2020-03-21: News Headlines

Caitlin A. Johnstone (2020-03-21). Liberal NPCs hate Russia, Conservative NPCs hate China. mronline.org The frenzied, shrieking hysteria I'm witnessing right now among Trump's base regarding China looks and moves in the exact same way the mental zombification of Russia hysteria looked and moved when it began tearing through rank-and-file Democrats in late 2016 and early 2017. The seething, screaming vitriol I get from the MAGA crowd on social […] |

Anis Shivani (2020-03-21). Bernie 2020: What Went Wrong? commondreams.org Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) arrives at the Capitol for a vote on a coronavirus bill amendment on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/sanders_camp.jpg

Norman Solomon (2020-03-21). What the Coronavirus Emergency Has to Do with Biden vs. Sanders. indybay.org Tepid adjustments vs. truly transformational agendas…

Michael T. Hertz (2020-03-21). What's Bernie's next move? A coalition with Biden? nationofchange.org But with the coronavirus plague sweeping the country, Biden and Bernie should take the time to negotiate a coalition platform and even write the new laws on which they can both agree.

WSWS (2020-03-21). Illinois governor belatedly places entire state under "stay-at-home" order in response to coronavirus pandemic. wsws.org Democratic officials have done nothing to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, holding Tuesday's primary election in person and keeping Chicago's libraries and parks open up until Saturday.

Daniel Borgstrà∂m (2020-03-21). KPFA's Peasant War & the Bylaws. indybay.org 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.

WSWS (2020-03-21). Amid coronavirus pandemic, thousands in Detroit remain without running water. wsws.org The claims of the Democratic Party's mayor of Detroit and Michigan state governor that they would restore shut-off utilities have been exposed as a fraud.

Ryan Devereaux (2020-03-21). Lawmakers Demand ICE Stop Arresting Immigrants to Prevent Spreading Coronavirus. zcomm.org More than a dozen Democratic lawmakers are calling on the Department of Homeland Security to freeze its enforcement-to-detention pipeline…

Fight Back (2020-03-21). DPRK wages mass campaign to combat pandemic. fightbacknews.org Washington, DC — According to a March 20 report from the Korean Central News Agency, the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has formed the Central Emergency Anti-Epidemic Headquarters to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The headquarters is also tasked with summing up experience and popularizing achievements in the fight against the illness. | According to the report, people in a number of provinces are no longer being held in quarantine following medical observation. | The report states, "The emergency anti-epidemic headquarters at all levels encourage all the people to keep stre…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-03-21). 'Not Done Yet': Bernie Sanders Campaign Mobilizes Donors for Coronavirus Relief and Raises $2 Million. commondreams.org "The Bernie Sanders campaign puts its fundraising prowess to another purpose." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bernie-wins-nh-2020-955px.jpg

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-03-21). 'Two $1 Trillion Coins': Rashida Tlaib Proposal Calls on US Treasury to Fund Coronavirus Recovery From US Mint. commondreams.org Tlaib's "Automatic BOOST Act" calls for a universal payout of $2,000 to everyone in the U.S. and $1,000 a month after that. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/tlaib_trillionaire.jpg

Charles Pierce (2020-03-20). An Electoral Policy Consistent with Social Justice. dissidentvoice.org See Part 1. A socialist electoral policy needs to take shape based on: (1) evaluations of the key players (Trump, the Republicans, the centrist Democrats, and the progressive Democrats); (2) social justice principles; and (3) appropriate strategy and tactics. 1st. Regarding the Republicans. Almost all Republican politicians, some happily and others reluctantly, are overwhelmingly backing …

John Bachtell (2020-03-20). Marie Newman rides winds of change to victory in Illinois. peoplesworld.org CHICAGO — The political winds of change blew through Illinois on March 17 when Marie Newman defeated incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinski in the 3rd Congressional District Democratic Primary. Newman won 47% to 44%. Newman's victory put an abrupt end to the 40-year lock the Lipinski family has had on the seat and struck a blow …

Staff (2020-03-20). Doctor: As Coronavirus Cases Spike Worldwide, We Need Global Cooperation to Halt Spread. democracynow.org 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.

RT (2020-03-20). Illinois goes on coronavirus lockdown days after holding 'fine & safe' Democratic primaries. rt.com Having insisted on holding Democratic presidential primaries just days earlier, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has now placed the state on a "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 — excluding hospitals, doctors' offices and grocery stores — are to be closed indefinitely, Pritzker announced after consulting with experts. | To avoid the loss of tens of thousands of lives we must order an immediate shelter-in-place. | Pritzker admitted the state does not have "

Staff (2020-03-20). Solidarity Not Charity: Mutual Aid & How to Organize in the Age of Coronavirus. democracynow.org 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 — and how you can get involved. From Washington state to the Bay Area, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota and New York City, thousands of mutual aid efforts are aimed at building solidarity, not charity. We speak with two longtime mutual aid organizers and activists in two hot spots of the pan…

Staff (2020-03-20). Headlines for March 20, 2020. democracynow.org Worldwide COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 10,000 as Italian Nurses "Stop Counting the Dead", Refugee Groups Warn of COVID-19 "Carnage" in Camps Housing Millions, Coronavirus Multiplies Across Australia, Latin America, Africa and Middle East, California Gov. Gavin Newsom Issues Statewide "Stay at Home" Order for 40 Million, New York Mayor Calls on Trump to Mobilize Military to Aid Overwhelmed Hospitals, Georgia State Legislators Urged to Self-Quarantine; Spring Break Revelers Party On in Florida, Demands Grow to Empty ICE Jails as NJ Detention Center Worker Tests Positive, Trump Blasts "Corrupt" Media at Rambling Coronav…

Philip Giraldi (2020-03-20). A Tale of Two Foreign Policies: The Train-Wreck Abroad Is Bipartisan. globalresearch.ca 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. …

Lilly Dragnev (2020-03-20). Peace Action Supports Wyden-Klobuchar Bill to Protect Democracy and Ensure Safe Elections. peaceaction.org Statement of Jon Rainwater, Executive Director, Peace Action, on the introduction of the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act (NDEBA) by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). This bill would help ensure that elections can take place in a safe and secure way throughout the pandemic and beyond. March 19, 2020 Peace Action …

Staff (2020-03-20). Here are the 51 Republican Senators Who Voted Against Expanding Paid Sick Leave. truthout.org 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, Sens. Cory…

commondreams (2020-03-20). Senate Republicans' Rushed Stimulus Proposal Has a $150 Billion Loophole for Oil and Gas Companies. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Tom Gallagher (2020-03-20). Foreign Policy—the Primary Debate's Final Frontier. commondreams.org If successful, Biden would be the third Senator who voted for George Bush's Iraq War to win the Democratic presidential nomination, following the unsuccessful candidacies of John Kerry and Hillary Clinton. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/joe_biden_iraq_war_0_0.jpg

Brian Cloughley (2020-03-20). Us Foreign Policy After the Election. counterpunch.org 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

teleSUR (2020-03-20). Guyana: The Carter Center Withdraws Its Experts. telesurenglish.net The Carter Center has participated as an observer in the electoral process, but due to circumstances has decided to pull its experts from the ground. Their statement reads in full: | After careful consideration, The Carter Center has withdrawn its electoral experts and international observers from Guyana. The Center remains committed to promoting democracy and constitutional reform in Guyana and is willing to return when the electoral process resumes, assuming international travel is feasible. | The Carter Center made the difficult decision to have the team leave Guyana earlier today after weighing a combinati…

Rohan Grey (2020-03-20). We Can Afford to Beat This Crisis. thenation.com We Can Afford to Beat This Crisis…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-03-20). As Coronavirus Pandemic Exposes Failures in US, Social Democratic Nordic Countries Again Deemed World's Happiest. commondreams.org An annual report on happiness levels in countries around the world points to a major factor which for the eighth year in a row has made Nordic countries among the happiest in the world. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1207849770_1.jpg

Andrew Levine (2020-03-20). Sanders v. Warren: Why It Still Matters. counterpunch.org When the body politic suffers severe trauma, there 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 — the normalcy of President Drone, the Deporter-in-Chief and Best Friend

Marx Memorial Library (2020-03-20). What is 'social democracy'? mronline.org 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." |

Jon Queally, staff writer (2020-03-20). As #WhereIsJoe Biden Trends, Sanders to Host Coronavirus Roundtable to Address Pandemic. commondreams.org "Trump is in front of the cameras every day, reassuring people, putting on the appearance of 'leadership,'" said one Democratic critic. "Where is Biden? Why isn't he dominating the airwaves?" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-03-20_at_1.35.52_pm.png

RT (2020-03-19). What about ending endless wars? Tulsi Gabbard drops out of presidential race and backs …Biden. rt.com 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…

Charles Pierce (2020-03-19). Proposals for the 2020 US Elections. dissidentvoice.org 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 …

Staff (2020-03-19). "Coronavirus Capitalism": Naomi Klein's Case for Transformative Change Amid Coronavirus Pandemic. democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2020-03-19). Joseph Stiglitz: Trump's "Trickle-Down" Economic Plans Are Not Enough to Meet Coronavirus Challenge. democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2020-03-19). Trump Continues Calling the Coronavirus "Chinese" Despite Reports of Anti-Asian Hate Crimes. democracynow.org "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…

Staff (2020-03-19). The Dem Primary is Over, and We Need Bernie Sanders to Lead on Health Care From the Senate. truthdig.com 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 …

Staff (2020-03-19). Headlines for March 19, 2020. democracynow.org Italy Records Record 475 Coronavirus Deaths as Infections Continue Climbing, British PM Boris Johnson Closes Schools After Reversing Lax Virus Containment Plan, Millions of Brazilians Protest from Windows and Balconies Demanding President's Ouster, World Health Organization Warns Critical Lack of Testing Is Costing Lives, Egypt Arrests Protesters Calling for Release of Prisoners at Risk of COVID-19, Yemen, Already Wracked by U.S.-Supported, Saudi-Led War, Braces for Coronavirus, Trump Admin Tightens Sanctions That Have Devastated Iran's Public Health System, Trump Signs Coronavirus Relief Bill Providing Paid Leav…

Staff (2020-03-19). These Are the 51 GOP Senators Who Just Voted Against Expanding Paid Sick Leave to Protect Americans. truthdig.com 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. …

Hatewatch Staff (2020-03-19). California Anti-Immigrant Activist Robin Hvidston Seeking State Assembly Seat. splcenter.org Robin Hvidston, a longtime anti-immigrant activist, is running as a Republican for a California Assembly seat in District 41.

Peter Bolton (2020-03-19). How corporate money gave Biden an unfair advantage over Sanders from day one. thecanary.co Former vice president Joe Biden More victories for Biden followin…

teleSUR (2020-03-19). California Orders Quarantine for 40 Million People. telesurenglish.net The Governor of California, RELATED: | 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…

Susan Price (2020-03-19). United States: Biden versus Sanders. greenleft.org.au

RT (2020-03-18). Coronavirus strikes US Congress: Florida's Diaz-Balart, Utah's McAdams test positive. rt.com 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 (2020-03-18). Trump signs 'families first' coronavirus act, with additional $1 trillion stimulus in the works. rt.com 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…

Staff (2020-03-18). Delay or Hold Primaries: Can the 2020 Election Be Safeguarded Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic? democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2020-03-18). "It's Inadequate": Rep. Ro Khanna Says White House Stimulus Plan Helps Big Business, Not Workers. democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2020-03-18). Facing Mass Layoffs, Restaurant Workers Living "Tip to Mouth" Demand Living Wage & Paid Sick Leave. democracynow.org 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…

Kathy Kelly (2020-03-18). Stop Tightening the Thumb Screws: A Humanitarian Message. dissidentvoice.org 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 …

Staff (2020-03-18). Headlines for March 18, 2020. democracynow.org Global COVID-19 Cases Top 200,000 Worldwide with Over 8,000 Dead, Researchers: Left Unchecked, Coronavirus Could Kill 2.2 Million in U.S. , New Yorkers Prepare to Shelter in Place as Hospitals Face Severe Shortages, Coronavirus Fears Grow for Prisoners and Migrants in ICE Jails, Trump Admin Pushes Economic Stimulus Package Worth Over $1 Trillion, WHO Considers Airborne Precautions for Medical Workers After Coronavirus Found in Aerosols, Rewriting History, Trump Says "I've Always Known" About Pandemic, Internet Providers Drop Data Caps as Calls for Net Neutrality Grow, Biden Wins 3 States as Coronavirus Fears Caus…

Janine Jackson (2020-03-18). 'The US Has Played With Puerto Rico's Economy for the Last 122 Years' – CounterSpin interview with Julio López Varona on Puerto Rican debt. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed the Center for Popular Democracy's Julio López Varona about Puerto Rican debt for the Media…

Staff (2020-03-17). Meet 17-Year-Old Avi Schiffmann Who Runs Coronavirus Tracking Website Used by 40+ Million Globally. democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2020-03-17). Inside Prison Amid Coronavirus Pandemic: Incarcerated Journalist Says Millions Behind Bars at Risk. democracynow.org 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.

Staff (2020-03-17). Headlines for March 17, 2020. democracynow.org More Countries Enact Travel Bans, Isolation Measures, as Coronavirus Cases Top 183,000 , U.S. Braces for Spread of Coronavirus as Trump Lauds Gov't Response Despite Severe Lack of Testing, Stock Market Plummets as Trump Acknowledges Economy "May" Be Headed Toward Recession , Fire Kills Young Girl at Refugee Camp in Lesbos, Netanyahu Rival Benny Gantz Asked to Form New Government , U.S. to Pull Out of Several Iraqi Bases After Recent Attacks | , Mitch McConnell Urging Conservative Judges to Retire While GOP Still Holds Senate & Presidency, Gunman Kills 5 People at Missouri Gas Station | , Maryland Senate Passes Bi…

Staff (2020-03-17). Spain Locks Down & Nationalizes Private Healthcare as Coronavirus Deaths Double & Cases Skyrocket. democracynow.org 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.

Staff (2020-03-16). "Something Is Wrong in America": Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor & Michael Eric Dyson Debate Sanders v Biden. democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2020-03-16). Headlines for March 16, 2020. democracynow.org Coronavirus Pandemic Death Toll Tops 6,500 Worldwide, About 170,000 Confirmed Cases, U.S. Coronavirus Cases Reach 3,600 as True Number of Infections Continues to be Unknown, Trump Tests Negative for Coronavirus After Being in Contact with Brazilian Official Infected with COVID-19, States Across U.S. Ramp Up Measures to Control Spread of Coronavirus, Including Massive School, Business Closures, Federal Judge Blocks Trump Rule That Would Have Thrown 700,000 People Off Food Stamps, AOC Confronts ICE Agent at LaGuardia Airport as 6 Migrant Children Detained in Texas Were Relocated to New York, Sanders, Biden Faced Of…

Fight Back (2020-03-16). Legal experts call on Mayor Lightfoot to enact the Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) ordinance. fightbacknews.org 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 — including the shooting of an unarmed pass…

Staff (2020-03-13). "We Are Way, Way Behind": U.S. Lags on Coronavirus Testing & Medical Experts Warn "No One Is Immune" democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2020-03-13). Headlines for March 13, 2020. democracynow.org Coronavirus Infections Around the Globe Reach 135,000 People, Nearly 5,000 Dead, U.S. Coronavirus Infections Rise to 1,650 as Actual Number Believed to Be Higher | , Dow Jones Plummets 10% in Biggest Drop Since 1987 | , Trump Administration Faces Backlash for Handling of Coronavirus Outbreak, Testing | , Brazilian President Bolsonaro's Aide Tests Positive for COVID-19 Days After Meeting with Trump, Philippines President Duterte Orders Lockdown in Manila Amid Coronavirus Pandemic | , Advocates Afraid of Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak in Immigration Jails Plagued by Medical Neglect, Democratic Presidential Debate Relo…

The Grayzone (2020-03-13). The Grayzone and CODEPINK ask why OAS doesn't monitor badly flawed US Democratic primary. thegrayzone.com Watch The Grayzone and CODEPINK ask the Organization of American States Secretary General Luis Almagro why he won't send election…

Lilly Dragnev (2020-03-13). Latest U.S. Military Strikes Are as Reckless as they are Cruel. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — March 12, 2020 — In response to reports that the U.S. has carried out five airstrikes on Iranian-backed militia sites in Iraq, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement: "At a time of one of the greatest global challenges of our lifetimes, it is shocking that the Trump …

splcenter (2020-03-13). Weekend Read: 2020 Census safe and easy, helps communities. splcenter.org This month kicks off a major — and vital — process that is fundamental to the success of our Democracy.

Staff (2020-03-12). Trump Calls COVID-19 "Foreign Virus" as Lack of Universal Healthcare Makes the Pandemic Worse. democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2020-03-12). Lack of Paid Sick Leave Makes It Difficult for Many Workers to Comply with CDC Advice to Stay Home. democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2020-03-12). Bernie Sanders: We Are Winning "Ideological" & "Generational" Debate, Now Need to Win "Electability" democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2020-03-12). Italy's "Darkest Hour": Life Grinds to a Halt Amid COVID-19 Lockdown, as Death Toll Spikes. democracynow.org 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.

Staff (2020-03-12). Headlines for March 12, 2020. democracynow.org World Health Organization Declares Coronavirus Pandemic, Top Italian Health Official Among 827 Coronavirus Dead as Italy Faces "Darkest Hour", Iran Condemns U.S. Sanctions as "Medical Terrorism" as Coronavirus Death Toll Hits 429, President Trump Announces Europe Travel Ban in Error-Laden Oval Office Speech, U.S. Labs Face Shortage of Supplies Needed to Test for Coronavirus, Sen. Lamar Alexander Blocks Quick Passage of Paid Sick Leave Bill, School Closures from Coronavirus Affecting Over 1 Million K-12 Students Nationwide, Bernie Sanders Promises to Question Biden Over Progressive Policies at Next Debate, Joe Bid…

Staff (2020-03-11). Nurses on the Frontlines of Coronavirus Pandemic Demand More Protection & Medicare for All. democracynow.org 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…

Paul Kawika Martin (2020-03-11). Congress Sends Bipartisan Bill to Trump Rebuking Iran War. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — March 11, 2020 — In response to the House passing the bipartisan bill — S.J.Res.68 — that would thwart President Trump from going to war with Iran and end any current hostilities, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Both chambers and …

splcenter (2020-03-11). The Year in Hate and Extremism 2019. splcenter.org Extremist hate threatens pluralistic democracy…

Theodore de Macedo Soares (2020-03-07). TEXAS 2020 DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRIMARY. tdmsresearch.com 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

Antonio Carty (2020-03-06). If Sanders forms a real Alliance with Warren, their Popular Policies Can Win. zcomm.org 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

Norman Solomon (2020-03-02). The Escalating Class War Against Bernie Sanders. zcomm.org "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."

Noam Chomsky (2020-03-02). Sanders Threatens the Establishment by Inspiring Popular Movements. zcomm.org Inspiring a popular movement that violates these norms is a serious attack on democracy, so conceived, an intolerable assault against good order…

CounterSpin (2020-02-28). Carol Anderson on Voter Suppression. fair.org Media…

CounterSpin (2020-02-14). Jim Naureckas on Democratic Primaries, Nina Luo on Decriminalizing Sex Work. fair.org Media…

Paul Kawika Martin (2020-02-13). Senate Reclaims War Powers to Thwart Iran War. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — February 13, 2020 — In response to the Senate passing the bipartisan bill — S.J.Res.68 — that would thwart President Trump from going to war with Iran and end any current hostilities, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "It's about time …

Jinnong Zhang, Luqian Zhou, Yuqiong Yang, Wei Peng, Wenjing Wang, Xuelin Chen (2020-02-13). [Correspondence] Therapeutic and triage strategies for 2019 novel coronavirus disease in fever clinics. thelancet.com 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…

Bernie Sanders (2020-02-08). Hasan Sits Down With Bernie Sanders. zcomm.org Interview on aging and retirement in America…

Tyler Durden (2020-02-04). Biden Threatens Lawsuit to Halt Release of Real Iowa Caucus Results. theantimedia.com American democracy—ain't it grand?>

Various Contributors (2020-02-01). The Times They Are a-Changin: Bernie Sanders. zcomm.org Sometimes it feels like our world is falling apart, but real change is all around us…

Jon Rainwater (2020-01-31). House Votes to Rein in Trump's Iran War Powers While Ending Endless Wars. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — January 30, 2020 — In response to two high-profile war powers votes on the House floor today, Peace Action released the following statement: "Our nation's endless wars are on autopilot, with Trump fitfully grabbing the steering wheel until his attention wanders somewhere else. Today's votes are a step toward Congress reclaiming its …

Lorenzo Ball, Pedro L Silva, Patricia R M Rocco, Paolo Pelosi (2020-01-13). [Comment] A critical approach to personalised medicine in ARDS. thelancet.com 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.

Bryant Furlow (2020-01-13). [Spotlight] Information overload and unsustainable workloads in the era of electronic health records. thelancet.com 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…

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 (2019-12-13). [Comment] A public health emergency among young people. thelancet.com 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 (<18 years).

Paul Kawika Martin (2019-07-18). Diplomacy Instead of a Disaster in Iran. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — July 18, 2019 — In response to reports of the U.S. shooting down an Iranian drone, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because of the Trump administration's policy of maximum provocation towards Iran, America stands on the precipice of another blunderous …

Peace Action (2019-07-11). Peace Action Endorses 'the Squad' — Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley and Tlaib for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — July 11, 2019 — Peace Action, the nation's largest grassroots peace organization, has endorsed four progressive champions for the House of Representatives in the 2020 election, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for New York's 14th district, Rep. Ilhan Omar for Minnesota's 5th district, Rep. Ayanna Pressley for Massachusetts' 7th district, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib …