2020-11-08: News Headlines

_____ (2020-11-08). Hundreds Of Thousands Of Jobless People Are Being Asked To Repay Benefits. popularresistance.org Ahmad Ghabboun broke into a sweat. It was a late night in August and he had just discovered an unexpected $14,990 debt posted to the online portal he uses to access his account with Washington state's unemployment agency. Since May, he had been receiving payments every week through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, newly established by Congress to support freelancers like him. The benefits replaced the paycheck he could no longer earn after the pandemic had grounded his work delivering packages for Amazon Flex and driving the occasional shift for Uber.

The Lancet (2020-11-07). [Editorial] COVID-19 in Latin America: a humanitarian crisis. thelancet.com Latin America has some of the highest COVID-19 death rates in the world. Why? For outsiders, much of the discussion of COVID-19 in Latin America has focused on Brazil and the errors of President Jair Bolsonaro. But the region as a whole is facing a humanitarian crisis borne out of political instability, corruption, social unrest, fragile health systems, and perhaps most importantly, longstanding and pervasive inequality—in income, health care, and education—which has been woven into the social and economic fabric of the region.

Staff (2020-11-07). COVID Needs Are Urgent, But Many Cities Are Prioritizing Police Funding Instead. truthout.org We are in the midst of a global pandemic that has produced a massive economic crisis, in which millions are struggling to meet their basic needs. Meanwhile, in many mid-sized cities — including Houston, San Diego and Pittsburgh — police funding continues unabated, even as funding for crucial programs is cut. | Chicago is another prime example. In this city, tens of thousands of people are facing severe hardship, unemployment and housing insecurity, and winter is coming. The City…

_____ (2020-11-07). The Corporate Dictatorship Of The Very Rich. popularresistance.org I heard friends praising Bill Gates' philanthropy a while ago; it still surprises me how people respond to billionaires. The wealthy improve their image financing self-serving projects they present as "serving others" but few question their motives or suspect them of hidden agendas. Most take billionaires at face value and forget how they made their fortunes. | Gates is a monopolist who crushed others in the process of building Microsoft. At least, J.D. Rockefeller (the first) made it a bit easier for us, he was blatant enough to call competition a "sin" and built Standard Oil monopoly trying to protect its privi…

Dan Corjescu (2020-11-07). War, Peace, Wealth, and Recognition. dissidentvoice.org Is the world making more love than war these days? And if so why? It's a question that three great contemporary intellectuals have either indirectly or directly wrestled with in their life's work. The first of our intellectuals is Francis Fukuyama. In his celebrated debut book The End of History and The Last Man, Fukuyama …

WSWS (2020-11-07). US jobless rates falls but long-term unemployment up sharply as millions remain out of work. wsws.org More than seven months since the start of the pandemic only about one half the 22 million jobs lost earlier in the year have been recovered as the upsurge of new COVID-19 cases is likely to hammer service and retail jobs.

Elise Gould (2020-11-06). Thanks to GOP, Next President Inherits a Devastated Economy With Millions Out of Work. commondreams.org Policymakers cannot ignore the economic devastation happening to workers and their families across the country. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/unemployment_sanders_coronavirus_1.jpg

WSWS (2020-11-06). Another 751,000 US workers file for unemployment benefits as job growth slows. wsws.org The pandemic and the economic and social crisis in America are worsening even as Wall Street celebrates its best week since April.

Staff (2020-11-06). Unemployment Falls to 6.9 Percent — But Don't Expect Improvements to Last. truthout.org The labor market continued to rebound from the spring shutdown, adding 638,000 jobs. The unemployment rate fell another percentage point to 6.9 percent. This still leaves the number of jobs 6.6 percent below the February level. | The jobs gains were broadly based across sectors. Construction added 84,000 jobs, which is consistent with other data showing a boom in residential construction. Employment in construction is now down by just 3.8 percent from its pre-pandemic level. Manufacturing also ha…

Richard D. Wolff (2020-11-06). Why Capitalism Was Destined to Come Out on Top in the 2020 Election. counterpunch.org No matter who "won" the U.S. election, what will not change is the capitalist organization of the country's economy. The great majority of enterprises will continue to be owned and operated by a small minority of Americans. They will continue to use their positions atop the capitalist system to expand their wealth, "economize their labor costs," and thereby deepen the United States' inequalities of wealth and income.

Karen Conner (2020-11-06). Economy Adds 638,000 Jobs in October, Unemployment Falls to 6.9 Percent. cepr.net The number of multiple job holders stands at 17.8 percent below its year-ago level. The labor market continued to rebound from the spring shutdown, adding 638,000 jobs. The unemployment rate fell another percentage point to 6.9 percent. This still leaves the number of jobs 6.6 percent below the February level. The jobs gains were broadly …

Ralph Nader — Bruce Fein (2020-11-05). How Trump, Hannity and Limbaugh Violated Election Law. counterpunch.org Conservative media celebrities Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh have flagrantly violated the federal election law prohibition of donating anything of value exceeding $2,800 to a presidential candidate. The ongoing strategic collaboration between Trump, Hannity and Limbaugh is obvious and has been widely documented in newspapers and books. Both Hannity and Limbaugh have collaborated with President

WSWS (2020-11-05). Australian billionaires celebrate skyrocketing wealth while pandemic forces workers into poverty. wsws.org The combined fortunes of Australia's richest 200 individual and families increased by a staggering $82 billion during the past year.

sputniknews (2020-11-05). Pennsylvania Official Says 'Overwhelming' Majority of US Voter Ballots to Be Counted by Friday. sputniknews.com Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar announced Thursday evening that the "overwhelming" majority of uncounted ballots would be counted by Friday, cautioning that announcement of an election winner would be further delayed because of how close the race remains.

sputniknews (2020-11-05). People of Color Remain 'Brutalized' by US Electoral System Rooted in Inequality – Activist. sputniknews.com Niko House, political activist, independent journalist and podcaster, joined Radio Sputnik's Political Misfits on Thursday to discuss the deep divide in America, how the red and blue framing is no longer useful and how people of color have been brutalized by the two-party system in the US.

Commonwealth Club (2020-11-05). Thursday 11/5: LGBTQIA+ Leaders: Where Do We Go from Here? Post-Election Discussion. indybay.org Online event…