CIA veterans endorse Biden for president–and so does Tulsi Gabbard
wsws.org | 2020-03-20
The nominally antiwar congresswoman joined more than 80 former spies and intelligence agents in offering her "full support" to Biden.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/20/bide-m20.html
"What am I going to do? How am I going to take care of my family?"
Bernie Sanders | zcomm.org | 2020-03-20
This is the richest country in the history of the world. This is a country with unbelievable energy, unbelievable talent, and with incredible resources. We can address this crisis and minimize the pain…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/1030942/
What the Coronavirus Emergency Has to Do with Biden vs. Sanders
Norman Solomon | indybay.org | 2020-03-20
Tepid adjustments vs. truly transformational agendas…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/19/18831664.php
U.S. sanctions on Iran are making its coronavirus crisis worse
Michael Arria | zcomm.org | 2020-03-20
Ilhan Omar is calling for them to be suspended…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/u-s-sanctions-on-iran-are-making-its-coronavirus-crisis-worse/
A Tale of Two Foreign Policies: The Train-Wreck Abroad Is Bipartisan
Philip Giraldi | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-20
Now that the Democratic Party has apparently succeeded in getting rid of the only two voices among its presidential candidates that actually deviated from the establishment consensus, it appears that Joe Biden will be running against Donald Trump in November. …
globalresearch.ca/two-foreign-policies-train-wreck-abroad-bipartisan/5706816
Biden v. Trump in November, Tulsi and Bernie Drop Out
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-20
Tulsi and Bernie dropped out. | On March 19, she made it official, shaming herself and disappointing supporters by endorsing Biden. See below. | *** | So will Sanders officially in the coming days (dropping out and endorsing Biden). | He likely privately informed …
globalresearch.ca/biden-trump-november-tulsi-caves-loses-credibility/5706893
Sanders Capitulates to Biden
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-20
Sanders capitulated before the race began. He's yet to formally announce what's coming, a repeat of 2016. | It's just a matter of days or weeks before he officially concedes, ends his campaign, and endorses dirty business as usual advocate Biden …
globalresearch.ca/sanders-capitulates-biden/5706808
What is 'social democracy'?
Marx Memorial Library | mronline.org | 2020-03-20
GOOD question! Look up the term in a dictionary and you'll find a definition something along the lines of "an ideology that advocates or supports political, social and economic interventions to promote social justice within the framework of a representative democracy and capitalist economy." | Source…
mronline.org/2020/03/20/what-is-social-democracy/
Solidarity Not Charity: Mutual Aid & How to Organize in the Age of Coronavirus
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-20
As lockdowns and layoffs sweep the U.S., mutual aid groups are forming to protect and provide for the vulnerable, including the elderly, incarcerated, undocumented and unhoused. We look at the incredible community networks across the country that are coming together to protect their neighbors during the coronavirus pandemic
Doctor: As Coronavirus Cases Spike Worldwide, We Need Global Cooperation to Halt Spread
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-20
As the worldwide death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has topped 10,000, with over 250,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, we speak with Stanford University's global health expert Dr. Michele Barry, an infectious disease doctor. Italy has surpassed China in coronavirus deaths, and cases are rising in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, as the governor of California has ordered all 40 million residents to shelter in place.
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/20/coronavirus_dr_michele_barry
[Spotlight] Information overload and unsustainable workloads in the era of electronic health records
Bryant Furlow | thelancet.com | 2020-03-20
Electronic health records (EHRs) were supposed to usher in a golden age of improved care, efficiency, and safety in the USA, increasing patient engagement and even reducing health-care disparities. But these systems have complicated interdisciplinary communication and worsened clinician workloads, contributing to clinician burnout, and opportunities for error, researchers told The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. "Manufacturers told us EHRs would make our lives easier but when we counted the number of tasks and the time required, we found that a frighteningly large fraction of physicians' available time was consumed…
thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30010-2/fulltext?rss=yes
Sanders v. Warren: Why It Still Matters
Andrew Levine | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-20
When the body politic suffers severe trauma, here will be people yearning for a return to "normalcy." Their efforts almost always turn out poorly. Voters who see in Joe Biden, of all people, a chance to return to the normalcy of the Obama era
[Comment] A public health emergency among young people
Andy Bush, Jayesh M Bhatt, Gary J Connett, Iolo Doull, Francis J Gilchrist, Jonathan Grigg, Simon C Langton Hewer, Julian Legg, Warren Lenney, Ian P Sinha | thelancet.com | 2020-03-20
While some countries have banned the use of e-cigarettes or vaping products altogether (eg, India), and others have strongly advised against their use (eg, Australia), in the UK, Public Health England (PHE) appears to be a lone voice in stating that vaping is 95% safer than smoking tobacco. Here we consider whether vaping can be considered safe; whether vaping is a means of smoking cessation or at least harm reduction; and the correct response to the spiralling epidemic of vaping in young people (
thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(19)30468-0/fulltext?rss=yes
Us Foreign Policy After the Election
Brian Cloughley | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-20
Former vice-president Joe Biden looks likely to be going to-to-toe with Trump for election in November, especially after the Primaries in Arizona, Florida and Illinois where Bernie got a whupping. At first glance, Biden seems a reasonable enough candidate, and it is interesting to examine what his foreign policy might be. There's one major difference between…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/20/us-foreign-policy-after-the-election/
[Correspondence] Therapeutic and triage strategies for 2019 novel coronavirus disease in fever clinics
Jinnong Zhang, Luqian Zhou, Yuqiong Yang, Wei Peng, Wenjing Wang, Xuelin Chen | thelancet.com | 2020-03-20
In December, 2019, numerous unexplained pneumonia cases occurred in Wuhan, China. This outbreak was confirmed to be caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), belonging to the same family of viruses responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).1 The SARS epidemic in 2003 was controlled through numerous measures in China. One effective strategy was the establishment of fever clinics for triaging patients. Based on our first-hand experience in dealing with the present outbreak in Wuhan, we have established the following clinical s…
thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30071-0/fulltext?rss=yes
Chinese Swimmer Sun Yang Is a Victim of Confusion and Bias
Rick Sterling | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-20
Sun Yang is an Olympic Gold medalist and world record holding swimmer. He was recently ruled to be guilty of an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) and banned from competing for eight years. Unless his appeal to overturn the decision is …
globalresearch.ca/chinese-swimmer-sun-yang-victim-confusion-bias/5706868
UK: Johnson government uses coronavirus crisis to seize dictatorial powers
wsws.org | 2020-03-20
Britain's ruling elite is using the enormous danger to public health posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to implement a raft of anti-democratic measures they have long planned to impose.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/20/emer-m20.html
KPFA's Peasant War & the Bylaws
Daniel Borgstrà∂m | indybay.org | 2020-03-20
An allegory about the Bylaws Referendum. In a wider sense it's also about the struggle for democracy in progressive movements and organizations which often tend to be taken over by an elite minority.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/18/18831639.php
Marie Newman rides winds of change to victory in Illinois
John Bachtell | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-20
CHICAGO
Here are the 51 Republican Senators Who Voted Against Expanding Paid Sick Leave
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-20
Republican senators on Wednesday teamed up to kill an amendment introduced by Democratic Sen. Patty Murray that would have expanded paid sick leave to millions of U.S. workers left out of a bipartisan coronavirus relief package. | Every Republican present for the vote, 51 in total, voted against the amendment while every Senate Democrat voted in favor. | Sens. Cory…
truthout.org/articles/here-are-the-51-republican-senators-who-voted-against-expanding-paid-sick-leave/
Syriza leader Tsipras offers collaboration with New Democracy against refugees and Turkey
wsws.org | 2020-03-20
Tsipras is signing off on a policy of brutal repression of refugees waged jointly by the government, fascist thugs who have benefited most from the stoking up of chauvinism and xenophobia, and the European Union.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/20/gree-m20.html
[Correspondence] Democracy and implementation of non-communicable disease policies
Simon Wigley, Joseph L Dieleman, Tara Templin, Samantha Kiernan, Thomas J Bollyky | thelancet.com | 2020-03-20
In their Article in The Lancet Global Health, Luke Allen and colleagues1 found weak evidence for a positive association between democracy and the implementation of polices recommended by WHO to reduce the burden of premature non-communicable disease mortality.1 As Allen and colleagues note, that finding is in contrast with our research on the positive association between democracy and population health outcomes on non-communicable diseases.2 Accordingly, here we build on the important analysis of Allen and colleagues by closely examining the association between democracy and implementation of non-communicable dis…
thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(20)30039-5/fulltext?rss=yes
Illinois goes on coronavirus lockdown days after holding 'fine & safe' Democratic primaries
rt.com | 2020-03-20
Having insisted on holding Democratic presidential primaries just days earlier, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has now placed the state on "shelter-in-place" regime over the Covid-19 pandemic, following California and New York. | The measure will go into effect on Saturday evening, March 21. All non-essential businesses
[Comment] A critical approach to personalised medicine in ARDS
Lorenzo Ball, Pedro L Silva, Patricia R M Rocco, Paolo Pelosi | thelancet.com | 2020-03-20
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterised by different pathogenetic pathways leading to similar clinical presentations. The mechanisms leading to ARDS are now better understood than ever; nevertheless, mortality remains high, probably due to biological heterogeneity, which hinders identification of an effective therapy.1 Therefore, recent studies have focused on identifying specific ARDS phenotypes in an attempt to improve diagnosis, optimise therapeutic interventions, and allow better selection of patients for future randomised controlled trials.
thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(19)30352-2/fulltext?rss=yes
New York City now the epicenter of coronavirus pandemic in the US
wsws.org | 2020-03-20
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is considering a "shelter in place" order in response to the skyrocketing COVID-19 case numbers.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/20/nycc-m20.html
We Can Afford to Beat This Crisis
Rohan Grey | thenation.com | 2020-03-20
We Can Afford to Beat This Crisis…
thenation.com/article/economy/corona-biden-fed/
US senator who knew about pandemic sold personal stocks
yenisafak.com | 2020-03-20
Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr has sold his personal stocks worth over $2 million late February, right before coronavirus fears crippled U.S. stock markets in a wave of historic lows.According to the report on U.S.-based news outlet NPR, North Carolina Senator Burr, also the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, warned his close circles three weeks ago to prepare for dire economic effects of the coronavirus, according to a secret recording obtained."Sen. Richard Burr sold personal stocks worth between $628,000 and $1.72 million in 33 separate transactions on Feb. 13, before the recent market volatilit…
yenisafak.com/en/news/us-senator-who-knew-about-pandemic-sold-personal-stocks-3514474
What about ending endless wars? Tulsi Gabbard drops out of presidential race and backs …Biden
rt.com | 2020-03-19
Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has suspended her presidential campaign and endorsed Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden, citing the establishment favorite's primary victories and the coronavirus as her reasons. | Gabbard made the surprise announcement on Thursday in a video posted to her Twitter account, explaining she was dropping out to focus on dealing with the coronavirus epidemic in Hawaii and potentially serving in her National Guard capacity should she be called to action. | The endorsement of Biden came as a particular surprise, given Gabbard's opposition to "regime change wars," a central plank of he…
rt.com/usa/483521-tulsi-gabbard-ends-campaign-biden/
Tulsi Gabbard Suspends Presidential Campaign, Endorses Biden
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
U.S. House of Representatives member Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) announced on Thursday that she will be suspending her presidential campaign, citing the recent result at the Democratic Primary as one of the main reason. | RELATED: | Biden's Biggest Problem: Reaching Out to Sanders' Support Base | In a video message released this morning, Gabbard, a congresswoman and National Guard member, said she was suspendi…
telesurenglish.net/news/Tulsi-Gabbard-Suspends-Presidential-Campaign-Endorses-Biden-20200319-0010.html
Tulsi Gabbard Endorses Joe Biden for President as She Drops Out of Democratic Primary
Common Dreams staff | commondreams.org | 2020-03-19
"I'm suspending my presidential campaign and offering my full support to Vice President Joe Biden in his quest to bring our country together," said the Hawaii congresswoman. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/tulsi_gabbard_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/03/19/tulsi-gabbard-endorses-joe-biden-president-she-drops-out-democratic-primary?cd-origin=rss
How corporate money gave Biden an unfair advantage over Sanders from day one
Peter Bolton | thecanary.co | 2020-03-19
Former vice president Joe Biden just won another three contests in the Democratic primary race. It now looks all but certain that he will win the nomination to face Donald Trump in the presidential election this coming November. But we shouldn't take this as granting legitimacy to his stale neoliberal platform. Because an investigation into his campaign shows that he had an unfair advantage over his main rival Bernie Sanders all along. | More victories for Biden followin…
thecanary.co/us/us-analysis/2020/03/19/how-corporate-money-gave-biden-an-unfair-advantage-over-sanders-from-day-one/
What the Coronavirus Emergency Has to Do with Biden vs. Sanders
Norman Solomon | commondreams.org | 2020-03-19
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders bump elbows before the Democratic debat hosted by CNN on Sunday, March 15, 2020. (Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/bernie_biden_coronavirus.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/03/19/what-coronavirus-emergency-has-do-biden-vs-sanders?cd-origin=rss
The Dem Primary is Over, and We Need Bernie Sanders to Lead on Health Care From the Senate
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-03-19
On Tuesday, I cast a joyless vote for the very much politically doomed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Illinois primary, in an elementary school where hushed whispers and fearful glances had replaced the normal din of an election day. There was no one standing just outside the perimeter hustling me to vote for this …
truthdig.com/articles/the-dem-primary-is-over-and-we-need-bernie-sanders-to-lead-on-health-care-from-the-senate/
"Coronavirus Capitalism": Naomi Klein's Case for Transformative Change Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-19
Author, activist and journalist Naomi Klein says the coronavirus crisis, like earlier ones, could be a catalyst to shower aid on the wealthiest interests in society, including those most responsible for our current vulnerabilities, while offering next to nothing to most workers and small businesses. In 2007, Klein wrote "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism." Now she argues President Trump's plan is a pandemic shock doctrine. In a new video for The Intercept, where she is a senior correspondent, Klein argues it's vital for people to fight for the kind of transformative change that can not only curb…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/19/naomi_klein_coronavirus_capitalism
Trump Continues Calling the Coronavirus "Chinese" Despite Reports of Anti-Asian Hate Crimes
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-19
"I would like to begin by announcing some important developments in our war against the Chinese virus. I will be invoking the Defense Production Act just in case we need it." That was the opening line of President Trump's news conference Wednesday afternoon. Later in the news conference, Trump was questioned by ABC News reporter Cecilia Vega on continuously referring to the coronavirus as the "Chinese virus." A member of the administration also reportedly referred to the coronavirus as the "kung-flu." Meanwhile, racist incidents and threats of hate crimes against Asian Americans have emerged across the United Sta…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/19/trump_anti_chinese_racism_coronavirus_covid19
Joseph Stiglitz: Trump's "Trickle-Down" Economic Plans Are Not Enough to Meet Coronavirus Challenge
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-19
The coronavirus relief package signed by President Trump Wednesday provides unemployment benefits and free coronavirus testing to millions of Americans suddenly out of a job, but guarantees paid sick leave to less than 20% of American workers. Earlier this month, Trump signed into law an $8 billion coronavirus response package and has laid out the first details of a third, $1 trillion economic package and invoked the Korean War-era Defense Production Act to allow the government to direct industrial production. For more on those bailouts and who benefits, we speak with Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize-winning economis…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/19/us_economy_coronavirus_stimulus_joseph_stiglitz
Biden Silent on Plan That Could Make Coronavirus Vaccine Affordable
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-19
This article was produced by Sludge, an independent, ad-free investigative news site covering money in politics. Click here to support Sludge. | The pharmaceutical lobby scored a major win earlier this month when it stopped House Democrats from adding language to the emergency coronavirus funding bill that would have pre…
truthout.org/articles/biden-silent-on-plan-that-could-make-coronavirus-vaccine-affordable/
Proposals for the 2020 US Elections
Charles Pierce | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-19
The broad left has been uniting behind the Democratic Party for the past four decades without having achieved much real progress for its base constituencies. In fact, there has been considerable regress: increased inequality of wealth and income, diminished collective bargaining, increased homeless numbers, rising student debt burdens, reduced abortion access, increasingly unaffordable costs of …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/proposals-for-the-2020-us-elections/
Who are we, America?
Eric K. Ward | splcenter.org | 2020-03-19
Just as the authoritarian-tinged tenure of Donald Trump underscores the question, the coronavirus and near shut-down of public life in response highlight this defining time in our democracy.
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/19/who-are-we-america
California Orders Quarantine for 40 Million People
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, decreed Thursday a quarantine for nearly 40 million residents of the state. Further, he ordered the closure of nonessential businesses to fight the spread of the coronavirus in the state. | RELATED: | Covid-19 Updates: Argentina Declares Quarantine + More | The Democrat governor's order comes at a time when the cases confirmed to be COVID-19 in the Golden State are around a thousand, and the deceased…
telesurenglish.net/news/California-Orders-Quarantine-for-40-Million-People-20200319-0021.html
These Are the 51 GOP Senators Who Just Voted Against Expanding Paid Sick Leave to Protect Americans
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-03-19
Republican senators on Wednesday teamed up to kill an amendment introduced by Democratic Sen. Patty Murray that would have expanded paid sick leave to millions of U.S. workers left out of a bipartisan coronavirus relief package. Every Republican present for the vote, 51 in total, voted against the amendment while every Senate Democrat voted in favor. …
truthdig.com/articles/these-are-the-51-gop-senators-who-just-voted-against-expanding-paid-sick-leave-to-protect-americans/
California Anti-Immigrant Activist Robin Hvidston Seeking State Assembly Seat
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2020-03-19
Robin Hvidston, a longtime anti-immigrant activist, is running as a Republican for a California Assembly seat in District 41.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/03/19/california-anti-immigrant-activist-robin-hvidston-seeking-state-assembly-seat
United States: Biden versus Sanders
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-19
Elections Barry SheppardIssue 1257 United States US presidential primaries San FranciscoMarch 19, 2020The race for the Democratic Party nomination for president took a sharp turn in…
greenleft.org.au/content/united-states-biden-versus-sanders
Biden crushes Sanders in Florida & Illinois, projected to win Arizona, as Covid-19 keeps Americans distracted
rt.com | 2020-03-18
Joe Biden handily defeated Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in Florida's primary vote, walking away with at least 130 delegates and a supermajority in the popular vote. He will likely take Illinois as well, based on projections. | With nearly 100 percent of the results reported in Florida on Tuesday night, Biden's smash victory left him with twice as many delegates as the socialist stalwart, and more than 61 percent of the popular vote, further cementing his front-runner status. | In Illinois, with most of the votes tallied, Biden took a strong lead over Sanders, scoring 93 delegates to the senator's 46, along w…
rt.com/usa/483373-biden-sanders-illinois-florida/
Bernie Sanders to 'assess his campaign' after spate of primary losses
rt.com | 2020-03-18
Bernie Sanders will be "having conversations" with his supporters to "assess" the viability of his campaign after Joe Biden racked up three more big primary wins in Arizona, Illinois and Florida. | Biden swept the board in Tuesday's primaries, significantly expanding his delegate lead over Sanders and appearing to effectively wipe out the Vermont senator's chances of a comeback. | The former VP crushed Sanders in Florida, leading by almost 40 points with most precincts reporting. Biden had similarly resounding victories in Illinois and finished the night by claiming victory in Arizona. | Also on rt.com…
rt.com/usa/483421-bernie-sanders-assessing-campaign-losses/
Delay or Hold Primaries: Can the 2020 Election Be Safeguarded Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic?
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-18
Tuesday night's primary election for the Democratic presidential nomination was marred by chaos, confusion and fears over the spread of coronavirus at polling places as former Vice President Joe Biden consolidated his lead as he won Florida and Illinois by a wide margin and scored a victory in Arizona. We are joined by Vanita Gupta, former head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division in the Obama administration, now president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the nation's oldest and largest civil rights coalition. They issued a call with 100 voting rights groups for states to proce…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/18/democratic_primaries_joe_biden_coronavirus_fears
"It's Inadequate": Rep. Ro Khanna Says White House Stimulus Plan Helps Big Business, Not Workers
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-18
Amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus at polling places, many Americans stayed home. Nearly one in five households have already experienced a layoff or a reduction in work due to the pandemic. Trump wants to inject more than $1 trillion into the economy and send a $1,000 check to everyone. This comes as the Senate is set to consider a multibillion-dollar package bill passed by the Democrat-led House Monday night that includes significantly weakened paid sick leave measures. We get response from California Congressmember Ro Khanna, who has also co-sponsored a bill for an emergency Earned Income Tax Credit t…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/18/ro_khanna_coronavirus_stimulus
Facing Mass Layoffs, Restaurant Workers Living "Tip to Mouth" Demand Living Wage & Paid Sick Leave
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-18
Mass shutdowns and layoffs due to the spread of COVID-19 are affecting millions of restaurant workers across the U.S., with bars and restaurants closing for the foreseeable future. Servers, bartenders, kitchen staff and more have been left in the lurch, many without paid sick leave, paid time off or benefits. One study estimated 4 million restaurant workers in the U.S. are at risk of losing their jobs in a matter of weeks. For more on the impacts on service workers, we speak with Saru Jayaraman, the co-founder of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley, and president of One Fair W…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/18/restaurant_industry_coronavirus_layoffs
Stop Tightening the Thumb Screws: A Humanitarian Message
Kathy Kelly | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-18
Protester's sign decries sanctions, "a silent war" (Photo Credit: Campaign for Peace and Democracy, 2013) U.S. sanctions against Iran, cruelly strengthened in March of 2018, continue a collective punishment of extremely vulnerable people. Presently, the U.S. "maximum pressure" policy severely undermines Iranian efforts to cope with the ravages of COVID-19, causing hardship and tragedy while …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/stop-tightening-the-thumb-screws-a-humanitarian-message/
Can coronavirus teach us the value of a democratic economy?
Tim Libretti | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-18
Wise people always remind us to never let a good crisis go to waste. Wise people with evil inclinations have, of course, taken this sage advice to heart, often exploiting crises, sometimes even arguably manufacturing them, in order to achieve nefarious ends. Naomi Klein, for example, in her 2007 book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise …
peoplesworld.org/article/can-coronavirus-teach-us-the-value-of-a-democratic-economy/
'The US Has Played With Puerto Rico's Economy for the Last 122 Years' – CounterSpin interview with Julio López Varona on Puerto Rican debt
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2020-03-18
Janine Jackson interviewed the Center for Popular Democracy's Julio López Varona about Puerto Rican debt for the March 13, 2020, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
fair.org/home/the-us-has-played-with-puerto-ricos-economy-for-the-last-122-years/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-us-has-played-with-puerto-ricos-economy-for-the-last-122-years
Trump signs 'families first' coronavirus act, with additional $1 trillion stimulus in the works
rt.com | 2020-03-18
The US Senate has voted 90-8 for the House bill providing for free coronavirus testing, paid emergency leave for those infected, and more funding for social programs. Next up is another bill that would give Americans cash. | Dubbed the "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" by the Democrat-dominated House, the bill sailed through the Senate on Wednesday with 90 votes in favor and only eight opposed. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law just a few hours after it passed through the upper chamber, according to the White House. | In selling the bill to fellow Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Mitch…
rt.com/usa/483454-senate-coronavirus-stimulus-testing/
White House Stimulus Plan Helps Big Businesses, Not Workers, Says Rep. Ro Khanna
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-18
Amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus at polling places, many Americans stayed home. Nearly one in five households have already experienced a layoff or a reduction in work due to the pandemic. Trump wants to inject more than $1 trillion into the economy and send a $1,000 check to everyone. This comes as the Senate is set to consider a multibillion-dollar package bill passed by the Democrat-led House Monday night that includes significantly weakened paid sick leave measures. We get response…
truthout.org/video/white-house-stimulus-plan-helps-big-business-not-workers-says-rep-ro-khanna/
Coronavirus strikes US Congress: Florida's Diaz-Balart, Utah's McAdams test positive
rt.com | 2020-03-18
Democratic representative from Utah Ben McAdams has contracted the coronavirus, becoming the second American congressman to test positive for the fast-spreading illness after Florida Republican Mario Diaz-Balart. | "My doctor instructed me to get tested for Covid-19 and following his referral, I went to the local testing clinic for a test," McAdams said in a statement on Wednesday evening. "Today I learned that I tested positive." | I [will] continue doing my job from home until I know it is safe to end my self-quarantine. | McAdams said he began feeling ill after returning home from the nation's capital last…
rt.com/usa/483458-florida-congressman-positive-coronavirus/
'Unbelievable how rapidly this crisis is growing': New York City mulls 'shelter in place' as US coronavirus death toll tops 100
rt.com | 2020-03-18
Covid-19 has infected more than 900 people in New York City, killing 10 in one of the country's largest coronavirus hotspots, while city officials consider a 'shelter in place' order, and as fatalities in the US reach 108. | "The number's gone up literally over a hundred cases in the course of the day. We're at 923 cases at this hour tonight, 10 people who have passed away," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on MSNBC Tuesday evening, referring to the city alone. | It's unbelievable how rapidly this crisis is growing right now. | Asked about the possibility for an emergency 'shelter in place' order for th…
rt.com/usa/483375-new-york-coronavirus-death-toll/
Syria: Shaky ceasefire in Idlib
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-18
Imperialism & war Chris SleeIssue 1257 Northern Syria Rojava Syrian Democratic Forces IdlibMarch 18, 2020Turkish president Recep T…
greenleft.org.au/content/syria-shaky-ceasefire-idlib
Chelsea Manning free at last
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-18
Democracy Imperialism & war Kerry SmithIssue 1257 United States Wikileaks Chelsea ManningMarch 18, 2020Former United States soldie…
greenleft.org.au/content/chelsea-manning-free-last
Meet 17-Year-Old Avi Schiffmann Who Runs Coronavirus Tracking Website Used by 40+ Million Globally
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-17
A teenager's website tracking coronavirus has become one of the most vital resources for people seeking accurate and updated numbers on the pandemic. The URL is nCoV2019.live. We speak with 17-year-old Avi Schiffmann, a high school junior from Mercer Island outside Seattle, who started the site in late December, when coronavirus had not yet been detected outside of China. Now the site has been visited by tens of millions, from every country on Earth. It tracks deaths, numbers of cases locally and globally, and provides an interactive map, information on the disease, and a Twitter feed. The resource updates every…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/17/avi_schiffmann_coronavirus_tracker
Inside Prison Amid Coronavirus Pandemic: Incarcerated Journalist Says Millions Behind Bars at Risk
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-17
As San Francisco takes the most severe measures in the country in response to COVID-19, telling 7 million people to shelter in place, we go inside the Bay Area's San Quentin State Prison, where two prison blocks are under partial quarantine, to speak with incarcerated journalist Juan Moreno Haines. We look at how the coronavirus pandemic is a growing threat to the 2.3 million people locked up in U.S. prisons and jails, as prisons across the country have been shut down in response to the spreading virus and calls grow for mass prison releases around the United States.
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/17/coronavirus_prisons_san_quentin
Due to Corona, Israel to Let Palestinian Workers Stay in Workplaces
Rami Almeghari | imemc.org | 2020-03-17
Israeli Minister of Defense, Naftali Bennett, decided on Tuesday to let many thousands of Palestinian workers, working inside Israel, to stay for several weeks in Israel. Bennett's statement, reported by Israeli media, suggested that Palestinian workers, who work in the various sectors with recruitment by Israeli contractors, can stay for …
imemc.org/article/due-to-corona-israel-to-let-palestinian-workers-stay-in-workplaces/
Malaysia's 'back door government' consolidates
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-17
Democracy Peter BoyleIssue 1257 Malaysia Pakatan Harapan Bersih movementMarch 17, 2020Malaysia now has a new government dominated by politicians who were part of the corrupt former Prime Minister Najib…
greenleft.org.au/content/malaysias-back-door-government-consolidates
Spain Locks Down & Nationalizes Private Healthcare as Coronavirus Deaths Double & Cases Skyrocket
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-17
Europe is the epicenter of coronavirus, and Spain now has the second most cases in Europe, with more than 2,000 new cases in 24 hours and the number of deaths doubled. We'll go to Madrid for an update, where more than half of the country's cases have been reported. This comes as the Spanish government announced it is nationalizing hospitals and private healthcare companies to better manage the pandemic. We are joined by María Carrión, a freelance journalist and former Democracy Now! producer who is also executive director of FiSahara and co-founder of Nomads HRC, which focus on human rights in Western Sahara.
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/17/spain_coronavirus
"Something Is Wrong in America": Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor & Michael Eric Dyson Debate Sanders v Biden
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-16
Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders faced off in their first one-on-one debate Sunday night in the midst of an unprecedented national crisis, with 3,600 reported COVID-19 cases, 61 deaths so far, 33 states closing schools and mass shutdowns in major cities. The rivals clashed on how to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, Medicare for All, the climate crisis, Joe Biden's record and whether or not the U.S. needs a revolution. We play highlights from the debate and get responses from scholars Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor and Michael Eric Dyson. Taylor is assistant professor of African-America…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/16/keeanga_yamahtta_taylor_michael_eric_dyson
Legal experts call on Mayor Lightfoot to enact the Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) ordinance
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-03-16
Chicago, IL – In a statement delivered to Lori Lightfoot. March 13, 31 law professors from the University of Chicago and Northwestern University law schools are calling on the mayor to pass the Civilian Police Accountability Council, or CPAC, ordinance. CPAC would give communities in Chicago the democratic right to elect police accountability representatives with the power to control the Chicago Police Department (CPD), including having final say over discipline in misconduct cases and setting department policy. | Citing the crisis in the Chicago Police Department
The Grayzone and CODEPINK ask why OAS doesn't monitor badly flawed US Democratic primary
The Grayzone | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-13
Watch The Grayzone and CODEPINK ask the Organization of American States Secretary General Luis Almagro why he won't send election…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/13/watch-grayzone-codepink-oas-monitor-democratic-primary/
"We Are Way, Way Behind": U.S. Lags on Coronavirus Testing & Medical Experts Warn "No One Is Immune"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-13
It has been seven weeks since the first case of the new coronavirus was reported in the United States. President Trump is claiming, "Anybody that needs a test gets a test," but this is simply untrue. There have been just 11,000 tests so far throughout the United States since the coronavirus outbreak began, compared to nearly 20,000 tests for coronavirus every day in South Korea alone. We spend the hour looking at how the Trump administration has failed to account for what may be thousands of infections because of ongoing problems with access to testing, and how other countries have responded. We also discuss meas…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/13/us_coronavirus_response
Weekend Read: 2020 Census safe and easy, helps communities
splcenter.org | 2020-03-13
This month kicks off a major
Latest U.S. Military Strikes Are as Reckless as they are Cruel
Lilly Dragnev | peaceaction.org | 2020-03-13
Washington, D.C.
Elite Media Dismiss Voter Suppression on Grounds That It's 'Complicated'
Julie Hollar | fair.org | 2020-03-12
Some voters–disproportionately black and brown ones–waited in line for several hours on Super Tuesday to cast their ballots in the Democratic primary, and media paid attention. But their love for a good visual doesn't always correspond with a love for connecting the dots, and so most of the coverage downplayed any suggestion that there might be voter suppression going on in 2020. The New York Times ( 3/4/20) assured us that voting problems were not caused by "deliberate efforts to drive down turnout." | "Why Did It…
fair.org/home/elite-media-dismiss-voter-suppression-on-grounds-that-its-complicated/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=elite-media-dismiss-voter-suppression-on-grounds-that-its-complicated
Bernie Sanders: We Are Winning "Ideological" & "Generational" Debate, Now Need to Win "Electability"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-12
After a disappointing showing in Tuesday night's Democratic presidential primaries, Senator Bernie Sanders said Wednesday he will stay in the race. In his address from Burlington, Vermont, Sanders challenged his rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, to address key issues like economic inequality, healthcare access and the climate crisis. Sanders is set to debate Biden this Sunday in Arizona. "It is not just the ideological debate that our progressive movement is winning. We are winning the generational debate," Sanders said. "While Joe Biden continues to do very well with older Americans, especially those peopl…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/12/bernie_sanders
Trump Calls COVID-19 "Foreign Virus" as Lack of Universal Healthcare Makes the Pandemic Worse
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-12
After downplaying the threat of coronavirus for days, President Donald Trump addressed the nation Wednesday from the Oval Office, calling COVID-19 a "foreign virus" and announcing an unprecedented travel ban from most of Europe to the U.S. He also said he will expand sick leave. This comes as Senate Republicans blocked paid sick leave legislation. Robert Pollin, distinguished university professor of economics and co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, says the lack of universal healthcare in the U.S. is exacerbating the coronavirus crisis due to "the ab…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/12/coronavirus_medicare_for_all
Lack of Paid Sick Leave Makes It Difficult for Many Workers to Comply with CDC Advice to Stay Home
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-12
As the number of coronavirus cases in the United States passes 1,300 cases with 38 deaths, more than 30 million workers lack access to paid sick leave. President Trump addressed the nation Wednesday night, saying he will expand sick leave as part of emergency response to the virus. But the same day, Republican senators blocked an attempt by Senate Democrats to quickly pass legislation requiring employers to grant paid sick leave. Meanwhile, Democrats in the House of Representatives will debate a package of bills Thursday to give workers 14 days of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/12/coronavirus_paid_sick_leave
Italy's "Darkest Hour": Life Grinds to a Halt Amid COVID-19 Lockdown, as Death Toll Spikes
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-12
We get an update from Italy, where 60 million people are under an unprecedented nationwide lockdown and the death toll has increased to at least 827, rising by 31% in just 24 hours. Authorities ordered all shops closed except food markets and pharmacies. Italy's economy has all but ground to a halt, with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte describing the outbreak as the country's "darkest hour." Italian journalist Antonella Serrecchia joins us from Milan, where she is a reporter for the online magazine The Vision.
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/12/italy_coronavirus_lockdown
Biden Wins, Sanders Lags: Naomi Klein & Alicia Garza on Calls to Shut Down Primaries & Debates
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-11
Former Vice President Joe Biden scored decisive primary victories Tuesday night in the key state of Michigan, along with Missouri, Mississippi and Idaho. Sanders won North Dakota and holds a lead in Washington state, but votes are still being counted, and the races are still too close to call. While Biden is less than halfway to the delegates he would need to secure the Democratic nomination, Sanders faces a decision about whether to continue his increasingly uphill fight for the Democratic Party's 2020 presidential nomination. This comes as Biden and Sanders called off their planned campaign rallies in Cleveland…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/11/democratic_primaries_biden_sanders_michigan
Nurses on the Frontlines of Coronavirus Pandemic Demand More Protection & Medicare for All
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-11
The number of coronavirus cases in the United States has passed 1,000 Tuesday, with the rate of infections likely increasing. Despite this, the U.S. continues to lag on testing, and healthcare workers say they lack adequate protection and protocols to allow them to safely care for infected patients. They also say the country's hospitals are woefully unprepared to handle the crisis. Nurses in the hot zones of California and Washington had already reported having to beg for face masks and lacking guidance on how to address the virus. We are joined by Jean Ross, president of National Nurses United, the largest organ…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/11/nurses_frontline_healthcare_workers_coronavirus_protections
The Year in Hate and Extremism 2019
splcenter.org | 2020-03-11
Extremist hate threatens pluralistic democracy…
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/18/year-hate-and-extremism-2019
Congress Sends Bipartisan Bill to Trump Rebuking Iran War
Paul Kawika Martin | peaceaction.org | 2020-03-11
Washington, D.C.
Immigrants in WA Detention Center Demand Protection from Coronavirus, Not Posters in English
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-10
As the world responds to the COVID-19 outbreak, we look at how the Trump administration's immigration policies may put everyone at risk. We go to Seattle, Washington, not far from the Life Care Center in the suburb of Kirkland, which was the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak. In nearby Tacoma, Washington, our guest says she saw posters in English only when she went to visit immigrants held in the Northwest Detention Center, which is run by private prison company GEO Group. We speak with Maru Mora-Villalpando, an activist and undocumented immigrant with the groups La Resistencia and Mijente, who issued a…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/10/coronavirus_ice
TEXAS 2020 DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRIMARY
Theodore de Macedo Soares | tdmsresearch.com | 2020-03-07
Exit Poll Versus Reported Vote Count By Theodore de Macedo Soares The 2020 Texas Democratic Party presidential primary was held on March 3, 2020. Election results from the computerized vote counts differed significantly from the results projected by the exit poll conducted by Edison Research and published by CNN at poll's closing. According to the exit poll Sanders was tied with Biden but lost in the unobservable computer counts by 4.5%. In this election candidate Sanders saw the largest Continue Reading ‚Üí…
tdmsresearch.com/2020/03/07/texas-2020-democratic-party-primary/
If Sanders forms a real Alliance with Warren, their Popular Policies Can Win
Antonio Carty | zcomm.org | 2020-03-06
Conventional wisdom is that a presidential candidate should pick an opposite or contrasting vice presidential running mate, to create a perception of a balanced ticket. But this is not a conventional time or race, Bernie is offering a clear and practical progressive choice to fix the USA. So his running mate needs to be a Read…
zcomm.org/zblogs/if-sanders-forms-a-real-alliance-with-warren-their-popular-policies-can-win/
The Escalating Class War Against Bernie Sanders
Norman Solomon | zcomm.org | 2020-03-02
"If there is going to be class warfare in this country," Bernie Sanders told the Iowa AFL-CIO convention last summer, "it's time that the working class of this country won that war and not just the corporate elite."
zcomm.org/zmagazine/the-escalating-class-war-against-bernie-sanders/
Sanders Threatens the Establishment by Inspiring Popular Movements
Noam Chomsky | zcomm.org | 2020-03-02
Inspiring a popular movement that violates these norms is a serious attack on democracy, so conceived, an intolerable assault against good order…
zcomm.org/zmagazine/sanders-threatens-the-establishment-by-inspiring-popular-movements/
Carol Anderson on Voter Suppression
CounterSpin | fair.org | 2020-02-28
Media…
fair.org/home/carol-anderson-on-voter-suppression/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=carol-anderson-on-voter-suppression
Reading Green New Deal
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | zcomm.org | 2020-02-28
"So today, what I would like to do is to read the Green New Deal resolution for all those who are interested…"
zcomm.org/zvideo/reading-green-new-deal/
The Day Democracy Died
The Founding Fathers | zcomm.org | 2020-02-18
Some of the Founders and Framers of the Constitution did more than turn over in their graves… they actually resurfaced to sing "The Day Democracy Died."
zcomm.org/zvideo/1029329/