Daily Archives: April 23, 2020

2020-04-23: News Headlines

Howard Lisnoff (2020-04-23). Our Revolution or Our Capitulation? counterpunch.org Seeing Bernie Sanders sitting on camera side by side with Joe Biden, demanding nothing, made me want to… Bernie Sanders gave up without hardly a whimper! No wonder that many of his supporters are fuming and stating that they will not vote for Biden in November. See "Say It Ain't So, Joe: The Latest Neoliberal

Mimi Harris, Philip Locker and Evan Seitchik (2020-04-23). After Bernie: It's Time to Start Talking About a Democratic Socialist Party. counterpunch.org We all felt a deep sadness as Bernie Sanders announced the end of his campaign, along with gratitude for all his work fighting for socialist policies. The COVID-19 pandemic brutally underlines just how necessary Bernie's policies are. It's painful to even contemplate the presidential race being between the Wall Street Democrat Joe Biden and the

South Front (2020-04-23). Video: Government Forces Clash with Kurdish Militias Amid Israeli Strikes on Central Syria. globalresearch.ca On April 21, clashes broke out in the city of Qamishly between the Kurdish Asayish, a security force of the Syrian Democratic Forces, and the pro-government National Defense Forces. | Local sources claim that NDF units tried to capture several Asayish …

RT (2020-04-23). 'I strongly disagree': Trump says Georgia lifting Covid-19 lockdown 'too fast,' but governor REFUSES to back down. rt.com US President Donald Trump said Georgia is scaling back its coronavirus lockdown measures too quickly, voicing disapproval for the state's aggressive timetable for reopening, but Governor Brian Kemp held firm to his plan. | "I told the governor of Georgia that I disagree strongly with his decision to reopen certain facilities… which are in violation of the federal phase one guidelines," Trump told reporters at a White House briefing on Wednesday, adding that the state should "wait a little longer." | Although the president took issue with the Republican governor's decision, which has drawn major backlash from…

RT (2020-04-23). Working dead? Seoul says 'no unusual signs' from North Korea & Kim carrying on duties despite reports of 'grave illness'. rt.com North Korean leader Kim Jong-un apparently keeps up a busy schedule, penning letters to foreign leaders — that is, despite being placed on his death bed by some media, but Seoul says it has yet to detect any "unusual signs." | An official with South Korea's Ministry of Unification — founded to improve ties with Pyongyang — brushed aside the rumors on Thursday, according to the Yonhap news agency, noting that the government had seen nothing out of the ordinary with North Korea's leader. | "No unusual signs have been detected," the ministry official said, adding: "We are monitoring North Korean m…

WSWS (2020-04-23). Renewed Ebola outbreak threatens the Congo as COVID-19 spreads. wsws.org Already afflicted by a growing COVID-19 pandemic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen three new Ebola cases including two deaths in recent weeks.

John Feffer (2020-04-23). A Progressive Victory over the Coronavirus. zcomm.org South Korea, having beaten back the coronavirus, is now poised to show the world how to move forward to save lives, democracy, and the planet…

George Ochenski (2020-04-23). The Perils of Politicizing the Pandemic. counterpunch.org President Trump has so thoroughly polarized the nation that almost every conceivable action is now seen through the false lens of red and blue. If the sky is blue, does that mean it's Democratic? If the sunset is red, does that mean it's Republican? Inane questions — until you consider the perils of this foolhardy president's

Staff (2020-04-22). Chileans Who Took to Streets Against Inequality & Climate Crisis Say Virus Lockdowns Won't Stop Them. democracynow.org Months ago, the streets of Santiago and other Chilean cities were alive with a vibrant mass protest movement that drew hundreds of thousands and even led the U.N. climate summit to be relocated to Madrid, Spain, last December. Now the public spaces of Santiago are largely empty as citizens shelter in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But the protest movement against austerity and right-wing President Sebastián Piñera lives on as activists find new ways to organize online. We go to Santiago, Chile, to speak with Angela Valenzuela, a 350.org organizer who has been active both in the country's uprising and in…

Julie Hollar (2020-04-23). Media fail to identify xenophobia as Biden says Trump 'rolled over for Chinese'. mronline.org Rather than respond by focusing blame for the crisis squarely where it belongs—on Trump's incompetent, reckless and self-centered management—and working to beat back the dangerously rising anti-Asian sentiment in this country, Biden and some of his supporting super PACs are choosing to adopt rather than challenge the anti-China premise of the attacks.

Staff (2020-04-22). Greta Thunberg: Climate Activists Have Not Lost Hope Amid Pandemic. We're Changing How We Organize. democracynow.org Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg spoke in an Earth Day live stream hosted by the Nobel Prize Museum about how the Fridays for Future school strikes movement she launched is responding to the coronavirus pandemic. "Within the Fridays for Future movement, there's still this sort of big sense of resistance, and people are thinking, 'We will get out of this. And when we do, we will continue, and we will do everything we can that is possible in that situation to continue to push even harder,'" says Thunberg. "I feel like many people have not lost their sense of hope. We have just changed the way we do things. W…

Staff (2020-04-22). Bill McKibben on Earth Day at 50: We Must Stop Subsidizing Fossil Fuel Industry Wrecking the Planet. democracynow.org Today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, when more than 20 million Americans joined in actions to protect the environment — 10% of the U.S. population at the time. Half a century later, in the middle of a pandemic, protests planned around the world have moved online, and the Trump administration has gutted the Environmental Protection Agency — established not long after Earth Day — rolled back fuel economy standards and eased the enforcement of pollution regulations. "The countries that flattened the coronavirus curve early on are doing far better than those like ours, which delayed," says…

Paul Le Blanc (2020-04-22). United States: An 'all hands on deck' moment—Sixty six old new leftists urge support for Joe Biden. mronline.org SDS, along with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), had been in the vanguard of the new left in the 1960s, and some of these oldsters now want to challenge a position taken by Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), currently the foremost organization on the left today. They tell us "this is an all hands …

Staff (2020-04-22). "Frightening Moment": On Earth Day, Kumi Naidoo on Africa's Twin Pandemics of Coronavirus & Hunger. democracynow.org Some 265 million people are expected to face acute hunger as the coronavirus crisis could trigger a second pandemic of hunger. The crisis is projected to disproportionately affect Africa, where there is already widespread hunger. This comes as the World Health Organization estimates the number of COVID-19 cases in Africa could rise to 10 million in the next three to six months. Ten African countries don't have a single ventilator. "This is an extremely terrifying and frightening moment for the people of Africa. … We were already facing a major food crisis — that was before the coronavirus hit," says lifel…

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2020-04-22). 2020 Election Year Is an Opportunity for Transformational Change If We Embrace Our Power. dissidentvoice.org Although we do not tie our organizing to the election cycle, the 2020 election is an opportunity for the people to set the agenda for the 2020s. We need to show that whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden are elected, the people will rule from below. We need to build our power to demand the transformational …

RT (2020-04-22). Let them eat… fireworks? Mayor's tone-deaf remarks on 4th of July CELEBRATIONS anger broke & locked-down New Yorkers. rt.com New York mayor Bill de Blasio has vowed to hold the city's Fourth of July celebrations in a "safe, smart" way, even if the city remains locked down. His constituents, worried about rent and feeding their families, were not amused. | "One way or another, we're going to celebrate the Fourth of July in a very special way in New York City," de Blasio declared, during a Wednesday press conference, touting the city's "special" relationship with iconic department store Macy's, which conducts the massive annual fireworks display traditionally held above the East River between Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. | "One way…

Staff (2020-04-22). Headlines for April 22, 2020. democracynow.org U.N. Warns Pandemic May Unleash "Multiple Famines of Biblical Proportions", $484 Billion U.S. Coronavirus Bill Won't Fund Relief Checks, Food Stamps or State Aid, Trump Organization Asks Trump Administration for Rent Relief for D.C. Hotel, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Trump Agree to Expand Coronavirus Testing in New York, Wisconsin COVID-19 Cases Linked to In-Person Voting During April 7 Election, More Slaughterhouse Workers Contract COVID-19, Anti-Quarantine Protesters, Backed by Far-Right Groups, Flout Social Distancing, At White House Protest, Nurses Read Names of Colleagues Who Died of COVID-19, California Confirms…

Stephen Lendman (2020-04-22). The New Senate $480 Economic Stimulus Bill. A "Social Safety Net" for Banks and Billionaires. globalresearch.ca Republicans and Dems serve privileged interests exclusively on major issues, differing only rhetorically for political reasons. | At a time of economic shutdown with growing millions of Americans out of work, congressional focus is largely on helping monied interests. | It's unclear …

Charles Pierson (2020-04-22). We Won't Stop COVID-19 with "Chickenpox Parties" counterpunch.org Thumbing their noses at both government directives and the coronavirus, right-wing protestors have been massing at state capitols in Michigan, Minnesota, Virginia, and Texas to demand the lifting of stay-at-home orders issued by Democratic governors. President Donald Trump has responded in a way that looks a whole lot like a call to insurrection. On April 17, Trump tweeted "LIBERATE MICHIGAN," "LIBERATE MINNESOTA," and 'LIBERATE VIRGINIA," apparently mistaking those states for Paris in 1944.

commondreams (2020-04-22). Environmentalists Praise Democratic Request for Greater Oversight, Incorporation of Climate Risk in Fed Lending Programs. commondreams.org ______________________________…

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-04-22). Israel's Defense Minister to Stop Conducting Coronavirus Tests for Gaza. imemc.org Israeli Defense Minister, Naftali Bennett, reportedly decided on Wednesday, that Israel will stop providing the necessary Coronavirus tests for cases from the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip. Israeli media reports said that Bennet's decision came following a series of discussions among Israeli army officials that have so far failed to approve conducting …

Ashley Curtin (2020-04-22). Scientists, climate experts endorse Joe Biden as 2020 presidential candidate. nationofchange.org "On Earth Day, we speak with one voice: we must elect Joe Biden the next president of the United States—for all our sakes."

Staff (2020-04-21). Coronavirus Relief Bills Bail Out Corporations as Small Businesses & Workers Suffer. democracynow.org As the White House and Democrats near a deal on a $450 billion coronavirus relief package, members of the Progressive Caucus say it bails out businesses once again and fails to protect working people. "In general, there's been kind of a disproportionate response that is reflected in the CARES Act. For individuals, for small businesses, it's very hard to get relief," says The American Prospect's executive editor, David Dayen. "But if you're a big corporation, the Federal Reserve has $4.5 trillion in reserves ready for you."

RT (2020-04-21). Small businesses relief unlocked as Senate agrees on $250bn PPP Covid-19 expansion held up by Democrats. rt.com The program to help small businesses impacted by coronavirus lockdowns will be replenished a week after running out of cash, after Democrats agreed to unblock it in exchange for $200 billion extra for hospitals and testing. | The Senate voted to approve the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) on Tuesday afternoon, pouring another $250 billion into the $350 billion fund that ran out of money last week due to high demand. The House of Representatives is now expected to convene for a vote on the package sometime this week. | Senate approves $484 billion coronavirus phase 3.5 bill on voice vote, not via unanimous co…

Staff (2020-04-21). NYC Immigrant Communities Fight Hunger, Exploitation & Invisibility Through Mutual Aid. democracynow.org We look at how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting undocumented people here in New York City, where the coronavirus has hit immigrant communities the hardest, even as the numbers of daily deaths statewide has declined in recent days. As reports of widespread poverty and hunger continue in the immigrant communities, people are also organizing and helping each other through mutual aid despite extraordinarily difficult circumstances. We are joined by Juan Carlos Ruiz, Lutheran pastor at Good Shepherd Church in Brooklyn and co-founder of the national New Sanctuary Movement and the New Sanctuary Coalition here in Ne…

Staff (2020-04-21). Death Trap Jail: Pepper-Sprayed, Otay Mesa Detainees Demand Release as COVID-19 Spreads Inside. democracynow.org We look at the mounting number of COVID-19 cases inside immigration jails across the country and one of the largest outbreaks at the Otay Mesa Detention Center near San Diego, run by private prison company CoreCivic. Prisoners were told to sign contracts, written only in English, in exchange for receiving face masks. When some refused to sign, guards pepper-sprayed them. This comes as activists say hundreds imprisoned in detention centers in California are on hunger strike. We get an update from Ruth Mendez, community activist and volunteer with Otay Mesa Detention Resistance.

Joe Sims (2020-04-21). Lenin's legacy at 150: Working class leadership in the fight for democracy. peoplesworld.org Lenin walks around the world. . . The sun sets like a scar, Between the darkness and the dawn, There rises a red star. —Langston Hughes The world is a better place because of V. I. Lenin. An outstanding 20th-century working-class leader and revolutionary, he helped change history. The revolution in St. Petersburg, which …

sputniknews (2020-04-23). US Republican Lawmaker Tells Iran to 'Get Its Act Together' or Prepare to 'Meet Soleimani'. sputniknews.com Responding to recent claims by the US Navy that its ships in the Persian Gulf had been harassed by small Iranian gunboats, President Donald Trump said he ordered American warships to open fire on and sink any IRGC vessels that engage in such behaviour.

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-04-22). After Revelations of Improper Stock Sales by Rep. Shalala, Groups Demand Pelosi's Pick for Bailout Oversight Step Down. commondreams.org "Not understanding disclosure is a pretty bad look for the member of Congress chosen to force disclosure out of the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve on its lending programs." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/donna.jpg

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-04-22). Warren Demands Investigation Into Trump's Coronavirus Response, Saying He Put 'Political Expediency' Before Public Health. commondreams.org Sen. Elizabeth Warren led nine of her Democratic colleagues in the Senate Wednesday in demanding a federal investigation into President Donald Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/warren_17_0.jpg

RT (2020-04-21). De Blasio promises a lavish PARADE for healthcare workers, but history says this could be a bad idea. rt.com New York City's Mayor Bill de Blasio has promised to treat his healthcare workers to a ticker-tape parade once lockdown is lifted. Commenters have blasted the blundering mayor for "basically guaranteeing a second outbreak." | De Blasio's response to the coronavirus outbreak in New York has been marred by one blunder after another. In March, he accused President Trump of "playing catch-up" with the virus; yet, two days earlier, he had told New Yorkers to "go about your lives" as normal. That same week he told a radio host that asymptomatic carriers can't transmit the disease, refused to cancel the city's St Pat…

Staff (2020-04-21). Juan González: "Make No Mistake: This Country Is Edging Closer to Neo-Fascist Authoritarianism" democracynow.org We get an update from Democracy Now! co-host Juan González about his mother and wife, who were infected with COVID-19, and discuss how right-wing Trump supporters are brandishing automatic weapons at protests to demand an end to coronavirus shutdowns and are being egged on by the president. "We should make no mistake, that this country is edging closer and closer to neo-fascist authoritarianism," says González, expressing concern these actions will become normalized in the lead-up to a bitter national election in November.

Staff (2020-04-21). Headlines for April 21, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Says He Will Shut Down All Immigration to the U.S. Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Southern States to Reopen Businesses Despite Mounting COVID-19 Cases | , Coronavirus Cases Surging in Massachusetts , NY Nurses Sue over Lack of Protection Against Coronavirus, MTA Moves Ahead with Increase in Police Force Despite Financial Hardship and Drop in Riders | , Federal Judge Orders ICE to Consider Releasing Immigrants Vulnerable to COVID-19, SCOTUS to Consider Crucial Role of DACA First Responders, Airline Industry Receives $3 Billion in Gov't Funds as Flight Attendants Denounce Working Conditions, Disney to Stop Paying…

news.un (2020-04-21). Assistance ramped up to DR Congo's South Kivu as floods kill dozens. news.un.org Aid is being rushed to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where deadly flooding has swept away people and homes and affected tens of thousands more, including many displaced by violence, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday…

Katrina vanden Heuvel (2020-04-21). What Progressives Could Teach Joe Biden About Foreign Policy. thenation.com What Progressives Could Teach Joe Biden About Foreign Policy…

Matt Sedlar (2020-04-20). Want to Push Biden Left? Focus on These Appointments. cepr.net In These Times See article on original site Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders ended his presidential campaign but assured his supporters that "the struggle continues." And he's right. In the coming weeks and months, the struggle will continue in the streets (although perhaps in cars for the time being), at the ballot box, in workplaces, …

Staff (2020-04-20). Handcuffed: Black Miami Doctor Who Works with Homeless Says He Was Racially Profiled by Police. democracynow.org We continue our conversation with Dr. Armen Henderson, an African-American doctor in Miami who was handcuffed outside his home while preparing for a volunteer shift to help protect homeless people from the spread of COVID-19. The encounter has sparked widespread outrage, and Miami's police chief has now tested positive for COVID-19 and is in self-isolation. Dr Henderson has taken a test himself and is waiting for results — and accountability.

Staff (2020-04-20). Essential or Expendable? Gig Workers at Instacart & Grocery Stores Demand Safety Gear & Hazard Pay. democracynow.org Grocery stores are one of the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, with store workers and gig economy shoppers often working without protection, as demand for groceries soars and millions of Americans stay home. "At first, when the adrenaline was still there, we were essential. We were prideful. And now, as we get more into it, that's wearing off, and it's seeming more like expendable," says Matthew Telles, a member of the Gig Workers Collective, who is a personal shopper who helped organize a strike by Instacart workers in March to demand the company implement appropriate safety measures and give them hazard…

Staff (2020-04-20). Headlines for April 20, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Fatalities Top 40,000; Nursing Homes Hit Hard as Death Tolls Soar | , Trump and Governors at Odds over Coronavirus Testing as Uneven Reopening of States Commences, Right-Wing Groups Organize Anti-Lockdown Protests Around the Country | , New Deal on Relief for Small Businesses Could Be Imminent But May Lack Key Democratic Provisions, Immigrant Prisoners at Otay Mesa Launch Hunger Strike, Denounce Inhumane Treatment | , Michael Cohen to Be Released from Federal Detention as Prisoners Nationwide Face Mounting Coronavirus Risk, Italy Records Lowest Daily Death Toll in a Week; Spain & France Also Show Signs of Pr…

Fight Back (2020-04-20). Florida FRSO to hold May Day webinar on COVID-19 organizing. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – Florida FRSO members are holding a webinar May 1, May Day, to highlight the struggles taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers, Teamsters, teachers and students will lead these discussions. Focus will be on the labor movement and the struggles of the working class as we navigate the pandemic. Speakers will highlight the steps they have taken to continue this struggle against the bourgeoisie who neglect the needs of the working class. | Simon Rowe, a student organizer with Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) said, "It's important to remember how people's str…

Fight Back (2020-04-20). NYC plans massive funding cuts to education. fightbacknews.org New York, NY — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday, April 16, that the city will cut $827 million from the department of education budget in the next fiscal year. These cuts to the NYC public schools will mean a hiring freeze, fewer counseling resources, the elimination of youth employment summer programs, and reductions in overtime, materials and training. | Mayor de Blasio claims that these cuts are necessary in order to address the current crisis we are facing as a result COVID-19. While the city absolutely needs to allocate significant funding and resources for healthcare, cuts to pub…

Staff (2020-04-17). "Gangster in the White House": Noam Chomsky on COVID-19, WHO, China, Gaza and Global Capitalism. democracynow.org We continue our conversation with world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author Noam Chomsky. He responds to President Trump's cuts to U.S. support for the World Health Organization and the surge in deaths in the United States to another record high, and discusses conditions in Gaza, the rise of authoritarianism around the world, and the progressive response. "This is typical behavior of autocrats and dictators. When you make colossal errors which are killing thousands of people, find somebody else to blame," say Chomsky. "In the United States, it's unfortunately the case, for well over a century, centu…

Staff (2020-04-17). Frontline Medical Workers Protest New NYC Policy Demanding Doctor's Notes When They Are Sick. democracynow.org A new policy at New York City's public hospitals requires medical workers who call in sick to produce a doctor's note. "We know that people just need a mental health day," says Sean Petty, a registered nurse at a public hospital in the Bronx who is organizing a protest against the policy. "Thousands of us have been exposed. Health workers are the least tested group of people in this city." Petty is a member of the board of directors of the New York State Nurses Association.

Staff (2020-04-17). Headlines for April 17, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. COVID-19 Deaths Surge to New Record High as 4,500+ People Die in 24 Hours, New York COVID-19 Death Toll Surpasses 12,000 While Hospitalizations Continue to Fall | , CDC Investigating SD Pork Processing Plant, Single Biggest COVID-19 Hot Spot in U.S. | , Nurses Suspended in CA for Refusing to Treat COVID-19 Patients Without N95 Masks | , $349B Paycheck Protection Program for Small Businesses Exhausted | , USAA Will No Longer Seize Stimulus Checks; ProPublica Finds Landlords Violated Eviction Ban, NY Gov. Cuomo Rules Out Relief for Undocumented Residents | , UnitedHealth Group Profits Surge as Coronavirus Spre…

Eleanor Eagan (2020-04-17). Which Bailed Out Industries Have a Shortcut to Biden World? cepr.net For the reality-based, Trump's indifference to the tragedy that COVID-19 is spreading across the country might be maddening but not surprising. Trump downplaying the severity of the crisis, tweeting nonsense, and pushing for a $500 billion corporate bailout are entirely on brand. This is to be expected of an administration full of former lobbyists and industry executives. But special interests are coming for Democrats, …

Staff (2020-04-16). "Pure Baloney": Zoologist Debunks Trump's COVID-19 Origin Theory, Explains Animal-Human Transmission. democracynow.org With the largest one-day death toll in the U.S. yet — 2,400 in just 24 hours — President Trump is trying to deflect attention from his handling of the pandemic by waging a war on public health experts and science, threatening to cut World Health Organization funding and fueling a theory that the coronavirus came from a lab in Wuhan, China. We speak to a zoologist who has been sounding the alarm about a coming pandemic for years. "The idea that this virus escaped from a lab is just pure baloney," says Peter Daszak, disease ecologist and the president of EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit that works global…

Staff (2020-04-16). Pandemic Is a Portal: Arundhati Roy on COVID-19 in India, Imagining Another World & Fighting for It. democracynow.org Officials in India say six major cities are coronavirus hot spots, including the capital city, New Delhi. We go there to speak with writer and activist Arundhati Roy, who has a new essay on how "The Pandemic Is a Portal." She says, "You have the sense that you're sitting on some kind of explosive substance," and describes how the government of Narendra Modi is using the pandemic to crack down on opponents and dissidents.

Staff (2020-04-16). Headlines for April 16, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Pushes to Reopen Economy by May as Doctors and CEOs Object, 22 Million U.S. Workers File for Unemployment in Just Four Weeks, Tax Loopholes in Coronavirus Relief Bill to Overwhelmingly Benefit the Wealthiest, New York Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 11,500 as Governor Orders Wearing of Masks in Public, Medical Workers Demand More Safety Measures as COVID-19 Deaths Mount, Michigan Protesters Defy Social Distancing Rules, Demanding End to Quarantine, Mexico Faces Shortage of Medical Workers as COVID-19 Spreads, French Aircraft Carrier Evacuated as Nearly 700 Sailors Test Positive for COVID-19, Swedish COVID-19 Ca…

Lucas Koerner (2020-04-15). Corporate Media Cover for US Mob Threats Against Venezuela. fair.org The Trump administration unveiled on March 31 a "democratic transition" plan to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from office, in favor of a "council of state" composed of both opposition and ruling party loyalists. | The plan was, however, less an offer to negotiate than a diktat, with the US State Department ( Despite the obvious mafioso over…

Staff (2020-04-15). Trump Cuts Funds for World Health Org as Oxfam Warns Pandemic Could Push Half a Billion into Poverty. democracynow.org As the confirmed cases of coronavirus surpass 2 million around the world, President Donald Trump says he will cut U.S. support for the World Health Organization. Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet medical journal, called it a "crime against humanity." Oxfam America said the cuts slash "any hopes for the responsible international cooperation and solidarity that is critical to save lives and restore the global economy." This comes as a new Oxfam report estimates the pandemic's economic fallout could push more than half a billion more people into poverty. We get response from Paul O'Brien, vice president…

Staff (2020-04-15). "I Want an Apology": Black Doctor Who Tests Homeless for Coronavirus Handcuffed by Miami Police. democracynow.org We speak with Dr. Armen Henderson, an African-American doctor who was handcuffed and detained outside his home Friday as he was wearing a mask and preparing for a volunteer shift to test homeless people for COVID-19. "I want the officer held accountable. There's no way that you racially profile me and then you arrest me, detain me, during a pandemic, when you have no mask on, where hundreds of police officers throughout Miami-Dade County have tested positive," says Dr. Henderson, who is an internal medicine physician, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Miami and an organizer with Dream Defenders…

Staff (2020-04-15). Headlines for April 15, 2020. democracynow.org Lancet Editor Calls Trump's WHO Funding Freeze a "Crime Against Humanity", NYC Coronavirus Toll Tops 10,000 as Thousands of Uncounted Deaths Added, Health Official Says COVID-19 May Be Present in All New Jersey Nursing Homes , California Governor Outlines Roadmap for Easing Coronavirus Lockdown, Florida Governor Declares Pro Wrestling an "Essential Service" Amid Lockdown, Pandemic to Increase U.S. Budget Deficit to World War II Levels, IMF Warns Global Economy Faces Worst Downturn Since Great Depression, Indian PM Modi Cracks Down on Political Opponents Amid Coronavirus Lockdown, Scientists Warn 400,000 Will Die…

Staff (2020-04-14). "Terrified to Go to Work": Hundreds of Workers in Meat & Poultry Plants Test Positive for COVID-19. democracynow.org We look at the spike in coronavirus infections at meatpacking plants. In just one case, Smithfield Foods shut down a plant responsible for 5% of U.S. pork production after more than 350 workers at the facility tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, deaths of slaughterhouse workers have been reported in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Colorado. Many meat processing facilities employ large numbers of immigrants, including undocumented workers. We speak with Wenonah Hauter, executive director and founder of Food & Water Watch, and with Magaly Licolli, executive director of Venceremos, an advocacy group for poultry plant…

Staff (2020-04-14). Essential or Expendable? Farmworkers Condemn Lack of Protection and Economic Help During Pandemic. democracynow.org As the coronavirus sweeps through the United States, the country's 2.5 million farmworkers are continuing to go to work every day, often facing crowded and unsanitary conditions without personal protective equipment, for poverty wages. We speak with Gerardo Reyes Chávez, a farmworker leader with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, who describes the conditions farmworkers in Florida are facing and how they are calling on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to protect farmworkers during the COVID-19 crisis, and with Mónica Ramírez, president and founder of Justice for Migrant Women and co-founder of the National Farmwork…

Kanya Bennett (2020-04-13). Federal Wardens Must Immediately Flatten the Curve in our Nation's Prisons. aclu.org With 10 deaths and more than 500 positive COVID-19 cases in the nation's federal prisons, wardens must "

Bernie Sanders (2020-03-27). 'The universe is collapsing'. zcomm.org Bernie Sanders mocks Republicans over coronavirus aid…

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 …

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 …

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 …

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

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 …

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 …

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 …

2020-04-23: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

After Bernie: It's Time to Start Talking About a Democratic Socialist Party
Mimi Harris, Philip Locker and Evan Seitchik | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-23
We all felt a deep sadness as Bernie Sanders announced the end of his campaign, along with gratitude for all his work fighting for socialist policies. The COVID-19 pandemic brutally underlines just how necessary Bernie's policies are. It's painful to even contemplate the presidential race being between the Wall Street Democrat Joe Biden and the…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/23/after-bernie-its-time-to-start-talking-about-a-democratic-socialist-party/

Our Revolution or Our Capitulation?
Howard Lisnoff | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-23
Seeing Bernie Sanders sitting on camera side by side with Joe Biden, demanding nothing, made me want to… Bernie Sanders gave up without hardly a whimper! No wonder that many of his supporters are fuming and stating that they will not vote for Biden in November. See…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/23/our-revolution-or-our-capitulation/

Video: Government Forces Clash with Kurdish Militias Amid Israeli Strikes on Central Syria
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-23
On April 21, clashes broke out in the city of Qamishly between the Kurdish Asayish, a security force of the Syrian Democratic Forces, and the pro-government National Defense Forces. | Local sources claim that NDF units tried to capture several Asayish …
globalresearch.ca/video-government-forces-clash-kurdish-militias-israeli-strikes-central-syria/5710532

Renewed Ebola outbreak threatens the Congo as COVID-19 spreads
wsws.org | 2020-04-23
Already afflicted by a growing COVID-19 pandemic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen three new Ebola cases including two deaths in recent weeks.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/23/cong-a23.html

The Perils of Politicizing the Pandemic
George Ochenski | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-23
President Trump has so thoroughly polarized the nation that almost every conceivable action is now seen through the false lens of red and blue. If the sky is blue, does that mean it's Democratic? If the sunset is red, does that mean it's Republican? Inane questions

A Progressive Victory over the Coronavirus
John Feffer | zcomm.org | 2020-04-23
South Korea, having beaten back the coronavirus, is now poised to show the world how to move forward to save lives, democracy, and the planet…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/a-progressive-victory-over-the-coronavirus/

'I strongly disagree': Trump says Georgia lifting Covid-19 lockdown 'too fast,' but governor REFUSES to back down
rt.com | 2020-04-23
US President Donald Trump said Georgia is scaling back its coronavirus lockdown measures too quickly, voicing disapproval for the state's aggressive timetable for reopening, but Governor Brian Kemp held firm to his plan. | "I told the governor of Georgia that I disagree strongly with his decision to reopen certain facilities… which are in violation of the federal phase one guidelines," Trump told reporters at a White House briefing on Wednesday, adding that the state should "wait a little longer." | Although the president took issue with the Republican governor's decision, which has drawn major backlash from…
rt.com/usa/486609-trump-disagree-georgia-reopening/

Media fail to identify xenophobia as Biden says Trump 'rolled over for Chinese'
Julie Hollar | mronline.org | 2020-04-23
Rather than respond by focusing blame for the crisis squarely where it belongs–on Trump's incompetent, reckless and self-centered management–and working to beat back the dangerously rising anti-Asian sentiment in this country, Biden and some of his supporting super PACs are choosing to adopt rather than challenge the anti-China premise of the attacks.
mronline.org/2020/04/23/media-fail-to-identify-xenophobia-as-biden-says-trump-rolled-over-for-chinese/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=media-fail-to-identify-xenophobia-as-biden-says-trump-rolled-over-for-chinese

Working dead? Seoul says 'no unusual signs' from North Korea & Kim carrying on duties despite reports of 'grave illness'
rt.com | 2020-04-23
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un apparently keeps up a busy schedule, penning letters to foreign leaders

"Frightening Moment": On Earth Day, Kumi Naidoo on Africa's Twin Pandemics of Coronavirus & Hunger
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-22
Some 265 million people are expected to face acute hunger as the coronavirus crisis could trigger a second pandemic of hunger. The crisis is projected to disproportionately affect Africa, where there is already widespread hunger. This comes as the World Health Organization estimates the number of COVID-19 cases in Africa could rise to 10 million in the next three to six months. Ten African countries don't have a single ventilator. "This is an extremely terrifying and frightening moment for the people of Africa. … We were already facing a major food crisis

Bill McKibben on Earth Day at 50: We Must Stop Subsidizing Fossil Fuel Industry Wrecking the Planet
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-22
Today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, when more than 20 million Americans joined in actions to protect the environment

Greta Thunberg: Climate Activists Have Not Lost Hope Amid Pandemic. We're Changing How We Organize
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-22
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg spoke in an Earth Day live stream hosted by the Nobel Prize Museum about how the Fridays for Future school strikes movement she launched is responding to the coronavirus pandemic. "Within the Fridays for Future movement, there's still this sort of big sense of resistance, and people are thinking, 'We will get out of this. And when we do, we will continue, and we will do everything we can that is possible in that situation to continue to push even harder,'" says Thunberg. "I feel like many people have not lost their sense of hope. We have just changed the way we do things. W…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/22/greta_thunberg_earth_day_2020

Chileans Who Took to Streets Against Inequality & Climate Crisis Say Virus Lockdowns Won't Stop Them
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-22
Months ago, the streets of Santiago and other Chilean cities were alive with a vibrant mass protest movement that drew hundreds of thousands and even led the U.N. climate summit to be relocated to Madrid, Spain, last December. Now the public spaces of Santiago are largely empty as citizens shelter in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But the protest movement against austerity and right-wing President Sebastián Piñera lives on as activists find new ways to organize online. We go to Santiago, Chile, to speak with Angela Valenzuela, a 350.org organizer who has been active both in the country's uprising and in…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/22/angela_valenzuela_chile

2020 Election Year Is an Opportunity for Transformational Change If We Embrace Our Power
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-04-22
Although we do not tie our organizing to the election cycle, the 2020 election is an opportunity for the people to set the agenda for the 2020s. We need to show that whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden are elected, the people will rule from below. We need to build our power to demand the transformational …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/04/2020-election-year-is-an-opportunity-for-transformational-change-if-we-embrace-our-power/

United States: An 'all hands on deck' moment–Sixty six old new leftists urge support for Joe Biden
Paul Le Blanc | mronline.org | 2020-04-22
SDS, along with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), had been in the vanguard of the new left in the 1960s, and some of these oldsters now want to challenge a position taken by Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), currently the foremost organization on the left today. They tell us "this is an all hands …
mronline.org/2020/04/22/united-states-an-all-hands-on-deck-moment-sixty-six-old-new-leftists-urge-support-for-joe-biden/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=united-states-an-all-hands-on-deck-moment-sixty-six-old-new-leftists-urge-support-for-joe-biden

The New Senate $480 Economic Stimulus Bill. A "Social Safety Net" for Banks and Billionaires
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-22
Republicans and Dems serve privileged interests exclusively on major issues, differing only rhetorically for political reasons. | At a time of economic shutdown with growing millions of Americans out of work, congressional focus is largely on helping monied interests. | It's unclear …
globalresearch.ca/vital-help-needed-omitted-new-senate-stimulus-bill/5710430

The desperate Telegraph just ripped off a story from independent media
Steve Topple | thecanary.co | 2020-04-22
'Desperate times call for desperate measures', as the saying goes. And there's none more desperate than the UK's corporate press. Not least among these is the Telegraph, which seems to have just ripped off an article from an independent media outlet without so much as a 'thank you'. | 'Carbon copying'…?: | Mary Fitzgerald is the editor-in-chief of openDemocracy. It's an ind…
thecanary.co/trending/2020/04/22/the-desperate-telegraph-just-ripped-off-a-story-from-independent-media/

We Won't Stop COVID-19 with "Chickenpox Parties"
Charles Pierson | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-22
Thumbing their noses at both government directives and the coronavirus, right-wing protestors have been massing at state capitols in Michigan, Minnesota, Virginia, and Texas to demand the lifting of stay-at-home orders issued by Democratic governors. President Donald Trump has responded in a way that looks a whole lot like a call to insurrection. On April 17, Trump tweeted "LIBERATE MICHIGAN," "LIBERATE MINNESOTA," and 'LIBERATE VIRGINIA," apparently mistaking those states for Paris in 1944.
counterpunch.org/2020/04/22/we-wont-stop-covid-19-with-chickenpox-parties/

Environmentalists Praise Democratic Request for Greater Oversight, Incorporation of Climate Risk in Fed Lending Programs
commondreams.org | 2020-04-22
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/04/22/environmentalists-praise-democratic-request-greater-oversight-incorporation?cd-origin=rss

Israel's Defense Minister to Stop Conducting Coronavirus Tests for Gaza
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2020-04-22
Israeli Defense Minister, Naftali Bennett, reportedly decided on Wednesday, that Israel will stop providing the necessary Coronavirus tests for cases from the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip. Israeli media reports said that Bennet's decision came following a series of discussions among Israeli army officials that have so far failed to approve conducting …
imemc.org/article/israels-defense-minister-to-stop-conducting-coronavirus-tests-for-gaza/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=israels-defense-minister-to-stop-conducting-coronavirus-tests-for-gaza

Scientists, climate experts endorse Joe Biden as 2020 presidential candidate
Ashley Curtin | nationofchange.org | 2020-04-22
"On Earth Day, we speak with one voice: we must elect Joe Biden the next president of the United States–for all our sakes."
nationofchange.org/2020/04/22/scientists-climate-experts-endorse-joe-biden-as-2020-presidential-candidate/

Let them eat… fireworks? Mayor's tone-deaf remarks on 4th of July CELEBRATIONS anger broke & locked-down New Yorkers
rt.com | 2020-04-22
New York mayor Bill de Blasio has vowed to hold the city's Fourth of July celebrations in a "safe, smart" way, even if the city remains locked down. His constituents, worried about rent and feeding their families, were not amused. | "One way or another, we're going to celebrate the Fourth of July in a very special way in New York City," de Blasio declared, during a Wednesday press conference, touting the city's "special" relationship with iconic department store Macy's, which conducts the massive annual fireworks display traditionally held above the East River between Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. | "One way…
rt.com/usa/486592-deblasio-fireworks-display-lockdown-rent/

Death Trap Jail: Pepper-Sprayed, Otay Mesa Detainees Demand Release as COVID-19 Spreads Inside
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-21
We look at the mounting number of COVID-19 cases inside immigration jails across the country and one of the largest outbreaks at the Otay Mesa Detention Center near San Diego, run by private prison company CoreCivic. Prisoners were told to sign contracts, written only in English, in exchange for receiving face masks. When some refused to sign, guards pepper-sprayed them. This comes as activists say hundreds imprisoned in detention centers in California are on hunger strike. We get an update from Ruth Mendez, community activist and volunteer with Otay Mesa Detention Resistance.
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/21/otay_mesa_immigrant_detention_center_coronavirus

NYC Immigrant Communities Fight Hunger, Exploitation & Invisibility Through Mutual Aid
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-21
We look at how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting undocumented people here in New York City, where the coronavirus has hit immigrant communities the hardest, even as the numbers of daily deaths statewide has declined in recent days. As reports of widespread poverty and hunger continue in the immigrant communities, people are also organizing and helping each other through mutual aid despite extraordinarily difficult circumstances. We are joined by Juan Carlos Ruiz, Lutheran pastor at Good Shepherd Church in Brooklyn and co-founder of the national New Sanctuary Movement and the New Sanctuary Coalition here in Ne…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/21/migrants_in_queens

Coronavirus Relief Bills Bail Out Corporations as Small Businesses & Workers Suffer
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-21
As the White House and Democrats near a deal on a $450 billion coronavirus relief package, members of the Progressive Caucus say it bails out businesses once again and fails to protect working people. "In general, there's been kind of a disproportionate response that is reflected in the CARES Act. For individuals, for small businesses, it's very hard to get relief," says The American Prospect's executive editor, David Dayen. "But if you're a big corporation, the Federal Reserve has $4.5 trillion in reserves ready for you."
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/21/david_dayen_coronavirus_stimulus

Small businesses relief unlocked as Senate agrees on $250bn PPP Covid-19 expansion held up by Democrats
rt.com | 2020-04-21
The program to help small businesses impacted by coronavirus lockdowns will be replenished a week after running out of cash, after Democrats agreed to unblock it in exchange for $200 billion extra for hospitals and testing. | The Senate voted to approve the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) on Tuesday afternoon, pouring another $250 billion into the $350 billion fund that ran out of money last week due to high demand. The House of Representatives is now expected to convene for a vote on the package sometime this week. | Senate approves $484 billion coronavirus phase 3.5 bill on voice vote, not via unanimous co…
rt.com/usa/486507-congress-small-business-relief/

US Republican Lawmaker Tells Iran to 'Get Its Act Together' or Prepare to 'Meet Soleimani'
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-23
Responding to recent claims by the US Navy that its ships in the Persian Gulf had been harassed by small Iranian gunboats, President Donald Trump said he ordered American warships to open fire on and sink any IRGC vessels that engage in such behaviour.
sputniknews.com/world/202004231079067106-us-republican-lawmaker-tells-iran-to-get-its-act-together-or-prepare-to-meet-soleimani/

Juan González: "Make No Mistake: This Country Is Edging Closer to Neo-Fascist Authoritarianism"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-21
We get an update from Democracy Now! co-host Juan González about his mother and wife, who were infected with COVID-19, and discuss how right-wing Trump supporters are brandishing automatic weapons at protests to demand an end to coronavirus shutdowns and are being egged on by the president. "We should make no mistake, that this country is edging closer and closer to neo-fascist authoritarianism," says González, expressing concern these actions will become normalized in the lead-up to a bitter national election in November.
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/21/juan_gonzalez_coronavirus_update

After Revelations of Improper Stock Sales by Rep. Shalala, Groups Demand Pelosi's Pick for Bailout Oversight Step Down
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-04-22
"Not understanding disclosure is a pretty bad look for the member of Congress chosen to force disclosure out of the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve on its lending programs." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/donna.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2020/04/22/after-revelations-improper-stock-sales-rep-shalala-groups-demand-pelosis-pick?cd-origin=rss

Warren Demands Investigation Into Trump's Coronavirus Response, Saying He Put 'Political Expediency' Before Public Health
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-04-22
Sen. Elizabeth Warren led nine of her Democratic colleagues in the Senate Wednesday in demanding a federal investigation into President Donald Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/warren_17_0.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2020/04/22/warren-demands-investigation-trumps-coronavirus-response-saying-he-put-political?cd-origin=rss

Lenin's legacy at 150: Working class leadership in the fight for democracy
Joe Sims | peoplesworld.org | 2020-04-21
Lenin walks around the world. . . The sun sets like a scar, Between the darkness and the dawn, There rises a red star. –Langston Hughes The world is a better place because of V. I. Lenin. An outstanding 20th-century working-class leader and revolutionary, he helped change history. The revolution in St. Petersburg, which …
peoplesworld.org/article/lenins-legacy-at-150-working-class-leadership-in-the-fight-for-democracy/

Assistance ramped up to DR Congo's South Kivu as floods kill dozens
news.un.org | 2020-04-21
Aid is being rushed to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where deadly flooding has swept away people and homes and affected tens of thousands more, including many displaced by violence, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday…
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1062242

Media Fail to Identify Xenophobia as Biden Says Trump 'Rolled Over for Chinese'
Julie Hollar | fair.org | 2020-04-21
Election Focus 2020: Rather than respond by focusing blame for the crisis squarely where it belongs–on Trump's incompetent, reckless and self-centered management–and working to beat back the dangerously rising anti-Asian sentiment in this country, Biden and some of his supporting super PACs are choosing to adopt rather than challenge the anti-China premise of the attacks.
fair.org/home/media-fail-to-identify-xenophobia-as-biden-says-trump-rolled-over-for-chinese/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=media-fail-to-identify-xenophobia-as-biden-says-trump-rolled-over-for-chinese

De Blasio promises a lavish PARADE for healthcare workers, but history says this could be a bad idea
rt.com | 2020-04-21
New York City's Mayor Bill de Blasio has promised to treat his healthcare workers to a ticker-tape parade once lockdown is lifted. Commenters have blasted the blundering mayor for "basically guaranteeing a second outbreak." | De Blasio's response to the coronavirus outbreak in New York has been marred by one blunder after another. In March, he accused President Trump of "playing catch-up" with the virus; yet, two days earlier, he had told New Yorkers to "go about your lives" as normal. That same week he told a radio host that asymptomatic carriers can't transmit the disease, refused to cancel the city's St Pat…
rt.com/usa/486501-new-york-de-blasio-parade/

What Progressives Could Teach Joe Biden About Foreign Policy
Katrina vanden Heuvel | thenation.com | 2020-04-21
What Progressives Could Teach Joe Biden About Foreign Policy…
thenation.com/article/politics/what-progressives-could-teach-joe-biden-about-foreign-policy/

Want to Push Biden Left? Focus on These Appointments
Matt Sedlar | cepr.net | 2020-04-20
In These Times See article on original site Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders ended his presidential campaign but assured his supporters that "the struggle continues." And he's right. In the coming weeks and months, the struggle will continue in the streets (although perhaps in cars for the time being), at the ballot box, in workplaces, …
cepr.net/want-to-push-biden-left-focus-on-these-appointments/

Essential or Expendable? Gig Workers at Instacart & Grocery Stores Demand Safety Gear & Hazard Pay
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-20
Grocery stores are one of the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, with store workers and gig economy shoppers often working without protection, as demand for groceries soars and millions of Americans stay home. "At first, when the adrenaline was still there, we were essential. We were prideful. And now, as we get more into it, that's wearing off, and it's seeming more like expendable," says Matthew Telles, a member of the Gig Workers Collective, who is a personal shopper who helped organize a strike by Instacart workers in March to demand the company implement appropriate safety measures and give them hazard…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/20/matthew_telles_instacart_gig_workers

Handcuffed: Black Miami Doctor Who Works with Homeless Says He Was Racially Profiled by Police
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-20
We continue our conversation with Dr. Armen Henderson, an African-American doctor in Miami who was handcuffed outside his home while preparing for a volunteer shift to help protect homeless people from the spread of COVID-19. The encounter has sparked widespread outrage, and Miami's police chief has now tested positive for COVID-19 and is in self-isolation. Dr Henderson has taken a test himself and is waiting for results

Florida FRSO to hold May Day webinar on COVID-19 organizing
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-04-20
Tampa, FL – Florida FRSO members are holding a webinar May 1, May Day, to highlight the struggles taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers, Teamsters, teachers and students will lead these discussions. Focus will be on the labor movement and the struggles of the working class as we navigate the pandemic. Speakers will highlight the steps they have taken to continue this struggle against the bourgeoisie who neglect the needs of the working class. | Simon Rowe, a student organizer with Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) said, "It's important to remember how people's str…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/4/20/florida-frso-hold-may-day-webinar-covid-19-organizing

NYC plans massive funding cuts to education
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-04-20
New York, NY

"Gangster in the White House": Noam Chomsky on COVID-19, WHO, China, Gaza and Global Capitalism
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-17
We continue our conversation with world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author Noam Chomsky. He responds to President Trump's cuts to U.S. support for the World Health Organization and the surge in deaths in the United States to another record high, and discusses conditions in Gaza, the rise of authoritarianism around the world, and the progressive response. "This is typical behavior of autocrats and dictators. When you make colossal errors which are killing thousands of people, find somebody else to blame," say Chomsky. "In the United States, it's unfortunately the case, for well over a century, centu…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/17/noam_chomsky_coronavirus_trump_gaza_palestine

Frontline Medical Workers Protest New NYC Policy Demanding Doctor's Notes When They Are Sick
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-17
A new policy at New York City's public hospitals requires medical workers who call in sick to produce a doctor's note. "We know that people just need a mental health day," says Sean Petty, a registered nurse at a public hospital in the Bronx who is organizing a protest against the policy. "Thousands of us have been exposed. Health workers are the least tested group of people in this city." Petty is a member of the board of directors of the New York State Nurses Association.
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/17/nyc_nurse_sean_petty_doctors_notes

Which Bailed Out Industries Have a Shortcut to Biden World?
Eleanor Eagan | cepr.net | 2020-04-17
For the reality-based, Trump's indifference to the tragedy that COVID-19 is spreading across the country might be maddening but not surprising. Trump downplaying the severity of the crisis, tweeting nonsense, and pushing for a $500 billion corporate bailout are entirely on brand. This is to be expected of an administration full of former lobbyists and industry executives. But special interests are coming for Democrats, …
cepr.net/which-bailed-out-industries-have-a-shortcut-to-biden-world/

United States: Sanders suspends campaign
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-04-16
Elections Kshama SawantIssue 1261 United States Bernie Sanders 2020 US election SeattleApril 16, 2020On April 8, Bernie Sanders…
greenleft.org.au/content/sanders-suspends-campaign-working-people-need-own-party

"Pure Baloney": Zoologist Debunks Trump's COVID-19 Origin Theory, Explains Animal-Human Transmission
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-16
With the largest one-day death toll in the U.S. yet

Pandemic Is a Portal: Arundhati Roy on COVID-19 in India, Imagining Another World & Fighting for It
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-16
Officials in India say six major cities are coronavirus hot spots, including the capital city, New Delhi. We go there to speak with writer and activist Arundhati Roy, who has a new essay on how "The Pandemic Is a Portal." She says, "You have the sense that you're sitting on some kind of explosive substance," and describes how the government of Narendra Modi is using the pandemic to crack down on opponents and dissidents.
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/16/arundhati_roy_coronavirus_india

Trump Cuts Funds for World Health Org as Oxfam Warns Pandemic Could Push Half a Billion into Poverty
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-15
As the confirmed cases of coronavirus surpass 2 million around the world, President Donald Trump says he will cut U.S. support for the World Health Organization. Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet medical journal, called it a "crime against humanity." Oxfam America said the cuts slash "any hopes for the responsible international cooperation and solidarity that is critical to save lives and restore the global economy." This comes as a new Oxfam report estimates the pandemic's economic fallout could push more than half a billion more people into poverty. We get response from Paul O'Brien, vice president…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/15/oxfam_coronavirus

"I Want an Apology": Black Doctor Who Tests Homeless for Coronavirus Handcuffed by Miami Police
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-15
We speak with Dr. Armen Henderson, an African-American doctor who was handcuffed and detained outside his home Friday as he was wearing a mask and preparing for a volunteer shift to test homeless people for COVID-19. "I want the officer held accountable. There's no way that you racially profile me and then you arrest me, detain me, during a pandemic, when you have no mask on, where hundreds of police officers throughout Miami-Dade County have tested positive," says Dr. Henderson, who is an internal medicine physician, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Miami and an organizer with Dream Defenders…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/15/dr_armen_henderson_arrest_miami

Corporate Media Cover for US Mob Threats Against Venezuela
Lucas Koerner | fair.org | 2020-04-15
The Trump administration unveiled on March 31 a "democratic transition" plan to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from office, in favor of a "council of state" composed of both opposition and ruling party loyalists. | The plan was, however, less an offer to negotiate than a diktat, with the US State Department ( 3/31/20) vowing that "sanctions will remain in effect, and increase, until the Maduro regime accepts a genuine political transition." | Despite the obvious mafioso over…
fair.org/home/corporate-media-cover-for-us-mob-threats-against-venezuela/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=corporate-media-cover-for-us-mob-threats-against-venezuela

Essential or Expendable? Farmworkers Condemn Lack of Protection and Economic Help During Pandemic
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-14
As the coronavirus sweeps through the United States, the country's 2.5 million farmworkers are continuing to go to work every day, often facing crowded and unsanitary conditions without personal protective equipment, for poverty wages. We speak with Gerardo Reyes Chávez, a farmworker leader with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, who describes the conditions farmworkers in Florida are facing and how they are calling on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to protect farmworkers during the COVID-19 crisis, and with Mónica Ramírez, president and founder of Justice for Migrant Women and co-founder of the National Farmwork…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/14/us_farmworkers_coronavirus

"Terrified to Go to Work": Hundreds of Workers in Meat & Poultry Plants Test Positive for COVID-19
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-14
We look at the spike in coronavirus infections at meatpacking plants. In just one case, Smithfield Foods shut down a plant responsible for 5% of U.S. pork production after more than 350 workers at the facility tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, deaths of slaughterhouse workers have been reported in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Colorado. Many meat processing facilities employ large numbers of immigrants, including undocumented workers. We speak with Wenonah Hauter, executive director and founder of Food & Water Watch, and with Magaly Licolli, executive director of Venceremos, an advocacy group for poultry plant…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/14/us_meatpacking_facilities_coronavirus

Federal Wardens Must Immediately Flatten the Curve in our Nation's Prisons
Kanya Bennett | aclu.org | 2020-04-13
With 10 deaths and more than 500 positive COVID-19 cases in the nation's federal prisons, wardens must " move with dispatch" to " move vulnerable inmates out of these institutions." These are the words that Attorney General William Barr used on April 3rd when he directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to reduce the federal prison population in the wake of COVID-19…
aclu.org/news/prisoners-rights/federal-wardens-must-immediately-flatten-the-curve-in-our-nations-prisons

'The universe is collapsing'
Bernie Sanders | zcomm.org | 2020-03-27
Bernie Sanders mocks Republicans over coronavirus aid…
zcomm.org/zvideo/the-universe-is-collapsing/