(2020-08-13). The Case Against Trump Is "Open and Shut": Kamala Harris Slams President's Handling of Pandemic. democracynow.org 
As Kamala Harris, the first woman of color on a major presidential ticket, hits the campaign trail with Joe Biden for the first time, we play an extended excerpt of her address, in which she blasts President Trump's handling of the economy, immigration, racial justice and the coronavirus pandemic. "The case against Donald Trump and Mike Pence is open and shut," Harris says. "Just look where they've gotten us: more than 16 million out of work; millions of kids who cannot go back to school; a crisis of poverty, of homelessness, afflicting Black, Brown and Indigenous people the most."
(2020-08-13). Wednesday 8/12: Action: Demand Congress Include All Immigrants in the Next COVID Stimulus Bill. indybay.org Online action…
(2020-08-13). Our fight is with capitalists, not with higher-paid workers. peoplesworld.org 
This submission was received as a response to the article Is Black Lives Matter a tipping point on class inequality?, by Tim Libretti, which appeared in People's World on Aug. 4, 2020. It also engages with the long-running topic of meritocracy which has appeared in previous articles by Libretti. Author Tim Libretti once again, for …
(2020-08-13). The Stimulus Deal Should Include Free College. counterpunch.org 
The Covid-19 crisis bill currently under negotiation should both extend student loan relief and offer free college for young people facing limited job opportunities. Hayat Rahmeto is one recent college graduate who has decided to go back to school while the economy is in shambles. After graduating from college last year, she moved back in
(2020-08-13). Trump suggests he's withholding post office funds to stop 'universal mail-in voting'. rt.com 
Donald Trump is being accused of "trying to steal" the election after claiming talks with Democrats on Covid-19 economic relief was stalled when the president refused post office funding for "universal mail-in voting." | Asked by Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo what led to the standstill between the White House and Democrats on a coronavirus stimulus package, the president said one of the main points the left will not budge on is extra funding for the US postal service to handle universal mail-in voting, something he is staunchly against. | "They want three-and-a-half billion dollars for the mail-in votes. Unive…
(2020-08-13). When Wealth Destroys Wealth: Inverse Capitalism and its Limits. indybay.org Ever-increasing real estate prices was an illusion. The boom that the US stock markets have experienced in recent years deserves the name fracking boom. Fictitious capital put the US economy back on the growth track. Inverse capitalism describes contemporary capitalism determined by dynamics of the financial market.
(2020-08-13). Stimulus spending to promote clean energy as a vehicle for environmental justice. indybay.org Issues of environmental justice have been highlited in recent events, and it is high time that the nation take action. Minorities are disproportionately affected by Coronavirus, an issue which is exacerbated by environmental injustice. Low interest rates make the current hour opportune for clean energy stimulus spending, which would serve the state where fossil fuels have failed.
(2020-08-12). Over a million jobs lost in Spain amid coronavirus pandemic. wsws.org Another 1 million workers are still furloughed in Spain, and will likely be cast onto unemployment rolls when this scheme comes to an end in the autumn.
(2020-08-12). 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.
(2020-08-12). A Company Of Thieves Run By Washington To Steal Syrian Oil. popularresistance.org Stealing the resources of the Syrian people and plundering their wealth has always been a major goal of the United States in Syria, as it has completed its hostile approach by supporting terrorism there through an agreement between it and Qasad (SDF) militia to pillage the Syrian oil in an aggravated and declared crime that violates the rules of international law. | The administration of US President Donald Trump has worked for years on the scheme to plunder the Syrian oil, which was finally embodied in the agreement between Washington and Qasad militia as informed sources revealed to the (CNN) that the agreement…
(2020-08-12). Betsy DeVos Has a Very Deadly Plan to Reopen US Public Schools. commondreams.org "In the middle of the worst public health crisis in more than a century," writes Reich, Trump's Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is "jeopardizing the safety of our students, teachers, parents, bus drivers, and custodians, while rerouting desperately needed public school funds towards the private schools she's always championed." (Image: Inequality Media) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/devos_betsy_reopening_schools.jpg …
(2020-08-12). Amid Pandemic and Economic Pain, UNICEF Unveils First-Ever Project to Combat Child Suffering in US. commondreams.org International children's aid agency UNICEF on Wednesday announced its first permanent initiative focused on aiding children in the U.S., after decades of focusing mainly on supporting young people in developing countries affected by extreme poverty, war, and disease. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1207373633_1.jpg …
(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). There is No Evidence That Generous Unemployment Benefits are Making It Difficult to Find Workers. counterpunch.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
(2020-08-11). Louisiana Supreme Court denies review of Fair Wayne Bryant's life sentence for allegedly stealing a pair of hedge clippers. wsws.org This horrific experience demonstrates the true face of justice in America, with one set of rules for the poor and oppressed and another set of rules for the wealthy.
(2020-08-11). Work of Philanthropy in Responding to COVID-19 and Addressing Inequality. jamanetwork.com In this Viewpoint the president of the Ford Foundation calls on philanthropic and other wealthy organizations to make creative and generous grants to less well-endowed counterpart institutions and communities to redress the racial and socioeconomic disparities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and continued killings of Black Americans.
(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). There's No Debate; Southern States Need Congress to Extend CARES Act Unemployment Benefits. splcenter.org …
(2020-08-11). Conservative group board members make millions in pandemic aid yet lobby against unemployment benefits. nationofchange.org "If these groups are concerned the government is spending too much during this historic crisis, they are welcome to return their taxpayer-funded bailouts."
(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). Tear Gas Ted Has a Tantrum in Portland. counterpunch.org The liberal landed gentry dripping with multi-generational wealth and entitlement, as represented by Tear Gas Ted Wheeler, has made a pronouncement: the good folks trying to burn down the police station there in outer east Portland the other night were guilty of "attempted murder," as twenty defenseless, though heavily-armed, police officers inside cowered and shivered
(2020-08-11). Smart Ass Cripple: Love Thy Neighbor . . . Unless They're Poor. progressive.org Trump's latest attempt to get the wealthy, suburban vote comes in the form of an attack on low-income housing.
(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). Millions Facing Eviction and Joblessness Get No Immediate Help from Trump's New Executive Orders. democracynow.org 
President Trump's latest executive orders to extend unemployment benefits and defer payroll taxes may be unconstitutional. Democrats had hoped to extend a program to give unemployed workers an additional $600 in weekly benefits and to extend a federal moratorium protecting some renters from evictions, but failed to overcome opposition from Republican lawmakers. Under Trump's order, unemployed workers would continue receiving an additional $400 a week, but only once states put up a quarter of the money and set up a new system to distribute the payments — a process that could take months. Trump also signed an…
(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…