Alicia Garza in conversation w/ Linda Sarsour, author We are Not Here To Be Bystanders
The Commonwealth Club | indybay.org | 2020-04-17
Online via livestream…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/16/18832425.php
Video: Coronavirus: Economic and Social Collapse: Mass Unemployment, Bankruptcy, Poverty and Despair
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-16
There is a serious health crisis which must be duly resolved. But there is another important dimension which has to be addressed. | Millions of people have lost their jobs, and their lifelong savings. In developing countries, poverty and despair prevail. …
globalresearch.ca/video-corona-virus-economic-and-social-collapse-bankruptcy-debt-and-poverty/5709883
Comments on OMB's Considerations for Additional Measures of Poverty
Matt Sedlar | cepr.net | 2020-04-16
To: Office of the Chief Statistician Re: Response to OMB's Request for Comment on Considerations for Additional Measures of Poverty, Docket Number OMB-2019-0007 PDF The Process for Adopting Poverty Statistics OMB should immediately publish a notice extending the comment period on this notice until at least 30 days after the end of the current National …
cepr.net/comments-on-ombs-considerations-for-additional-measures-of-poverty/
Coronavirus magnifies silence around sexism and gender inequality
Tim Libretti | peoplesworld.org | 2020-04-16
One can find in the media many important analyses and accounts of the way the coronavirus pandemic has exposed and exacerbated the myriad inequities plaguing U.S. society. The most opulent among us can shelter in place and not have to worry about their next paycheck, about being evicted, about having enough food. They don't have …
peoplesworld.org/article/coronavirus-magnifies-silence-around-sexism-and-gender-inequality/
COVID-19: How Big Pharma and Big Philanthropy Consume the World
Michael Barker | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-16
Under capitalism, disease is an immensely profitable industry, and huge pharmaceutical corporations excel at extracting enormous amounts of wealth from our public health. Of course, big pharma would have us believe that without their investments in scientific research, millions of people would not benefit from the dizzying array of drugs they sell us, but the…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/16/covid-19-how-big-pharma-and-big-philanthropy-consume-the-world/
Alicia Garza in conversation w/ Linda Sarsour, author We are Not Here To Be Bystanders
The Commonwealth Club | indybay.org | 2020-04-16
Online via livestream…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/16/18832425.php
COVID-19 and Climate: Economic Impacts (livestream)
The Commonwealth Club | indybay.org | 2020-04-16
Online via livestream…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/14/18832362.php
Thousands of UK care home residents dead in COVID-19 pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-04-16
For the ruling elite, the elderly are viewed as a drain on resources and a burden on the further accumulation of personal wealth and corporate profit.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/16/care-a16.html
Trump Says His "Authority Is Total." In Response, Governors Are Rebelling
William rivers Pitt | zcomm.org | 2020-04-16
The capitalists want the machine to begin grinding again, and give not a single damn about how that will affect the health of the workers who generate their wealth…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/trump-says-his-authority-is-total-in-response-governors-are-rebelling/
Covid-19 quarantine could cost Russia $242 BILLION as oil price fall starts to hit budget income
rt.com | 2020-04-16
There are storms, and there are 'perfect storms.' Just days after negotiations between Russia, the US and Saudi Arabia led to a deal on crude output, there are clear signs of more turbulent seas ahead. | Read more | | Economic guru Kudrin warns Russia's unemployment could TREBLE, as Kremlin labels talk of return to 1990s chaos 'hysterical' | According to Russian economists, the financial damage caused by measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic could amount to 17.9 trillion rubles ($242 billion). Meanwhile, 15.5 million people may find thems…
rt.com/russia/486041-covid-19-quarantine-russia-cost/
Unemployment already at Great Depression levels in Australia
wsws.org | 2020-04-16
A record 3.92 million workers, or 27.4 percent, were either unemployed or under-employed by the end of March.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/16/jobs-a16.html
US unemployment could hit 25 MILLION as coronavirus wrecks economy
rt.com | 2020-04-16
With the US Labor Department set to reveal the number of weekly jobless claims on Thursday, economists believe another 5.4 million Americans will file for unemployment benefits, bringing the number to over 22 million in a month. | In the week ending April 4, more than six million claims were filed, which was a slight decrease from the previous week's record-breaking 6.867 million. | The ongoing surge in filings for unemployment insurance has been aggravated by the expansion of those who were allowed to file claims. The CARES Act has expanded the group to include the self-employed and independent contractors. M…
rt.com/business/485963-us-jobless-growth-expected/
US jobless claims due to coronavirus lockdown rise above 22 million
rt.com | 2020-04-16
The US Labor Department reported that 5.245 million more Americans filed first-time claims for unemployment last week. The new numbers include independent contractors and others who previously were not eligible for benefits. | That brings the total rise in US unemployment over the past month to over 22 million, nearly wiping out all of the job gains since the 2008 financial crisis. The previous record for initial jobless claims during the Great Recession was below 700,000. | US unemployment has now surged to 16 percent, worse than during the financial crisis. | BREAKING! US initial jobless claims rose 5.25 mil…
rt.com/business/486018-us-unemployment-claims-rise/
COVID-19 and the role of Labor and the unions in Australia
wsws.org | 2020-04-16
In fighting against mass unemployment, financial ruin and the danger to their very health and lives in many workplaces, the chief political obstacle confronting the working class is the Labor and union apparatus.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/16/labo-a16.html
Unemployment claims rise to 22 million; women workers hit hardest
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-04-16
WASHINGTON–Some 5.25 million more people filed initial claims for jobless benefits in the week ending April 11, the Labor Department reported on April 16. Those claims–added to the millions filed in March–raised total jobs lost to the coronavirus pandemic to 22 million, wiping out all gains in U.S. jobs since the end of the Great …
peoplesworld.org/article/unemployment-claims-rise-to-22-million-women-workers-hit-hardest/
Billionaire Jeff Bezos Makes US$24 Billion More Amid Pandemic
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-15
Amazon's founder and president Jeff Bezos has added nearly US$24 billion to his already vast fortune, as coronavirus-related lockdowns across the globe have forced people indoors and fueled a surge in e-commerce demand. | RELATED: | Amazon Workers Protest Near Detroit, Following NYC Walkout | The company's stock rose by 5.3 percent, "hitting a new record close of US$2,283 per share," Forbes reported Tuesday. | Owning an 11 percent stake in the company, Bezos has been the wealthiest…
telesurenglish.net/news/Billionaire-Jeff-Bezos-Makes-US24-More-Billions-Amid-Pandemic–20200415-0026.html
Trump Cuts Funds for World Health Org as Oxfam Warns Pandemic Could Push Half a Billion into Poverty
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-15
As the confirmed cases of coronavirus surpass 2 million around the world, President Donald Trump says he will cut U.S. support for the World Health Organization. Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet medical journal, called it a "crime against humanity." Oxfam America said the cuts slash "any hopes for the responsible international cooperation and solidarity that is critical to save lives and restore the global economy." This comes as a new Oxfam report estimates the pandemic's economic fallout could push more than half a billion more people into poverty. We get response from Paul O'Brien, vice president…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/15/oxfam_coronavirus
GOP Tax Cuts in Coronavirus Relief Bill Give 82% of Benefits to Millionaires and Billionaires
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-04-15
A new report suggests that a tax cut quietly inserted into the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act will add almost $170 billion to the deficit over the next ten years and overwhelmingly benefit the ultra-wealthy.
mintpressnews.com/82-percent-benefits-coronavirus-relief-fund-go-to-millionaires-billionaires/266674/
COVID-19's impact on the Bronx
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-04-15
New York, NY – As of April 14, the death toll from COVID-19 jumped by 3700, up to 10,000 in New York City. While the Bronx's confirmed infection rate is in line with the city's, the borough has the highest per-case fatality rate in NYC. There are various conditions that make the people of the Bronx especially vulnerable to the virus. | The Bronx is predominantly Black and Latino and has higher rates of poverty compared to the rest of the city. The poverty rate is at 28.4%, 10% higher than the citywide average, and makes up for 60% of the city's low-income residents. One in four of the city's 400,000 New York Cit…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/4/15/covid-19s-impact-bronx
The Great Depression, The Great Recession and the Great Lockdown
graham | truepublica.org.uk | 2020-04-15
By TruePublica Editor: They say, don't they, that the coronavirus is a great leveller
Portent of Pandemic
Kenn Orphan | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-15
Just months ago, few would have thought it possible that a submicroscopic ball of genetic coding could bring the world's wealthiest powers to their knees. But it has. In the space of a few months the Covid-19 virus projected its spiky arms not only into the delicate cells of the human lung, but into the…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/15/portent-of-pandemic/
Labour's Explosive Report Shows How Right-wing Officials Sabotaged the Party
Alex Snowdon | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-15
A leaked 850-page report provides a wealth of information about how senior officials undermined Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party. Titled 'The work of the Labour Party's Governance and Legal Unit in relation to antisemitism, 2014-2019', it particularly documents …
globalresearch.ca/labour-explosive-report-shows-how-right-wing-officials-sabotaged-party/5709704
'Biggest Coronavirus Stimulus of All': Richest Man in the World Jeff Bezos Now $24 Billion Richer Amid Pandemic
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-04-15
Amplifying fresh critiques of wealthy inequality that have mounted throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos—the world's richest man—has added nearly $24 billion to his already massive fortune in 2020 as virus-related lockdowns across the globe have forced people to stay inside and fueled increased e-commerce demand. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/jeff_bezos_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/04/15/biggest-coronavirus-stimulus-all-richest-man-world-jeff-bezos-now-24-billion-richer?cd-origin=rss
Essential or Expendable? Farmworkers Condemn Lack of Protection and Economic Help During Pandemic
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-14
As the coronavirus sweeps through the United States, the country's 2.5 million farmworkers are continuing to go to work every day, often facing crowded and unsanitary conditions without personal protective equipment, for poverty wages. We speak with Gerardo Reyes Chávez, a farmworker leader with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, who describes the conditions farmworkers in Florida are facing and how they are calling on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to protect farmworkers during the COVID-19 crisis, and with Mónica Ramírez, president and founder of Justice for Migrant Women and co-founder of the National Farmwork…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/14/us_farmworkers_coronavirus
SPLC condemns attack on Alabama synagogue
splcenter.org | 2020-04-11
The Southern Poverty Law Center condemns the antisemitic attacks that took place during Passover at the Etz Chayim Synagogue in Huntsville, Alabama.
splcenter.org/news/2020/04/10/splc-condemns-attack-alabama-synagogue
"Exposing U.S. Racism in a Stark New Way": COVID-19 Kills Disproportionate Number of Black Americans
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-09
We speak with family physician and epidemiologist Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones about how the coronavirus is taking a devastating toll on black Americans, who are disproportionately dying from the virus across the country as a result of entrenched racial inequality. Black Americans are more likely to have chronic health problems and less likely to have insurance. They also make up significant numbers of frontline workers that are still going to work amid the pandemic. Jones is the former president of the American Public Health Association. Her recent piece for Newsweek magazine is headlined "Coronavirus Disease Discri…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/9/camara_phyllis_jones_coronavirus_race_disparities
Why is Alliance Defending Freedom a Hate Group?
splcenter.org | 2020-04-08
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) first listed Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) as an anti-LGBTQ hate group in 2016.
splcenter.org/news/2020/04/10/why-alliance-defending-freedom-hate-group
Why is Alliance Defending Freedom a Hate Group?
splcenter.org | 2020-04-08
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) first listed Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) as an anti-LGBTQ hate group in 2016.
splcenter.org/news/2020/04/10/why-alliance-defending-freedom-hate-group
The Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery played key role in launching SPLC's legal battle against Ku Klux Klan
splcenter.org | 2020-03-30
The Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, who died on Friday at 98 years old, was a longtime friend of the Southern Poverty Law Center and played a leading role in the SPLC's first lawsuit against the Ku Klux Klan in 1980.
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/30/rev-dr-joseph-e-lowery-played-key-role-launching-splcs-legal-battle-against-ku-klux-klan