Daily Archives: April 24, 2020

2020-04-24: News Headlines

Bob Fitrakis, Harvey Wasserman (2020-04-24). Election Protection in 12-18 States Will Decide the Fate of the Earth. counterpunch.org The 12-18 states that will decide the presidency this fall are already being primed for voter suppression and election theft by the Trump GOP. Our ability to overcome will decide the fate of the Earth. Donald Trump is in the White House because in 2016 the vote count was stolen in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania

Sam Hitt (2020-04-24). A Light Against the Darkness. counterpunch.org Bernie Sanders claimed to have won the war of ideas in his unsuccessful quest for the Democratic Presidential nomination by introducing new concepts like class struggle to our political vocabulary and making universal health care and debt-free higher education subject to mainstream debate. If this is victory, then we have a long road ahead. America

M.G. (2020-04-24). I Believe Tara Reade for the Reasons You Don't. counterpunch.org George Orwell wrote in his novel, 1984: "If you want to keep a secret, you must hide it from yourself." There is a credible rape accusation against Joe Biden, a Democratic candidate for President of the United States. Again, with emphasis, there is a credible rape accusation against the man the Democratic Party's preferred choice

Medea Benjamin (2020-04-23). Cuba to the Rescue, But Don't Tell the American People. commondreams.org Doctors and nurses of Cuba's Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade pose with a portrait of Cuban late leader Fidel Castro as they are bid farewell before travelling to hard-hit Italy to help in the fight against the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, at the Central Unit of Medical Cooperation in Havana, on March 21, 2020. (Photo: Yamil LAGE / AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/cuba_covid.jpg

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 …

Staff (2020-04-23). Headlines for April 23, 2020. democracynow.org ACLU Warns Spread of Coronavirus in Jails Could Add 100,000 Deaths to U.S. Toll, Government Scientist Claims Reprisal for Opposing Trump's Unproven Coronavirus Treatment, As Coronavirus Reached the U.S., Trump Admin Tapped Ex-Labradoodle Breeder to Lead Task Force, President Trump "Disagrees Strongly" with Governor's Plans to Reopen Georgia, Scientists Skeptical of Reports of High Rates of Coronavirus Antibodies in California Residents, Funeral Directors Association Warns U.S. COVID-19 Deaths Are Underreported, Doctors Report Life-Threatening Blood Clotting in COVID-19 Patients, More Human Trials of Experimental…

Staff (2020-04-23). Global Health Doctor: Hire 1000s of Contact Tracers to Stop COVID-19, Save Lives and the Economy. democracynow.org As parts of the United States and Europe consider reopening, most of the world's population remains susceptible to the coronavirus. We look at new efforts to stop the deadly spread of COVID-19 with contact tracing — finding who infected patients have been in contact with so they can get tested and isolated. We'll speak with global health expert Dr. Joia Mukherjee, with Partners in Health, about a contact tracing project she is working on now in Massachusetts.

Staff (2020-04-23). "The Virus Is Still Out There": Infectious Disease Expert Warns Against Reopening States Too Soon. democracynow.org Despite strong objections of public health officials, governors in Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina still plan to reopen parks, beaches and nonessential businesses. Even Trump reversed his support. Increased testing is critical for the whole country. But where are the tests? We look at the path ahead with Dr. Syra Madad, infectious disease specialist and special pathogens expert, who was recently featured in the Netflix docuseries "Pandemic."

RT (2020-04-23). House passes $484bn coronavirus relief bill for small businesses in bipartisan vote as Dems launch PROBE into Trump's response. rt.com The US Congress has passed a Covid-19 aid package worth almost $500 billion, as House Democrats voted to set up a panel to look into the administration's handling of the outbreak — a move blasted as "purely political" by the GOP.

Jon Rainwater (2020-04-23). A Myriad of Ways to Wage Peace During These Times. peaceaction.org As we shelter in our homes to protect ourselves from this global pandemic, we wanted to share some of the many ways you can remain active and impactful in the work for a more peaceful world. Peace Action has long been a leader in organizing international conferences, marches, and rallies around the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty …

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…

Tony Pecinovsky (2020-04-23). Missouri's COVID-19 lawsuit against China another effort to distract from Republican failure. peoplesworld.org This week, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed suit against the Chinese government and the Communist Party of China (CPC), making the Show-Me-State the first state in the U.S. to seek recompense from another nation for damages caused by the spread of the coronavirus. Schmitt said in a statement, China "lied to the world about …

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.

commondreams (2020-04-23). Groups Call on Biden to Ensure That Planning for Possible Presidency Is Transparent and Ethical. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Staff (2020-04-23). Elizabeth Warren Loses Brother to COVID-19 Amid Trump's Push to Reopen Country. truthout.org Former presidential candidate and current Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) announced on Thursday morning that her oldest brother, Donald Reed Herring, had died, apparently due to complications relating to COVID-19. | Prior to Warren's announcement on Twitter,

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 …

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 …

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.

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."

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…

yenisafak (2020-04-24). Ryanair could see job losses if flights grounded beyond May, says CEO. yenisafak.com Ryanair may see job losses if flights remain grounded due to coronavirus restrictions on travel beyond May, Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said on Friday.O'Leary has said that the airline group assumes flights will stay grounded until a "limited" resumption in June."We've kept almost everybody in employment at the moment, with the benefit thankfully of the various payroll support schemes … We're topping it up where we can. So we are ready to come back pretty quickly," O'Leary told Sky News."We've certainly guaranteed all of our people that we would maintain the payroll through April and through May. If it cont…

sputniknews (2020-04-24). Biden Suggests Trump May Make Attempt to 'Kick Back' 2020 Presidential Election. sputniknews.com Joe Biden remains the last presidential hopeful to challenge incumbent Donald Trump in the 3 November elections, after Senator Bernie Sanders wrapped up his bid for the Democratic Party's nomination earlier in April.

Jon Queally, staff writer (2020-04-23). 'It Is a Joke': AOC Uses 30-Second Floor Speech to Rip GOP Over Inadequate Covid-19 Relief Efforts. commondreams.org "If you had urgency, you would legislate like rent was due on May 1st and make sure that we include rent and mortgage relief for our constituents," said New York Democrat ahead of vote. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/aoc_covid_relief.jpg

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-04-23). 'This Is Unbelievable': Citing Need for GOP Input, Pelosi Yanks Remote Voting Rule at Last Minute. commondreams.org "Forgive me for asking, but who won control of the US House in the 2018 election?" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1206754522_1_1.jpg

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). 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.

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…

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…

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). 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…

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.

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…

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…

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). "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). 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…

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). 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…

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…

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 …

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 …

2020-04-24: 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.)

Election Protection in 12-18 States Will Decide the Fate of the Earth
Bob Fitrakis, Harvey Wasserman | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-24
The 12-18 states that will decide the presidency this fall are already being primed for voter suppression and election theft by the Trump GOP. Our ability to overcome will decide the fate of the Earth. Donald Trump is in the White House because in 2016 the vote count was stolen in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/24/election-protection-in-12-18-states-will-decide-the-fate-of-the-earth/

Joe or No?
Jim Kavanagh | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-24
Here we go again. Now that Bernie Sanders has completed his predictable circuit of loss and capitulation, leftists–those who stand for socialist and anti-imperialist, or even serious social-democratic and antiwar, politics–again confront the quadrennial quandary: Must one vote for the thoroughly neo-liberal and imperialist Democratic presidential nominee? "The lesser evil is still evil."
counterpunch.org/2020/04/24/joe-or-no/

A Light Against the Darkness
Sam Hitt | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-24
Bernie Sanders claimed to have won the war of ideas in his unsuccessful quest for the Democratic Presidential nomination by introducing new concepts like class struggle to our political vocabulary and making universal health care and debt-free higher education subject to mainstream debate. If this is victory, then we have a long road ahead. America…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/24/a-light-against-the-darkness/

I Believe Tara Reade for the Reasons You Don't
M.G. | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-24
George Orwell wrote in his novel, 1984: "If you want to keep a secret, you must hide it from yourself." There is a credible rape accusation against Joe Biden, a Democratic candidate for President of the United States. Again, with emphasis, there is a credible rape accusation against the man the Democratic Party's preferred choice…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/24/i-believe-tara-reade-for-the-reasons-you-dont/

Cuba to the Rescue, But Don't Tell the American People
Medea Benjamin | commondreams.org | 2020-04-23
Doctors and nurses of Cuba's Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade pose with a portrait of Cuban late leader Fidel Castro as they are bid farewell before travelling to hard-hit Italy to help in the fight against the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, at the Central Unit of Medical Cooperation in Havana, on March 21, 2020. (Photo: Yamil LAGE / AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/cuba_covid.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2020/04/23/cuba-rescue-dont-tell-american-people?cd-origin=rss

Global Health Doctor: Hire 1000s of Contact Tracers to Stop COVID-19, Save Lives and the Economy
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-23
As parts of the United States and Europe consider reopening, most of the world's population remains susceptible to the coronavirus. We look at new efforts to stop the deadly spread of COVID-19 with contact tracing

"The Virus Is Still Out There": Infectious Disease Expert Warns Against Reopening States Too Soon
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-23
Despite strong objections of public health officials, governors in Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina still plan to reopen parks, beaches and nonessential businesses. Even Trump reversed his support. Increased testing is critical for the whole country. But where are the tests? We look at the path ahead with Dr. Syra Madad, infectious disease specialist and special pathogens expert, who was recently featured in the Netflix docuseries "Pandemic."
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/23/dr_syra_madad

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

A Myriad of Ways to Wage Peace During These Times
Jon Rainwater | peaceaction.org | 2020-04-23
As we shelter in our homes to protect ourselves from this global pandemic, we wanted to share some of the many ways you can remain active and impactful in the work for a more peaceful world. Peace Action has long been a leader in organizing international conferences, marches, and rallies around the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty …
peaceaction.org/2020/04/23/wage-peace-during-pandemic/

'Public Ownership Can Eliminate Some of Those Warped Incentives Associated With Monopoly' – CounterSpin interview with Johanna Bozuwa on public utilities and wildfires
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2020-04-23
The April 17, 2020, episode of CounterSpin included an archived interview with Democracy Collaborative's Johanna Bozuwa about public utilities and wildfires, which originally aired November 1, 2019. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
fair.org/home/public-ownership-can-eliminate-some-of-those-warped-incentives-associated-with-monopoly/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=public-ownership-can-eliminate-some-of-those-warped-incentives-associated-with-monopoly

House passes $484bn coronavirus relief bill for small businesses in bipartisan vote as Dems launch PROBE into Trump's response
rt.com | 2020-04-23
The US Congress has passed a Covid-19 aid package worth almost $500 billion, as House Democrats voted to set up a panel to look into the administration's handling of the outbreak

Take Care of Yourself and Your Family. Do Not Listen to the President
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-23
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told The Wall Street Journal the U.S. "needs to spend what it takes to win the war" against COVID-19, after the Republican-led Senate passed a $484 billion relief bill that includes no aid money for state governments, because Mi…
truthout.org/articles/take-care-of-yourself-and-your-family-do-not-listen-to-the-president/

Missouri's COVID-19 lawsuit against China another effort to distract from Republican failure
Tony Pecinovsky | peoplesworld.org | 2020-04-23
This week, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed suit against the Chinese government and the Communist Party of China (CPC), making the Show-Me-State the first state in the U.S. to seek recompense from another nation for damages caused by the spread of the coronavirus. Schmitt said in a statement, China "lied to the world about …
peoplesworld.org/article/missouris-covid-19-lawsuit-against-china-another-effort-to-distract-from-republican-failure/

'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/

Groups Call on Biden to Ensure That Planning for Possible Presidency Is Transparent and Ethical
commondreams.org | 2020-04-23
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/04/23/groups-call-biden-ensure-planning-possible-presidency-transparent-and-ethical?cd-origin=rss

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

Elizabeth Warren Loses Brother to COVID-19 Amid Trump's Push to Reopen Country
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-23
Former presidential candidate and current Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) announced on Thursday morning that her oldest brother, Donald Reed Herring, had died, apparently due to complications relating to COVID-19. | Prior to Warren's announcement on Twitter, it was not yet publicly announced that her brother had contracted the disease. His initial diagnosis reportedl…
truthout.org/articles/elizabeth-warren-loses-brother-to-covid-19-amid-trumps-push-to-reopen-country/

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

"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

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/

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/

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

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

Ryanair could see job losses if flights grounded beyond May, says CEO
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-24
Ryanair may see job losses if flights remain grounded due to coronavirus restrictions on travel beyond May, Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said on Friday.O'Leary has said that the airline group assumes flights will stay grounded until a "limited" resumption in June."We've kept almost everybody in employment at the moment, with the benefit thankfully of the various payroll support schemes … We're topping it up where we can. So we are ready to come back pretty quickly," O'Leary told Sky News."We've certainly guaranteed all of our people that we would maintain the payroll through April and through May. If it cont…
yenisafak.com/en/economy/ryanair-could-see-job-losses-if-flights-grounded-beyond-may-says-ceo-3517842

Biden Suggests Trump May Make Attempt to 'Kick Back' 2020 Presidential Election
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-24
Joe Biden remains the last presidential hopeful to challenge incumbent Donald Trump in the 3 November elections, after Senator Bernie Sanders wrapped up his bid for the Democratic Party's nomination earlier in April.
sputniknews.com/us/202004241079081172-biden-suggests-trump-may-make-attempt-to-kick-back-2020-presidential-election/

'It Is a Joke': AOC Uses 30-Second Floor Speech to Rip GOP Over Inadequate Covid-19 Relief Efforts
Jon Queally, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-04-23
"If you had urgency, you would legislate like rent was due on May 1st and make sure that we include rent and mortgage relief for our constituents," said New York Democrat ahead of vote. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/aoc_covid_relief.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2020/04/23/it-joke-aoc-uses-30-second-floor-speech-rip-gop-over-inadequate-covid-19-relief?cd-origin=rss

'This Is Unbelievable': Citing Need for GOP Input, Pelosi Yanks Remote Voting Rule at Last Minute
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-04-23
"Forgive me for asking, but who won control of the US House in the 2018 election?" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1206754522_1_1.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2020/04/23/unbelievable-citing-need-gop-input-pelosi-yanks-remote-voting-rule-last-minute?cd-origin=rss

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

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

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

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/

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

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/

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

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

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

"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

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

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

"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

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

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/