(2021-01-04). Colonial injustice: the pardoning of the Blackwater killers. mronline.org 
Along with a motley collection of wealthy swindlers and fraudsters, President Donald Trump on Dec. 22 pardoned four former Blackwater private contractors (mercenaries) convicted in the infamous Sept. 16, 2007, Nisour Square massacre in Baghdad.
(2021-01-04). 2020: Annus Horribilis, The Worst Is Yet to Come? Poverty, Unemployment, Despair. globalresearch.ca
(2021-01-04). All in for $2K. counterpunch.org A few weeks ago I had exchanges with people on Twitter in which I argued against across the board payments to individuals. I was concerned that these were likely to come out of other provisions (most importantly unemployment insurance) in the pandemic relief package. Since most people have actually not seen their income cut from
(2021-01-03). The Richest 500 People in the World Added $1.8 Trillion to Their Wealth in 2020. truthout.org Bloomberg's year-end report on the wealth of the world's billionaires shows that the richest 500 people on the planet added $1.8 trillion to their combined wealth in 2020, accumulating a total net worth of $7.6 trillion. | The The historic hoarding of wealth came as the world confronted…
(2021-01-02). Family Faces Eviction By Agency Meant To Help Them. popularresistance.org Philadelphia, PA – Imagine being a parent, hustling "gig economy" jobs, without a home during the COVID-19 pandemic. For Jasmine and Ariel, this has been the reality since May. They are a couple in their 30s, both with children from previous relationships, and navigating the minefields of poverty and pandemic. They had an apartment, but when Jasmine missed a check-in with her probation officer, she was sent to prison, leaving Ariel with no way to pay the rent and without a home. | According to a recent study conducted by geographers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, there are 10 abandoned properties for eve…
(2021-01-02). [Editorial] Health as a foundation for society. thelancet.com In 2020, a virus that thrived on chronic disease and inequality became the great revealer. COVID-19 revealed the fragility of civilisations built on social injustices, short-term policies, and a dangerous disregard for the environment. The need to become more resilient to crises of all kinds is almost universally agreed on. But to construct that resilience, a philosophical change in how we care for each other and our environment must be made. Health improvement is the guiding principle to lead a recovery away from regressive policies that harm the most vulnerable (and will result in future catastrophes) and point…
(2021-01-02). Centuries of Inequality in the U.S. Laid Groundwork for Pandemic Devastation. zcomm.org "All the social pathologies of our nation come to the fore during epidemics"
(2021-01-02). Amid Warnings of Surging Worldwide Poverty, Planet's 500 Richest People Added $1.8 Trillion to Combined Wealth in 2020. commondreams.org Bloomberg's year-end report on the wealth of the world's billionaires shows that the richest 500 people on the planet added $1.8 trillion to their combined wealth in 2020, accumulating a total net worth of $7.6 trillion. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/elon_musk.jpeg …
(2021-01-02). Activists Say Wealthy Universities' Property Tax Exemptions Hurt Public Schools. truthout.org When the University of Pennsylvania said it would pay $10 million a year for 10 years to address environmental hazards in Philadelphia's public schools, Gerald Campano's reaction was complicated. | "Of course it's important that Penn at least recognizes the profound challenges that the School District of Philadelphia faces with things like lead poisoning and asbestos," Campano, a professor at Penn's Graduate School of Education, said. "But charity is not the same as social and racial justic…
(2021-01-01). Girls' Education is Another Casualty of the Coronavirus Pandemic. counterpunch.org Girls' education, particularly in developing countries, is being hindered by the coronavirus pandemic. Drawing on lessons from the Ebola outbreak, the Malala Fund (Girl's education and COVID-19) estimates that approximately 20 million more secondary school-aged girls could be out of school after the end of the pandemic, only exacerbating the serious educational inequality between girls
(2021-01-01). Over 52% of Ecuadoreans Fell Into Poverty in 2020. telesurenglish.net United Nations Children's Fund Office (UNICEF) in Ecuador warned of the increase in poverty indicators as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting a total of 3.2 million new poor people in 2020. | RELATED: | The UN agency noted that 1.8 million people lived in poverty while extreme poverty conditions reached 1.4 million people. Low-income families with children were impacted the most by the pandemic. | Between Dec.
(2021-01-01). These indigenous women are leading a land struggle against the wealthiest people in the U.S. mronline.org 
While the United States shudders in the shambles of another election year, whether from a collective sigh of relief or fear of what's to come, a different system of governance blooms in a swath of woodlands jutting into the Atlantic Ocean.
(2021-01-01). People's Vaccine: Calls Grow for Equal Access to Coronavirus Vaccine as Rich Countries Hoard Supply. democracynow.org 
While the United States, Britain and other wealthy countries race to vaccinate their populations against the coronavirus, a new report finds that as much as 90% of the population in dozens of poorer countries could be forced to wait until at least 2022 because wealthy countries are hoarding so much of the vaccine supply. A growing movement is calling for the development of a people's vaccine and the suspension of intellectual property rights to expand access. We speak with Dr. Mohga Kamal-Yanni, a policy adviser to the People's Vaccine Alliance, and Achal Prabhala, a public health advocate and coordinator of the…
(2020-12-31). Nearly 10.4 million children at risk of famine in 2021: Unicef. middleeasteye.net 
Nearly 10.4 million children at risk of famine in 2021: Unicef | Millions of parents in Yemen in particular 'are being left to make the gut-wrenching choice between food and medical care for their children', UN body warns | Thu, 12/31/2020 – 17: 22 | A man and children seek refuge in a cave due to poverty and lack of housing near Taiz on 2 December (AFP/File photo) | Nearly 1o.4 million children will suffer fr…
(2020-12-31). More than 10 million children at risk of famine in 2021: Unicef. middleeasteye.net More than 10 million children at risk of famine in 2021: Unicef | Millions of parents in Yemen in particular 'are being left to make the gut-wrenching choice between food and medical care for their children', UN body warns | Thu, 12/31/2020 – 17: 22 | Man and children seek refuge in cave amid poverty and lack of housing near Taiz, Yemen, on 2 December (AFP/File photo) | Almost 1o.4 million children will suffer…