(2020-08-11). Defund Fascism, Blue and Orange. counterpunch.org 
The American ruling class says it is opposed to "big government." It isn't. The wealthy Few are only against what the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu called "the left hand of the state" — those parts of government that reflect the victories of past and ongoing social movements by serving the common good, regulating Big Business,
(2020-08-11). Debt cancellation is vital for global recovery. zcomm.org Cancelling debt for poor countries is desperately needed to shore up public health systems, social protections and address global structural inequality…
(2020-08-11). Jobless workers will get little or no help from Trump's executive orders. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – On Saturday, August 8, President Trump signed four executive orders that he declared would "take care of, pretty much, the entire situation." But jobless workers will get little or no help from the triple whammy of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic crisis and the recent loss of the additional $600 a week in unemployment benefits, known as the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, of FPUC. | Instead, Trump ordered $400 a week in additional payments, calling the cut in benefits "generous." But he ordered the money to come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA. There is only enough mon…
(2020-08-11). How South Korea's past informs Moon Jae-In's civil rights policy. indybay.org President Moon Jae-In is the current president of South Korea. His presidency began without the typical two-month adjustment period, coming out of the previous scandal involving President Park Geun-hye. His justice minister pick became embroiled in a scandal, and the country's economy and unemployment rate have taken a turn for the worse. His approval rates have fallen to record lows, as protestors take to the streets. What actions is President Moon taking to bolster his candidacy? Let's examine how South Korea's political history has informed President Moon Jae In's public policy.
(2020-08-11). Why the Stimulus Deal Should Include Free College. commondreams.org "Even before the pandemic, the exorbitant cost of higher education was holding our country back. That's especially true now." (Image: via Inequality.org/IPS) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-08-11_at_1.57.58_pm.png …
(2020-08-10). Trump's Executive Orders: EOs as PR and FUs. counterpunch.org 
Less than 24 hours after Trump broke off negotiations on the economic stimulus package with Congressional Democrat leaders, Pelosi and Shumer, last Friday August 7, Trump issued a series of Executive Orders (EOs) that he had been signaling and threatening all last week well before the break up. Almost certainly the legal crafting of the
(2020-08-10). Geneva: The Home of Lost Causes. counterpunch.org 
Anniversaries call for celebrations. The 75th anniversary of the United Nations was supposed to be the event of 2020 for the multilateral system. The list of scheduled events and publications is too long to mention. Should we celebrate? What is there to celebrate? A global pandemic with no multilateral response? Increasing economic and social inequality
(2020-08-10). 'Give them soy lattes and foot massages' — Ted Cruz roasted for mocking pandemic payments. rt.com 
Republican Senator Ted Cruz was hammered online after he mocked a Democrat colleague's calls for higher coronavirus payments to Americans. Cruz's brand of 'let them sip soy' humor went down like a lead balloon. | Though President Donald Trump recently signed a slew of executive orders extending unemployment benefits, pausing evictions, deferring student loan payments and implementing a payroll tax cut, the American people have yet to receive another stimulus check from the federal government. | With Congress set to debate a second round of checks in the coming days, some Democrats have called for a more genero…
(2020-08-10). After 300 Years, It's Time To End Capitalism, Not Reform It. popularresistance.org The United States is facing multiple crises with no signs of improvement on the horizon – a deep recession, high unemployment, millions of people soon to be displaced from their homes, a failed healthcare system in the midst of a pandemic, the climate crisis and more. We speak with Professor Richard Wolff, an economist and the author of "Democracy at Work", about the history of capitalism and how it is inherently unstable. Prof. Wolff posits that the United States is now in a situation where capitalism is unlikely to survive. He describes why that is and the lessons we must learn from the fatal mistakes made when…
(2020-08-10). Is the Partition of Lebanon now on the table? thealtworld.com Following the end of the 1975 civil war in Lebanon, the Taef agreement (one of the worse agreements on record) was signed between the belligerents. It delivered the country into the hands of the civil warlords who today rule Lebanon along with their children. Since then they have been frenetically diligent in stealing public wealth, mismanaging the country and offering precious little infrastructure to the inhabitants. They shelter behind the religious leaders, who are keen to offer protection to these lords… as long as they guard the governmental position allocated to each of the 18 Lebanese religions, accordi…
(2020-08-10). Trump's Executive Orders Are Public Relations Stunts. popularresistance.org Trump, Meadows, Mnuchin and McConnell cleverly set up and sucked in Pelosi and Shumer into negotiations last week, never planning to conclude a deal by Friday, in the process getting them to reveal their priority demands and securing from them major concessions worth $1 trillion—for which the Democrat leaders apparently got nothing in return. | A day later, Trump dropped the hammer and issued his EOs, which are designed more as PR for his election campaign. They certainly won't provide anything remotely necessary as fiscal stimulus to confront the US economy's emerging fading rebound in recent weeks. | Upon…
(2020-08-10). Trump Executive Action on Unemployment Insurance Deliberately Leaves Out Poorest. truthout.org On top of serious questions about the directive's The language of Trump's…
(2020-08-10). Weeks After Voting for $740 Billion Pentagon Budget, Ted Cruz Says 'Magic Money Tree' Isn't Available to Struggling Families. commondreams.org Sen. Ed Markey led the charge on Monday against his colleague, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, after Cruz mocked the notion of providing robust financial assistance to Americans during the coronavirus pandemic as the nation faces a Great Depression-level unemployment crisis. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1226458384_1.jpg …
(2020-08-10). Stagehands push for $600 unemployment benefit. fightbacknews.org Grand Rapids, MI – Fifty union stagehands chanted, "$600 now!" while pushing music road cases thru downtown Grand Rapids. They began their push at the U.S. Federal Building to demand Senator Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans pass the $600 workers need. | Outdoor diners gawked, homeless workers shouted approval and cars honked in solidarity as the stagehands rolled past on their way to a lively rally under the Rosa Parks statue. | "We paid into unemployment our entire working lives. It is our money and we need the Republican politicians in the Senate to pass $600 now to pay our bills, pay for housing and pay…
(2020-08-09). Trump Scuttles Economic Stimulus Negotiations. What Next? globalresearch.ca Today, August 7, 2020 negotiations on an economic stimulus package between US House Democrats and the White House broke down and broke off. What's behind it? | In recent days the Democrats' leaders, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Shumer, reportedly reduced …
(2020-08-09). Restoring Free Speech and Freedom from Big Brother. dissidentvoice.org 
Read Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, and Part VII. One of the greatest obstacles to greater distribution of wealth and power, and therefore to an equitable society, is control of — and controls on — speech and the media. Most films, television, newspapers, Internet suppliers and other mass …
(2020-08-09). Covid-19 and the "Greater Economic Depression" Exceeding the 1930s: Unemployment Armageddon. globalresearch.ca The COVID-19 crisis at a time of deteriorating economic conditions caused what in hindsight may be known as a Greater Depression — exceeding the worst of the 1930s. | For 20 straight weeks, new claims for unemployment insurance exceeded one million….
(2020-08-09). Economy Creates 1.8 Million Jobs in July, Production Workers' Wages Fall. zcomm.org There is no evidence that generous unemployment benefits are making it difficult to find workers…
(2020-08-09). Study: Return To Work Not Affected By $600 Unemployment Boost. popularresistance.org There's no relationship between expanded Unemployment Compensation payments and individuals' likelihood of returning to work, according to two recent studies. One, by researchers at Yale University, finds that more generous UC payments are not related to lower rates of return to work. Another shows employers saw no overall decline in the number of applicants per job vacancy as a result of the increased payments. | The findings refute the assertion by some pundits and politicians from both parties who claim the additional $600 weekly payment to laid-off workers established by Congress in March is a "disincentive t…
(2020-08-09). Trump's Order To Bypass Congress On COVID-19 Relief Faces Likely Legal Challenges. popularresistance.org Washington, DC – President Trump on Saturday said he was bypassing Congress and taking unilateral action to provide financial relief to Americans struggling during the coronavirus crisis, despite uncertainty about his legal authority to do so. | Following the breakdown of talks on Capitol Hill to reach a bipartisan deal, Trump signed four orders that he said would extend enhanced federal unemployment benefits, defer some employees' payroll taxes, continue a temporary ban on evictions and reduce the burden of student loans.
(2020-08-08). Trump Scuttles Economic Stimulus Negotiations What Next? zcomm.org The McConnell-Trump strategy is not to bail out state and local governments. It's about making the high urban population centers—located largely in 'blue' states—to bear the brunt of the continuing economic crisis…
(2020-08-08). White House, Congress combine to cut off supplemental unemployment benefits. wsws.org Driven by social interests irreconcilably opposed to those of the working class, congressional leaders from both parties adjourned Friday without restoring jobless pay.
(2020-08-08). General Strike: The Eviction Crisis Escalates. popularresistance.org With an estimated 17 to 40 million people at risk of losing their homes by the end of September, and with the failure of the federal government to pass an eviction moratorium or an unemployment benefits extension, the greatest eviction and foreclosure crisis since the Great Depression is now upon us. In some states in the Southeast, as many as 60% of renters are at risk of being evicted, and people of color are likely to be hit disproportionately hard. The Census Bureau's Household Pulse survey in July, for example, highlighted that 42% of Black renters felt little to no confidence in their ability to pay rent th…
(2020-08-08). Trump Scuttles Economic Stimulus Negotiations. popularresistance.org In recent days, the Democrats' leaders, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Shumer, reportedly reduced the cost of their original 'Heroes Act' proposals by $1 trillion. Instead of the original cost of $3T in the Heroes Act passed last June, they were willing to agree to a reduced package of $2 trillion. Never mind the attempt to reach a compromise on some middle ground. The White House, through his assigned negotiator, staffer Mark Meadows, Trump rejected the Democrats' offer. Meadows reportedly slammed the table (a two-bit amateur negotiating tactic) and walked out of negotiations with Pelosi-Shumer in a huff.
(2020-08-08). Trump Signs Executive Orders on Coronavirus Relief for Americans. sputniknews.com Earlier, Trump said he instructed the administration to start drafting an Executive Order on unemployment benefits and other aid for jobless Americans after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on a new coronavirus relief bill.
(2020-08-08). Trump Holds Press Briefing in Bedminster, New Jersey – Video. sputniknews.com The US president is expected to sign a series of executive orders to grant, among others, unemployment benefits, after lawmakers failed to produce a new COVID-19 relief bill.
(2020-08-08). Italy approves new post pandemic aid package. yenisafak.com The new stimulus measures are the third tranche of a government plan aimed at supporting Italy's fragile economy brought to its knees by the strict lockdown imposed nationwide to stem the spread of coronavirus.In total, the three emergency decrees approved by the Italian government since March released funding to the tune of ‚Ǩ100 billion. | "The new decree aims at supporting workers, businesses, and local institutions," Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said at a press conference on Friday evening, detailing the new measures.The package includes an 18-week extension of public funding for workers un…
(2020-08-08). Progressive Groups Express Outrage at Senate Republicans and Trump for Walking Away from COVID-19 Stimulus Negotiations. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-07). Revisiting the Idea of Pigou Wealth Tax in the Time of Covid-19. counterpunch.org 
Arthur Cecil Pigou (1877-1959), a British economist, is well known for his contributions to welfare economics. One of the most prolific writers of his time, Pigou wrote over a dozen books and more than 100 articles and pamphlets dealing with both theoretical and practical aspects of welfare economics. His writings cover a wide range of
(2020-08-07). Washington DC deadlocked as 30 million have their unemployment benefits cut. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – Talks between Democrats and Republicans about extending economic aid remained deadlocked as of Thursday morning, August 6. In May, Democrats passed their HEROES act to extend the $600 additional unemployment benefit, known as FPUC, or Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, as well as other economic aid for renters, state and local government, and others. But Republican senators and the Trump administration did nothing, hoping that the COVID-19 pandemic would go away, and the economy would recover in short order. The Republicans have also been hampered by divisions in the Senate, where a large…
(2020-08-07). Time for an Emergency Charity Stimulus. counterpunch.org We are living through a time of unprecedented challenges: a major public health crisis and a deepening recession. Congress has already authorized trillions in stimulus funds. But millions of Americans are still relying on the support of local nonprofits such as food banks and human services. These nonprofits are going to need major infusions of
(2020-08-07). Consequences Of Inadequate Action By Congress. popularresistance.org Without federal aid to state and local governments, millions of jobs in the public sector will be lost by the end of 2021, severely impacting Black workers, women, and veterans, who are disproportionately employed in these jobs. Additional jobs will be lost—in both the private and public sectors—if Congress fails to reinstate the $600 weekly unemployment benefit that expired last week. EPI experts weigh in on what could happen if Congress fails to act to prevent further economic shock. | (1) The coronavirus shock was historically large—and the bounceback has already likely stalled. (2) UI claims…
(2020-08-07). Trump Promises to 'Act Under My Authority' if Congress Won't Pass Economic Stimulus Bill. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump has vowed to use his executive powers to get an economic stimulus bill into legislation if congressional Democrats and Republicans fail to reach an agreement in the near future.
(2020-08-07). US Has Lost 12,881,000 Jobs Since February. Lowest-Paid Workers Are Hit Hardest. truthout.org The July employment report showed the economy adding another 1,761,000 jobs in July. This follows gains of 2,725,000 in May, and 4,791,000 in June, leaving the economy down 12,881,000 jobs from its February level. | The unemployment rate fell from 11.1 percent to 10.2 percent, while the employment to population ratio (EPOP) rose from 54.6 percent to 55.1 percent. These gains likely overstate the true improvement from June, since the Bureau of Labor Statistics has largely fixed a misclassification p…
(2020-08-07). As Economic Bounceback Deflates, Lawmakers Must Act Now to Reinstate the $600 Unemployment Boost. commondreams.org "Federal policymakers need to act now to reinstate the $600 unemployment insurance benefits to the 30+ million workers who are desperately trying to make ends meet," writes Gould in response to Friday's latest job numbers. "And, those benefits are supporting a huge amount of spending, which means, with it, the loss of about five million jobs." (Photo: Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/unemployment_3_1.jpg …
