(2020-05-10). New York pandemic spending favors wealthy over workers. liberationnews.org 
New York politicians have recently barreled forward with plans for massive cuts to public spending.
(2020-05-10). Elon Musk resorts to insults in RUSSIAN to defend capitalism. rt.com 
As Elon Musk sues Californian authorities for stopping a Tesla factory from reopening, he has found a somewhat novel way of dealing with his critics — dismissing them with short Russian insults. | The target of Musk's Cyrillic ire is Robert Reich, an economist and labor secretary under the Clinton administration. A well-known proponent of fairer distribution of wealth, Reich shared a story about the Tesla CEO's plans for legal action in the Golden State with the comment: "Elon Musk threatens to take away people's jobs unless he's allowed to risk their health. Capitalism at its worst." | t.co/Faiv…
(2020-05-10). Over 1,000 line up for FREE FOOD in Geneva amid coronavirus lockdown (PHOTOS). rt.com 
More than 1,000 people queued up in Geneva to get free food parcels. The anti-coronavirus measures that have been in place since mid-March have taken a heavy toll on the country's poor. | Hundreds of people turned out to get free food from charities in one of the world's leading financial centres, typically associated with wealth, on Saturday. As those gathered had to follow the social distancing rules, the procession stretched for more than 1.5km (a mile). | | © AFP / Fabrice Coffrini | Those most eager to receive food assistance began lining up in a file starting as early as at 5: 00 am, according to t…
(2020-05-10). Celebrating 50 Years of San Francisco Pride (webinar). indybay.org Online via livestream…
(2020-05-10). Congress Members Who Invest in Real Estate Got a Tax Break in the Stimulus Bill. truthout.org Congress slipped a provision into the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill that will save wealthy real estate investors billions in taxes. Some lawmakers stand to profit from the legislation meant to weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed tens of thousands and left tens of millions out of work. | Members of Congress
(2020-05-10). Real Unemployment is 35.7%; The Internationale. indybay.org The real unemployment rate for April 2020 as of May 8, 2020 is 35.7% Peak unemployment during the 1930s Great Depression was 24.9%. April job losses were 20.5 million, preceded by March's job losses of 30 million. California's unemployment claims were 4 million in the past 7 weeks. San Francisco's unemployed to date are 17,500. The economic crisis preceded the pandemic which is accelerating the economic crisis of the capitalist profit motive. Only a serious labor movement capable of carrying out a general strike to abolish the profit motive can end this Great Depression of the 21st Century.
(2020-05-09). Hunger rises dramatically in America. mronline.org 
Given the dramatic rise in unemployment, cuts in hours, and sharp decline in gig economy work, it isn't surprising that hunger is becoming more common, particularly among families with children. Nearly half the U.S. couldn't withstand a $400 emergency, and most households that have taken hits are seeing bigger income losses than that.
(2020-05-09). The U.S. Response to Covid-19 Has Lavished Wealth on the Rich. commondreams.org Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO and already the richest person in the world, saw his fortune inflate by $24 billion in the first three months of the year, a surge the report's authors say is "unprecedented in the history of modern markets." (Photo: Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/bezos_0_0.jpeg …
(2020-05-09). White Unemployment Rose More than Black Unemployment and No One Notices. cepr.net One of the most striking items in a very striking employment report yesterday is that white unemployment has actually risen slightly more than black unemployment in this crisis. White unemployment has risen from 3.1 percent in February to 14.2 percent in April, a rise of 11.1 percentage points. Black unemployment rose from 5.8 percent to …
(2020-05-09). Minnesota: Advance a People's Agenda! fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Coalition to Advance a People's Agenda. | Working and oppressed people are facing the biggest crisis we've experienced in generations. The government's disastrous mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic combined with deepening unemployment and economic collapse are throwing millions of working people into crisis. So far the government is doing what they usually do
(2020-05-09). Employers in Ohio Urged to Snitch on Workers Who Stay Home to Avoid COVID-19. truthout.org Ohio officials are encouraging employers to report what they've designated "Covid-19 fraud" as the state begins reopening some industries. Workers who refuse to report to work in light of the pandemic, which has killed more than 1,300 Ohio residents so far, can be reported via a government website and have their unemployment benefits taken away. |
(2020-05-09). Unemployment highest since the Great Depression. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – On Friday, May 8, the U.S. Department of Labor released their monthly Employment Report for the month of April. The report said that the official unemployment rate soared from 4.4% in March to 14.7% in April, a jump of more than 10% in just one month. This is the highest monthly unemployment rate on records going back to 1948, and the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930s when unemployment peaked at about 25%. | As usual, oppressed nationality workers (African American, Chicano and Latino, and Asian American) were hardest hit. The unemployment rate for Chicanos and Latinos hit a record high…
(2020-05-09). Australian governments pushing workers back on the job amid pandemic. wsws.org Mass unemployment is being used as a battering ram to push financially devastated workers back into workplaces, regardless of their safety fears.
(2020-05-08). Headlines for May 8, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Pass 75,000 as Trump Sidelines Top Medical Experts, Trump to Be Tested for Coronavirus Daily After Valet Tests Positive, Vigil at White House Honors 88 Who Died from "Trump's Abhorrent Failure to Protect Nurses", U.S. Unemployment Claims Soar to 33.3 Million Amid Pandemic | , Democrats Promise "Rooseveltian" Coronavirus Relief Bill | , Mitch McConnell Prioritizes Judicial Confirmations as Senate Returns Amid Pandemic | , Data Shows 35 of 40 People Arrested in NY for Social Distancing Violations Are Black | , Texas Stops Jailing Lockdown Violators; Nebraska Ends Reporting on Meat Plant COVI…
(2020-05-08). Ohio Government invites employers to secretly report "work refusal" due to coronavirus. mronline.org 
AS OHIO BEGINS to ease restrictions and reopen its economy, the state is inviting employers to report employees who don't show up for work out of concerns about the coronavirus for possible unemployment fraud. This means that workers who stay home because of concerns about unsafe conditions at work may be investigated and potentially stripped …
(2020-05-08). Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic, America's Billionaires Thrive and Prosper. zcomm.org Although most Americans currently face hard times, with unemployment surging to the levels of the Great Depression and enormous numbers of people sick or dying from the coronavirus pandemic, the nation's super-rich remain a notable exception. Financially, they are doing remarkably well. According to the Institute for Policy Studies, between March 18 and April 28,
(2020-05-08). Pandemic Causes Loss of 20,500,000 Jobs, Unemployment at 14.7 Percent. cepr.net Temporary layoffs make up 78.3 percent of unemployment. As expected, the April jobs report showed a catastrophic hit to the labor market stemming from the pandemic. The economy lost another 20,500,000 jobs in April after losing 870,000 jobs in March. This is an order of magnitude higher than any previous two-month decline on record. The …
(2020-05-08). Mass Joblessness Deepens in US as Corporations Move to Implement Permanent Layoffs. 40.6 Million Unemployed. globalresearch.ca US government figures to be released today are expected to show mass unemployment in April unlike anything seen since the Great Depression. In numbers released Wednesday, ADP Research said that US payrolls in April fell by an astounding 20,236,000, a …
(2020-05-07). Headlines for May 7, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 73,400 as 41 States Begin Reopening | , White House Shelves Guidelines on Reopening, as Experts Warn U.S. Failing to Stem COVID-19 Deaths, Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. Children Going Hungry as Unemployment Surges to Great Depression Levels, State Budget Cuts Loom as Trump Rails Against "Blue State Bailouts" | , United Nations Seeks $6.7 Billion for Coronavirus Aid to Poor Countries | , EU Warns Pandemic Economic Recession Will Be Worst in History | , Closing Ceremony of Spanish Coronavirus Field Hospital Marred by Tightly Packed Crowds, Venezuelan TV Airs Video of Arrested U.S. Mercenary Co…
(2020-05-07). Reflections on the Coronavirus Economic Relief Bills. peoplespolicyproject.org 
When coronavirus relief bills were being discussed a couple of months ago, I Paid Leave. Create a one-month sickness allowance for those who need to take leave from work because they contracted the virus. Create a family leave benefit for those who need to take leave from work because they need to take care of family, e.g. due to school closures. | Unemployment Insurance. Expand unemployment benefits by replacing 100 percent of prior earnings up to $8,…
(2020-05-07). Trump economy faces long-term disaster as jobs data looms. truepublica.org.uk The staggering economic pain, perhaps the worst since the 1930s, of the American economy in the time of coronavirus will be graphically underscored in two new rounds of unemployment data that are due on Thursday and Friday. The figures will show Americans who have and will lose their livelihoods as common victims of the most cruel public health crisis …
(2020-05-06). Senior UN official calls for universal basic income to tackle growing inequality. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a health crisis, but it is also proving to be an economic disaster for huge numbers of people worldwide. A senior UN official with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is calling for countries to provide citizens with a universal basic income, to help the millions who have lost their jobs, because of measures to curb the virus, combined with increasing levels of inequality.
(2020-04-30). U.S. Organizations React to Global Military Spending Report. peaceaction.org Joint Statement: U.S. organizations react to global military spending report April 27, 2020 Our diverse group of 39 think-tanks, non-profits, faith-based organizations, and advocacy groups based in the United States find the exorbitant amount of money spent on militaries worldwide to be an irresponsible and harmful use of global wealth. The Global Military Expenditures Report …
(2020-04-30). How Workers Can Win in the Age of COVID-19. progressive.org With thirty million people filing for unemployment, a new project helps organizers fight for the common good.
(2020-04-14). [Perspectives] The worst is not, so long as we can say "this is the worst" thelancet.com "There have been as many plagues as wars in history", the doctor observes, "yet always plagues and wars take people equally by surprise". Even after a few scattered deaths, "the danger still remained fantastically unreal." "It's impossible it should be the plague, everyone knows it has vanished from the West", says one character early in the novel, as first the rats and then the people begin to die. "Yes, everyone knew that", replies the doctor, "except the dead". The infection comes to a town that is obsessed with business, a place where the sole object seems to be the pursuit of wealth.
(2020-03-23). How To Think About Corporate Bailouts Correctly. peoplespolicyproject.org As the negotiations over the economic response to the Coronavirus recession heat up, we are seeing more and more talk about how (or whether) to provide relief to corporations and industries that are facing bankruptcy due to the economic slowdown. Some of this talk is intelligent. A lot of it is not. So in this post, I hope to lay out what I believe is the correct way to think about corporate bailouts. | Due to an aversion to socialist rhetoric about "capitalists" or even "the wealthy," American populist lingo tends to focus on "corporations" as the great evil. We talk about "corporate power" and "corporate concen…
(2020-03-18). Understanding Claims About Basic Income and Inflation. peoplespolicyproject.org A variety of elected officials are currently proposing that the federal government send cash payments to every person in the country (sometimes called a "universal basic income" or "UBI") as a way of responding to the recession. These calls have resurrected claims that a UBI is inflationary. Such claims circulate widely among advocates of workfare and in certain niche internet circles. But these claims are nonsensical and deceptive. In this post, I walk through these claims to promote better understanding of the issue. | Deceptive Language: | Many people who claim that UBI is inflationary also belong to t…
(2020-05-08). 'What a Rigged Economy Looks Like,' Says Sanders, as Stock Market Enjoys Best Month in 33 Years Despite 20%+ Unemployment. commondreams.org While a record 20.5 million Americans lost their jobs in April and one-third of people were unable to pay their rent or mortgage, the stock market enjoyed its strongest month since 1987. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/picmonkey_image_6.jpg …
(2020-05-08). 'About As Evil As It Gets': As State Reopens, Ohio Urges Employers to Snitch on Workers Who Stay Home Due to Covid-19 Concerns. commondreams.org Ohio officials are encouraging employers to report what they've designated "Covid-19 fraud" as the state begins reopening some industries. Workers who refuse to report to work in light of the pandemic can be reported via a government website and have their unemployment benefits taken away. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1207245537_1.jpg …
