst to shower aid on the wealthiest interests in society, including those most responsible for our current vulnerabilities, while offering next to nothing to most workers and small businesses. In 2007, Klein wrote The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Now she argues President Trump's plan is a pandemic shock doctrine. In a new video for The Intercept, where she is a senior…

Sputnik News (2020-03-19). US Aims to 'Maximize Suffering' With Iran Sanctions as Outbreak Deepens — Scholar. iranian.com On Tuesday, the US added even more sanctions on Iran, which is in the midst of a severe COVID-19 outbreak. US sanctions were already killing the sick in Iran even before the pandemic, but one Iranian scholar told Sputnik the bigger problem is regional poverty, which is also largely Washington's doing. US Secretary of State …

Staff (2020-03-12). Bernie Sanders: We Are Winning "Ideological" & "Generational" Debate, Now Need to Win "Electability" democracynow.org After a disappointing showing in Tuesday night's Democratic presidential primaries, Senator Bernie Sanders said Wednesday he will stay in the race. In his address from Burlington, Vermont, Sanders challenged his rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, to address key issues like economic inequality, healthcare access and the climate crisis. Sanders is set to debate Biden this Sunday in Arizona. "It is not just the ideological debate that our progressive movement is winning. We are winning the generational debate," Sanders said. "While Joe Biden continues to do very well with older Americans, especially those peopl…