Socialist Alternative town hall injects racial politics into COVID-19 pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-03-25
The event was an attempt to cover over the conventional Democratic Party politics of Socialist Alternative and the DSA with anti-capitalist rhetoric and empty slogans. This was combined with the foul injection of racial politics, a hallmark of the Democratic Party.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/25/salt-m25.html

Depression USA: Dueling Dems and Republicans "Stimulus Plans" and Fed Shenanigans
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-25
First the Fed. Key is understanding that it's not federal. | It's owned and operated by major Wall Street banks, their interests its top priority. | Its dual mandate is supposed to be maximum employment and price stability. How it operates is …
globalresearch.ca/dueling-dem-gop-stimulus-plans-fed-shenanigans/5707399

White House and US senators reach late night deal on massive coronavirus stimulus package after days of talks
rt.com | 2020-03-25
US senators and the Trump administration have finally reached an agreement on a massive rescue plan to help stem the impact Covid-19 is having on the country's economy. | The compromise bill directs around $2 trillion to help keep the economy afloat amid the massive shutdown of businesses in a bid to curb the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. | Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called the proposal "the largest rescue package in American history." | Schumer said that the bill is "far from perfect, but we believe the legislation has been improved significantly to warrant its quick consideration…
rt.com/usa/484014-white-house-senators-coronavirus-deal/

Joe Biden's Opinion-Shaping Machine And Race
John O'Kane | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-25
Wall Street broke out its checkbooks for Joe Biden in the wake of Super Tuesday, no surprise since his campaign is already its major recipient. Plus, he was the VP for an administration greatly indebted to it. Transparency. His campaign is awash in cash from the interests that Sanders is challenging as the very source…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/25/joe-bidens-opinion-shaping-machine-and-race/

Why Assume There Will Be a 2020 Election?
Matthew J. L. Ehret | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-25
The upcoming American elections are just around the corner and everyone is wondering if the new president will be named Trump, Biden, Sanders or none of the above. I can hear the incredulous reader exclaim: Wait, what does "none of the above" mean? It's certainly going to be one of those three, isn't it? It …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/why-assume-there-will-be-a-2020-election/

Adaptation of Philip Roth's The Plot Against America on HBO: If the US had gone fascist
wsws.org | 2020-03-25
The series imagines an alternate history in which aviation hero and Hitler admirer Charles Lindbergh becomes the Republican Party's candidate for president in 1940 and wins the general election against incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/25/plot-m25.html

Families' sit-in against PKK continues in SE Turkey
yenisafak.com | 2020-03-25
On its 205th day, hosts of families gathered for their months-long sit-in in southeastern Turkey demanding that a political party free their children from the terrorist YPG/PKK.Dozens of mothers started the protest on Sept. 3 outside the Diyarbakir offices of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), a party accused by the government of having links to the terrorist YPG/PKK, saying that their children were forcibly recruited by PKK terrorists.Since then, the number of protesting mothers has been growing, as they demand the return of their children, who, they say, were deceived or kidnapped by the terror group.Kamile K…
yenisafak.com/en/news/families-sit-in-against-pkk-continues-in-se-turkey-3514968

Coronavirus Legislation Deal Reached in Senate Moves Closer to US Workers – House Speaker Pelosi
sputniknews.com | 2020-03-25
Earlier, US senators and the Trump administration reached an agreement on the coronavirus response bill.
sputniknews.com/us/202003251078704779-coronavirus-legislation-deal-reached-in-senate-moves-closer-to-us-workers—house-speaker-pelosi/

Sanders and "The Squad" on COVID-19: Spend whatever it takes to support workers
John Bachtell | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-24
"This is an unprecedented moment in history, and we need to act in unprecedented ways, no matter what it costs," declared Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). "We need to guarantee to every American they will not be left hanging," and that they have the health care, food, and housing they need during this crisis. Sanders, who …
peoplesworld.org/article/sanders-and-the-squad-on-covid-19-spend-whatever-it-takes-to-support-workers/

"Top Priority Is Release": Will Rikers Island Free More Prisoners as 60+ Test Positive for COVID-19?
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-24
As COVID-19 begins to spread in the U.S. prison system, calls are growing in the New York City epicenter of the pandemic to release people from Rikers Island, the second-largest jail system in the country. At least 39 prisoners and 21 staff at Rikers Island have tested positive. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday the city had released 75 people, but advocates are calling for the release of thousands more. We speak with Dr. Homer Venters, former chief medical officer for New York City's Correctional Health Services and author of "Life and Death in Rikers Island." His piece for The Hill is headlined "Coronavirus behi…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/24/rikers_coronavirus

"Humanitarian Solidarity": Even Under U.S. Sanctions, Cuba Sends Doctor Brigade to Italy and More
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-24
As Italy's death toll soars past 6,000, Cuba has sent medical brigades to combat COVID-19. Cuba has also deployed doctors to Venezuela, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Suriname and Grenada. "The arrival of a medical brigade from Cuba to Italy is pretty historic. You have a leading European nation accepting support in the form of a medical team from a small Caribbean island," says our guest, Peter Kornbluh, director of the Cuba Documentation Project at the National Security Archive at George Washington University. "It just goes to the history of Cuba's deep and long-lasting commitment to humanitarian solidarity with other cou…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/24/cuba_medical_diplomacy_italy_coronavirus

Economist Jeffrey Sachs: Trump "Understands Nothing, Listens to Nothing" as Pandemic Surges in U.S
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-24
As #NotDying4WallStreet trends on Twitter, President Trump defies his top scientists and soaring infection rate, saying he will ease restrictions soon to jumpstart the economy. We speak with economist Jeffrey Sachs about the stimulus package that failed to pass again Monday, as Democrats called the measure a slush fund for corporations. Sachs also led the WHO's Commission on Macroeconomics and Health from 2000 to 2001 and played a key role in conceiving and establishing the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which helped distribute new medicines to fight infectious diseases.
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/24/jeffrey_sachs_congress_economic_relief_package

Will Rikers Island Free More People After Over 60 Test Positive for COVID-19?
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-24
As COVID-19 begins to spread in the U.S. prison system, calls are growing in the New York City epicenter of the pandemic to release people from Rikers Island, the second-largest jail system in the country. At least 39 prisoners and 21 staff at Rikers Island have tested positive. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday the city had released 75 people, but advocates are calling for the release of thousands more. We speak with Dr. Homer Venters, former chief medical officer for New York City's Correctiona…
truthout.org/video/will-rikers-island-free-more-people-after-over-60-test-positive-for-covid-19/

After tugging, Congress and Trump agree on $2 trillion stimulus bill
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-24
WASHINGTON–After tugging and hauling, shouting matches on the Senate floor, and days of round-the-clock closed-door talks, congressional Democratic leaders and representatives of GOP President Donald Trump apparently reached an agreement at midday March 24 on a $2 trillion stimulus bill to try to counter the job losses, work shutdowns and other economic impacts of the …
peoplesworld.org/article/after-tugging-congress-and-trump-agree-on-2-trillion-stimulus-bill/

Ecotourism suspended to protect mountain gorillas from Covid-19
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-03-24
Conservationists have backed moves to limit contact with endangered mountain gorillas to protect them from the coronavirus pandemic. | Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo has halted mountain gorilla tourism until June 1 following scientific advice that primates, including gorillas, are likely to be susceptible to complications arising from the Covid-19 virus. | Rwanda's Development Board has suspended tourism and research activities with primates around the Gishwati-Mukura, Nyungwe, and Volcanoes national parks. | Conservation efforts to help mountain gorillas in two areas in the Democratic…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/03/24/ecotourism-suspended-to-protect-mountain-gorillas-from-covid-19/

Start with yourself? CNN host chides Biden after he coughs into his hand ON AIR while ripping Trump coronavirus response
rt.com | 2020-03-24
After saying President Donald Trump needs to better listen to his medical advisors, Joe Biden proceeded to cough into his hand, prompting CNN host Jake Tapper to give him a lesson about germs. | Another day, another gaffe for presidential hopeful Biden, who has been doing his best to stay in the spotlight amid the coronavirus spread through television interviews where he's criticized the Trump administration and its response to the outbreak. | During an interview with CNN's Tapper where he revealed he has not been tested for the coronavirus because he has not displayed any symptoms, Biden coughed straight into…
rt.com/usa/484003-biden-cough-cnn-coronavirus/

US Could Become New Epicenter of COVID-19 Pandemic, WHO Warns
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-24
The United States could become the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday. | RELATED: | More US Unemployment Claims Last Week Than Ever in History | "We are now seeing a very large acceleration in cases in the U.S. So it does have that potential," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said, adding that infections had greatly increased. | As of Monday, there are more than 52,000 cases reported and over 680 deaths. Over the previous 2…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Could-Become-New-Epicenter-of-COVID-19-Pandemic-WHO-Warns-20200324-0019.html

What the federal government needs to do as crisis deepens
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-03-24
San José, CA – The U.S. Senate has failed twice to pass a Republican-backed economic stimulus bill worth over a trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000). Opposition to the bill comes from its top-down (or in the 1930's Great Depression term, 'trickle down') approach. The bill would provide hundreds of billions of loans to corporations that would not have to be paid back, just as in the loans made to U.S. auto makers after the financial crisis in 2008. It would also give direct cash handouts, with almost half of all households getting half of what middle and higher income households would get. | But rather than baili…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/3/24/what-federal-government-needs-do-crisis-deepens

Texas Lt. Governor Says Seniors Should Risk Dying of COVID-19 to Protect Economy
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-24
Dan Patrick, the Republican lieutenant governor of Texas, told Fox News' disproportionately older audience Monday night that he and other American seniors would be willing to risk dying from the coronavirus in order to ensure that the economy doesn't slide into a serious recession. | "If that's the exchange, I'm all in," Patrick said of the choice between risking infection a…
truthout.org/articles/texas-lt-governor-says-seniors-should-risk-dying-of-covid-19-to-protect-economy/

The Coronavirus's Threat to Democracy Itself
Katrina vanden Heuvel | thenation.com | 2020-03-24
The Coronavirus's Threat to Democracy Itself…
thenation.com/article/politics/the-coronaviruss-threat-to-democracy-itself/

'This Is a Massive Scandal': Trump FDA Grants Drug Company Exclusive Claim on Promising Coronavirus Drug
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-03-24
"It is insane and unacceptable," said Bernie Sanders. "We will not tolerate profiteering. Any treatment or vaccine must be made free for all." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1207596261_1.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/03/24/massive-scandal-trump-fda-grants-drug-company-exclusive-claim-promising-coronavirus?cd-origin=rss

500+ Groups Demand 'People's Bailout' to Counter Push for Wall Street-Friendly Coronavirus Response
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-03-24
Seven congressional Democrats have joined over 500 progressive groups in demanding that federal lawmakers respond to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic with a "People's Bailout" that prioritizes public health and economic relief for workers over corporations while taking steps to prevent future crises. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pb1_landscape.png …
commondreams.org/news/2020/03/24/500-groups-demand-peoples-bailout-counter-push-wall-street-friendly-coronavirus?cd-origin=rss

House Democrats Back Doctors and Nurses' Nationwide #StayHome Demand as Trump Continues Push for Lifted Restrictions
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-03-24
As doctors and nurses on Tuesday published an open letter urging the American public to stay home to stop the spread of the coronavirus and 20 House Democrats demanded a nationwide "shelter-in-place" order, President Donald Trump again betrayed the advice of experts by calling for the nation to be "opened up and raring to go by Easter," which comes in less than three weeks. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12080740751.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/03/24/house-democrats-back-doctors-and-nurses-nationwide-stayhome-demand-trump-continues?cd-origin=rss

"Hope Is Not a Strategy": Emergency Doctor Asks, Where Are COVID-19 Tests? Where Is Protective Gear?
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-23
As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. rises to more than 35,000, doctors are facing a desperate lack of supplies, and tests continue to lag. We speak with Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University. She previously served as Baltimore's health commissioner. She says healthcare workers are "putting their lives on the line every day" as they work in hazardous conditions with inadequate supplies, including N95 respirator masks. "First we're going to run out of masks, and then we're going to run out of doctors and nurses, because they'll become…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/23/dr_leana_wen_coronavirus_testing_supplies

Former ICE Director: Release Immigrants from Detention or COVID-19 Will Spread Like Wildfire Inside
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-23
Alarm is growing about the safety of more than 37,000 people held in immigrant detention centers and private jails that contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, where it is nearly impossible for them to avoid close contact to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Nearly half of those detained by ICE are accused of no crime other than civil immigration violations. Immigrants at three jails in New Jersey are now on hunger strikes over unsanitary conditions that put them at high risk during the pandemic.‚Ä®‚Ä® We hear from a detained person on hunger strike and speak wit…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/23/ice_dentention_centers_covid_19

Dems block McConnell $2 trillion COVID-19 bill: 'Slush fund for hotels, not hospitals'
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-23
WASHINGTON–Calling Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's $2 trillion coronavirus aid bill "a slush fund" to help hotels, not hospitals, Senate Democrats blocked McConnell's scheme and they–with their House colleagues–crafted and unveiled their own pro-worker alternative. Its contours were emerging on March 23. The sticking point in the highly partisan GOP-written legislation which McConnell called up …
peoplesworld.org/article/dems-block-mcconnell-2-trillion-covid-19-bill-slush-fund-for-hotels-not-hospitals/

Can Democrats widen their appeal to embrace rural working-class America?
Tim Libretti | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-23
We hear these days about the importance of the African-American vote within the Democratic base, and rightly so. This base has played a key role in the Democratic primaries and, according to all indications, will play a key role in determining the Democratic presidential candidate. Democratic candidates would also be wise, though, as well as …
peoplesworld.org/article/can-democrats-widen-their-appeal-to-embrace-rural-working-class-america/

#Where'sJoe? Biden pledges to hold Covid-19 'briefings' after disappearing for week amid speculation over whereabouts
rt.com | 2020-03-23
Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden has promised to address the nation about the coronavirus epidemic "soon" as critics wonder where he's been for the last week

This is No Time to Play Politics with our Democracy
Sonia Gill | aclu.org | 2020-03-23
To ensure elections proceed and eligible Americans can vote, any federal legislative package addressing the impact of COVID-19 on our elections must include an immediate, substantial infusion of federal funding and federal requirements for no-excuse mail-in absentee voting and early in-person voting. While the coronavirus pandemic should not be a political issue, with presidential primaries and the general election coming up, it could soon directly impact our politics. It is simply not an option for Congress to fail to act on these basic issues to protect American elections while the pandemic is ongoing. , , F…
aclu.org/news/voting-rights/this-is-no-time-to-play-politics-with-our-democracy

Democrats block SECOND attempt to pass coronavirus stimulus in US Senate
rt.com | 2020-03-23
Senate Democrats have blocked for the second time the procedural vote on the stimulus bill, intended to help the US workers and companies shut down over the Covid-19 pandemic. | The motion to invoke cloture

Reading the autocue has never looked so hard: Joe Biden emerges from 6 DAYS in hiding with stumbling video stream
rt.com | 2020-03-23
Joe Biden has reemerged from an almost week-long disappearance to post a video on Twitter addressing the Trump administration's handling of the Covid-19 crisis, but his return has been greeted with mockery and concern. | Biden sounded tired and slow as he spoke while standing in front of what appeared to be a green screen with a set of bookshelves digitally imposed behind him. | He criticized US President Donald Trump and Senate leader Mitch McConnell for "trying to put a corporate bailout ahead of millions of families" and urged "aggressive measures" to help small US businesses, workers and communities suffer…
rt.com/usa/483879-biden-video-coronavirus-green-screen/

The Fight to Vote: Overcoming voter suppression in the South
splcenter.org | 2020-03-20
Voter suppression is alive and well across the South.
splcenter.org/news/2020/03/24/fight-vote-overcoming-voter-suppression-south

An Electoral Policy Consistent with Social Justice
Charles Pierce | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-20
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 …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/an-electoral-policy-consistent-with-social-justice/

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

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

Peace Action Supports Wyden-Klobuchar Bill to Protect Democracy and Ensure Safe Elections
Lilly Dragnev | peaceaction.org | 2020-03-20
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 …
peaceaction.org/2020/03/20/peace-action-supports-wyden-klobuchar-bill-to-protect-democracy-and-ensure-safe-elections/

Chinese Swimmer Sun Yang: A Travesty of Justice
Rick Sterling | dissidentvoice.org | 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 successful, this will end the swimming career of the 28 year old athlete. The decision …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/chinese-swimmer-sun-yang-a-travesty-of-justice/

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/

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

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

"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

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/2020/03/22/who-are-we-america

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

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

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

'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

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

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

"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

Latest U.S. Military Strikes Are as Reckless as they are Cruel
Lilly Dragnev | peaceaction.org | 2020-03-13
Washington, D.C.

Weekend Read: 2020 Census safe and easy, helps communities
splcenter.org | 2020-03-13
This month kicks off a major

Congress Sends Bipartisan Bill to Trump Rebuking Iran War
Paul Kawika Martin | peaceaction.org | 2020-03-11
Washington, D.C.

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/