(2020-01-23). Deal with OPEC helps Russia double its National Wealth Fund. rt.com 
The agreement between Russia and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to cut oil output has brought huge benefits to the entire Russian economy and its National Wealth Fund (NWF). | "The NWF rose from 4.04 trillion rubles ($65.2 bln) to 7.7 trillion rubles ($124.3 billion), so the NWF actually doubled over the year. This largely indicates that the NWF resources through the fiscal rule have come exactly from the OPEC+ deal, increasing our reserves twofold," Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), told TASS on the sidelines of the World Economic Foru…
(2020-01-22). The Media and the Military Mindset. counterpunch.org 
U.S. national media have been lazy in their treatment of our military—pandering to the military itself and using retired general officers with ties to the military-industrial complex as spokesmen. The United States is largely in an arms race with itself, but the media typically ignore bloated defense spending. It is past time to reinforce Martin Luther King's address to the Riverside Church in 1967 that linked chronic domestic poverty and military adventurism.
(2020-01-22). At Seattle MLK event the people say "Dump Trump" peoplesworld.org 
SEATTLE—A vast crowd, African American, Latino, Asian American, Native American, and white marched from Garfield High School to Seattle City Hall, Monday, honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and upholding his struggle against racism, poverty and militarism. A rainbow of all races, religions, women and men, Gay and straight, of all ages, the crowd marched …
(2020-01-22). World's Super Rich Meet in Davos to Discuss the Climate Change Problem they Created. mintpressnews.com Research has shown that the people most responsible for a warming planet were disproportionately the same people attending the summit and an increasing number of observers see climate change, inequality and capitalism as bound together.
(2020-01-21). When it comes to pay, U.S. business leaders are world champs. mronline.org 
U.S. CEOs not only draw the highest salaries (including bonuses and equity awards, etc.), but they are king of the hill when it comes to lording it over their employees, as illustrated by the high ratio of CEO to worker earnings. |
(2020-01-21). Headlines for January 21, 2020. democracynow.org Impeachment Trial Opens as Democrats Accuse GOP of "Cover-Up", Trump and Greta Thunberg Address Elites at Davos as Oxfam Condemns Mounting Inequality, NYT Endorses Senators Warren, Klobuchar, as Sanders Gets Backing from Reps. Jayapal and Pocan, Puerto Ricans Call on Governor Vázquez to Resign After Viral Video Shows Unused Emergency Supplies, Attack Kills 100 Soldiers in Yemen, Police Injure Hundreds in Lebanese Anti-Government Protests, At Least 4 Killed, Dozens Injured in Iraq as Popular Protests Mount Nationwide, Racist Treatment of Meghan Markle Highlighted as Plans for "Megxit" Move Forward, 10,000s Attend…
(2020-01-21). Rising inequality affecting more than two-thirds of the globe, but it's not inevitable: new UN report. news.un.org Inequality is growing for more than 70 per cent of the global population, exacerbating the risks of divisions and hampering economic and social development. But the rise is far from inevitable and can be tackled at a national and international level, says a flagship study released by the UN on Tuesday.
(2020-01-21). Even the Democrats Do Favors for the Rich. dissidentvoice.org In 2017 a Republican-controlled Congress passed a tax cut hugely tilted to corporations and the wealthy. In the waning days of 2019, the Democratic-controlled House did a kind of me-too. It pushed through a retirement bill with a provision that gives billions to those in the upper tiers. The House's gift to the well-off was …
(2020-01-21). Healthcare's a human right, not 'a privilege for the rich' UNAIDS argues at Davos. news.un.org The UN agency devoted to ending AIDS as a public health threat is calling on top politicians and governments across the world to ensure the right to quality healthcare is upheld, and not just a privilege to be enjoyed by the wealthy.
(2020-01-20). Nearly half a billion can't find decent work, unemployment set to rise: new UN labour report. news.un.org Around half a billion people work fewer paid hours than they would like, or are not getting enough access to paid work, shows a study published by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Monday, which also forecasts that unemployment will rise by about 2.5 million this year.
(2020-01-18). Charter Schools Have No Valid Claim to Public Property. dissidentvoice.org 
Public facilities and infrastructure are produced by the working class and people and belong to the public. They exist in order to serve the common good and to contribute to the extended reproduction of society. This collectively-produced wealth must not be handed over to competing owners of capital who are only concerned with maximizing profit …
(2020-01-16). We Can't Be Silent Anymore: Rev. Barber & Poor People's Campaign Push Presidential Debate on Poverty. democracynow.org 
As the final Democratic debate ahead of the Iowa caucuses took place Tuesday night in Des Moines, Iowa, more than 100 protesters gathered outside the debate venue at Drake University to demand a televised presidential debate on poverty. Led by Reverend William Barber, demonstrators carried a coffin to honor the 250,000 people who die every year from the impacts of poverty. According to the Poor People's Campaign, 140 million Americans — over 43% of the population — can't pay basic living expenses. In Iowa, 630,000 workers — 45% of the state's workforce — make less than $15 an hour. We're j…
(2020-01-15). Democrats Debate Wealth Tax, Free Public College & Student Debt Relief as Part of New Economic Plan. democracynow.org 
At Tuesday's Democratic debate, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg repeated his criticism of plans for tuition-free public college and wiping out student debt, supported by both Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Activist and Truthout contributor Alexis Goldstein says the dispute highlights a philosophical split within the Democratic Party. "We essentially have a disagreement between the progressive candidates and the moderate candidates about whether or not we want to pursue a universal benefit for higher education and make it a public good, much in the way that K-12 education is treated as a public good,"
(2020-01-06). SPLC Statement on the Detainment of Iranians and Iranian Americans. splcenter.org The following statement is by Southern Poverty Law Center Interim President and CEO Karen Baynes-Dunning following reports that Iranians and Iranian Americans are being detained and questioned at U.S. ports of entry:…
(2019-12-10). The Case for a Green New Deal. zcomm.org Interview on the case for a Green New Deal that tackles the causes and impacts of climate change while confronting racial and economic inequality…