Tings Chak (2021-10-11). Women hold up half the sky: how China eradicated extreme poverty. peoplesdispatch.org Grandmother He was born three years after the Chinese Revolution, into a poor village in the southwestern province of Guizhou. At the time, China was the world's 11th poorest country — that is, only eight African and two Asian countries were poorer than China in terms of per capita GDP. A "century of humiliation" at the hands of European and Japanese imperialism and a bloody civil war turned the world's largest economy in the early 19thcentury to one of the poorest by the time the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949. This history left devastating imprints on the life of the people, particularly p…

Tom Morello (2021-10-11). 'We came within a baby's breath of a fascist coup in the US'. zcomm.org Poverty and hunger kill more people than anything else on the planet and they are human-made problems. Those are the things that we need to be digging into, rather than being sidetracked by this carnival barker bullshit…

Marcelo Colussi (2021-10-11). La tecnología nos sacará de la pobreza… globalizacion.ca I | "El día en que cada indio [sic] tenga un celular, Guatemala habrá entrado en el desarrollo", dijo alguna vez el intelectual y empresario Manuel Ayau, fundador de la muy neoliberal Universidad Francisco Marroquín, centro de estudios superiores de alta…

Nikolaus Gietinger, Justus Cider (2021-10-11). Capitalist dilemmas and The Greed for More. indybay.org The overexploitation of nature did not remain without resistance. However, these were ignored by both the left and the right due to the hopelessness of the capitalist form of wealth. The "requirements of shipping and agriculture" destroy original functions of the floodplain landscapes. "And if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, maybe we should change the system itself," said Greta Thurnberg…

WSWS (2021-10-11). COVID-19 "spreads like wildfire" through Dana plants as UAW and USW conspire with auto parts maker against workers. wsws.org The struggle of Dana workers takes place amid a backdrop of a growing strike wave involving nurses, teachers, service workers, miners and other sections of the working class in the US and internationally. There is also a growing mood for a strike at Dana, which requires the development of rank-and-file strike committees.

WSWS (2021-10-11). Opel-Stellantis: Short-time working heralds closure of auto plant in eastern Germany. wsws.org The workforce in Eisenach fears that the current production stoppage heralds the complete closure of the plant.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-10-11). Anti-government strike by far-right in Bolivia diminished by counter-mobilizations by working class. peoplesdispatch.org In response to the anti-government strike called for by the far-right sectors in Bolivia, hundreds of citizens took to the streets in different parts of the country to express their support for the socialist national government. Meanwhile, local media reported that the business activities are running normally across the country…

Staff (2021-10-10). South Dakota Is a Major Global Tax Shelter, According to the Pandora Papers. truthout.org The Pandora Papers, a massive expose about the secret shell games and tax avoidance schemes of the world's ultra-wealthy, has just hit headlines around the globe. (See initial coverage here in Thi…

_____ (2021-10-10). Saving for a Very Rainy Day. strategic-culture.org By Eric MARGOLIS | The really wealthy, vexed by tax collectors, pesky relatives, ex-wives and just plain thieves, long ago learned the wisdom of hiding their money and property. This is twice true for politicians. | An investigation by an international consortium of journalists just examined a massive leak of 11.9 million records of offshore financial firms that have been evading taxes and financial disclosure for their many clients. The result of what is known as The Pandora Papers has been a cascade of scandals. | This column has long maintained that the US has been deeply involved in massive international corr…

In Defense of Liberation! (2021-10-10). What is Imperialism and what can we do to stop it? anchor.fm In this episode I go into a discussion of the material and economic basis of imperialism as best as I can. I discussed briefly the historical development from early agricultural societies, to slave societies, to feudal society is, all the way up until capitalism as briefly and correctly as I can. I then discussed the "differences" between colonialism and imperialism, and argued that they are in fact two sides of the same coin. they both exist to exploit and oppressed the working people of the world, and they both do so for profits and power. Such is the capitalist, bourgeois system itself. This is why we need to…

Staff (2021-10-10). Venezuela Evaluates Traffic Light for Health Scheme to Allow Entry to Public Spaces. orinocotribune.com On Friday, October 8, the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, informed that a technological platform that would allow the progressive normalization of commercial life in the country during the pandemic, is being evaluated. This platform, called "traffic light for health," will make it possible to determine whether anyone who wants to enter certain public areas, such as restaurants, have been vaccinated or have recently tested positive in a PCR test. | At a working meeting in the Miraflores Palace, the president explained that this traffic light "will be green when you are vaccinated; yellow when you are not v…

Staff (2021-10-10). Colombia-Venezuela Border Reopening on Hold: Freddy Bernal's Latest Update. orinocotribune.com On Friday, October 8, Freddy Bernal, the head of the protectorate of Táchira, reiterated that the Venezuelan government has all the political will for the progressive commercial reopening of the Colombia-Venezuela border in a biosecure manner. | "We have all the political will, as said President Nicolás Maduro, for a progressive and biosecure commercial opening of the border," said Bernal in a video posted in his Twitter account. "We wait, with all due respect, for the response of the Colombian authorities. Facts and not words. Meanwhile, we go on working for the prosperity, unity and peace of the state of Táchir…

Staff (2021-10-10). Loopholes Are Exempting Oil and Gas Industry's Radioactive Waste From Regulation. truthout.org Pittsburgh — In the wake of growing concerns over the oil and gas industry's handling of radioactive waste, activists and policymakers are working to change laws that exempt the industry from safety regulations. | For decades, national environmental organizations have tried unsuccessfully to close federal loopholes that exempt the oil and gas industry's radioactive waste — which has been linked to elevated cancer rates — from regulation. Industry and government reports

Suzanne James (2021-10-10). Cate Faehrmann: Support the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill. greenleft.org.au In part three of our series on the draft Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill (NSW) 2021, Suzanne James interviewed NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann, co-sponsor of the bill to be introduced by Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich. | Faehrmann gives an insight into the inner workings of the parliamentary machine, including: what happens between now and the final vote on the bill; what people can do to ensure their views are considered; and the underhanded tactics the far right have deployed in the name of the high moral ground.

_____ (2021-10-10). Street Response Effective At Resolving Non-Violent 911 Calls. popularresistance.org Portland, Oregon – The first six months of the Portland Street Response pilot project is meeting its lofty expectations, according to a Portland State University (PSU) study released Tuesday. | "Based on the findings… we feel very optimistic about the future of Portland Street Response and believe it is well on its way to becoming a citywide solution to responding to 911 and non-emergency calls involving unhoused people and people experiencing mental health crisis," reads the report, conducted by PSU's Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative. | The Portland Street Response (PSR) is an unarmed first respo…

Foreign Policy in Focus (2021-10-10). Collective Punishment as War Crime: 90% of Afghan Families Lack enough Food because the West is Punishing the Taliban. juancole.com By John Sifton | — ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) — Afghanistan's humanitarian situation is spiraling into catastrophe. Millions of Afghans are now facing severe economic stress and food insecurity in the wake of the Taliban's August takeover, set off by widespread lost income, cash shortages, and rising food costs. Officials with the UN …

Foreign Policy in Focus (2021-10-10). Collective Punishment as War Crime: 90% of Afghan Families Lack enough Food because the West is Punishing the Taliban. juancole.com By John Sifton | — ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) — Afghanistan's humanitarian situation is spiraling into catastrophe. Millions of Afghans are now facing severe economic stress and food insecurity in the wake of the Taliban's August takeover, set off by widespread lost income, cash shortages, and rising food costs. Officials with the UN …

In Defense of Liberation! (2021-10-10). What is Imperialism and what can we do to stop it? anchor.fm In this episode I go into a discussion of the material and economic basis of imperialism as best as I can. I discussed briefly the historical development from early agricultural societies, to slave societies, to feudal society is, all the way up until capitalism as briefly and correctly as I can. I then discussed the "differences" between colonialism and imperialism, and argued that they are in fact two sides of the same coin. they both exist to exploit and oppressed the working people of the world, and they both do so for profits and power. Such is the capitalist, bourgeois system itself. This is why we need to…

Staff (2021-10-10). Venezuela Evaluates Traffic Light for Health Scheme to Allow Entry to Public Spaces. orinocotribune.com On Friday, October 8, the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, informed that a technological platform that would allow the progressive normalization of commercial life in the country during the pandemic, is being evaluated. This platform, called "traffic light for health," will make it possible to determine whether anyone who wants to enter certain public areas, such as restaurants, have been vaccinated or have recently tested positive in a PCR test. | At a working meeting in the Miraflores Palace, the president explained that this traffic light "will be green when you are vaccinated; yellow when you are not v…

Staff (2021-10-10). Colombia-Venezuela Border Reopening on Hold: Freddy Bernal's Latest Update. orinocotribune.com On Friday, October 8, Freddy Bernal, the head of the protectorate of Táchira, reiterated that the Venezuelan government has all the political will for the progressive commercial reopening of the Colombia-Venezuela border in a biosecure manner. | "We have all the political will, as said President Nicolás Maduro, for a progressive and biosecure commercial opening of the border," said Bernal in a video posted in his Twitter account. "We wait, with all due respect, for the response of the Colombian authorities. Facts and not words. Meanwhile, we go on working for the prosperity, unity and peace of the state of Táchir…

Suzanne James (2021-10-10). Cate Faehrmann: Support the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill. greenleft.org.au In part three of our series on the draft Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill (NSW) 2021, Suzanne James interviewed NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann, co-sponsor of the bill to be introduced by Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich. | Faehrmann gives an insight into the inner workings of the parliamentary machine, including: what happens between now and the final vote on the bill; what people can do to ensure their views are considered; and the underhanded tactics the far right have deployed in the name of the high moral ground.

WSWS (2021-10-09). Pandora Papers reveal finance minister profited from offshore account as misery ravages Brazil. wsws.org The revelations stand as a testimony to the rampant social inequality that is the defining trait of Brazilian capitalism, provoking deep nervousness within ruling circles.

Nikolaus Gietinger, Justus Cider (2021-10-09). Capitalist dilemmas and The Greed for More. indybay.org The overexploitation of nature did not remain without resistance. However, these were ignored by both the left and the right due to the hopelessness of the capitalist form of wealth. The "requirements of shipping and agriculture" destroy original functions of the floodplain landscapes. "And if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, maybe we should change the system itself," said Greta Thurnberg…

WSWS (2021-10-09). Wall Street cracks the whip and Senate passes short-term extension of debt ceiling. wsws.org When it comes to the basic financial interests of the corporate-financial oligarchy, and Wall Street gives the marching orders, partisan gridlock in Congress suddenly dissipates.

Prabhat Patnaik (2021-10-09). Finance capital and the World Economy. mronline.org THE period of neo-liberalism witnesses an increase in the share of economic surplus in total output both in individual countries and also for the world as a whole.

Fight Back (2021-10-09). Memphis Kellogg's workers on the picket line. fightbacknews.org Memphis, TN – At midnight on Tuesday, October 5, workers at Kellogg's factories across the United States went on strike. Union workers in Memphis say the company made an unacceptable offer at contract time. | Rob Eafan, a member of the local union's leadership, said of the contract, "The company wants to have a permanent two-tier wage system, with reduced wages and benefits for our new employees. The bottom line: it's all about corporate greed. The company made record profits throughout this pandemic while working us record hours," he said. "And they had record bonuses of 158%." | The Bakery, Confectionery, Toba…

Fight Back (2021-10-09). Kellogg's workers on strike in Michigan. fightbacknews.org Battle Creek, MI – Workers on strike at the Kellogg's plant in Battle Creek walked the picket line Thursday, October 7. They discussed two major issues leading to the strike. The first, a proposed two-tier payment system, where lower seniority employees have significantly lower pay and worse benefits. The second issue workers cited was overwork during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many employees working seven days a week with no days off, for months on end. | One worker explained he worked 3700 hours in a single year, or more than 70 yours per week without a vacation. His motivation to strike is so he can spend mo…

Julia Conley (2021-10-09). Media Coverage of Reconciliation Fight Is Corporate Con Job. zcomm.org "There's a big disconnect between the corporate media and working people," said Bernie Sanders…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-10-09). In historic vote, 60,000 Hollywood workers authorize first ever countrywide strike. mronline.org Workers employed in major film and television production houses have complained of abysmal working conditions such as long hours, often exceeding 12 hours a day, low wages and low healthcare contributions from producers.

WSWS (2021-10-09). Ticket-sellers' dispute with concert venue forces Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to relocate performances. wsws.org The dispute between the IATSE ticket-sellers union and the Music Center at Strathmore in the Maryland suburbs of Washington D.C. is part of a rising wave of working class struggle which has been building against the corporate efforts to force workers to bear the burden of the pandemic.

WSWS (2021-10-09). Pandora Papers reveal finance minister profited from offshore account as misery ravages Brazil. wsws.org The revelations stand as a testimony to the rampant social inequality that is the defining trait of Brazilian capitalism, provoking deep nervousness within ruling circles.

Nikolaus Gietinger, Justus Cider (2021-10-09). Capitalist dilemmas and The Greed for More. indybay.org The overexploitation of nature did not remain without resistance. However, these were ignored by both the left and the right due to the hopelessness of the capitalist form of wealth. The "requirements of shipping and agriculture" destroy original functions of the floodplain landscapes. "And if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, maybe we should change the system itself," said Greta Thurnberg…

Prabhat Patnaik (2021-10-09). Finance capital and the World Economy. mronline.org THE period of neo-liberalism witnesses an increase in the share of economic surplus in total output both in individual countries and also for the world as a whole.

WSWS (2021-10-09). Wall Street cracks the whip and Senate passes short-term extension of debt ceiling. wsws.org When it comes to the basic financial interests of the corporate-financial oligarchy, and Wall Street gives the marching orders, partisan gridlock in Congress suddenly dissipates.

Fight Back (2021-10-09). Memphis Kellogg's workers on the picket line. fightbacknews.org Memphis, TN – At midnight on Tuesday, October 5, workers at Kellogg's factories across the United States went on strike. Union workers in Memphis say the company made an unacceptable offer at contract time. | Rob Eafan, a member of the local union's leadership, said of the contract, "The company wants to have a permanent two-tier wage system, with reduced wages and benefits for our new employees. The bottom line: it's all about corporate greed. The company made record profits throughout this pandemic while working us record hours," he said. "And they had record bonuses of 158%." | The Bakery, Confectionery, Toba…

WSWS (2021-10-09). Ticket-sellers' dispute with concert venue forces Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to relocate performances. wsws.org The dispute between the IATSE ticket-sellers union and the Music Center at Strathmore in the Maryland suburbs of Washington D.C. is part of a rising wave of working class struggle which has been building against the corporate efforts to force workers to bear the burden of the pandemic.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-10-09). In historic vote, 60,000 Hollywood workers authorize first ever countrywide strike. mronline.org Workers employed in major film and television production houses have complained of abysmal working conditions such as long hours, often exceeding 12 hours a day, low wages and low healthcare contributions from producers.

Julia Conley (2021-10-09). Media Coverage of Reconciliation Fight Is Corporate Con Job. zcomm.org "There's a big disconnect between the corporate media and working people," said Bernie Sanders…

SAM (2021-10-08). Forget the Huddled Masses. Bring Us Billionaires. inequality.org

Paul Cochrane (2021-10-08). Pandora Papers: How London became a financial hub for Gulf rulers and the super-rich. middleeasteye.net Pandora Papers: How London became a financial hub for Gulf rulers and the super-rich | Many of the secretive structures used to hide wealth from scrutiny were created during the British Empire and involved the Middle East | Fri, 10/08/2021 – 12: 00 | A statue of a dragon marks the boundary of the City of London, the British capital's financial hub (Reuters) | Since leaving the European Union, the B…

El Faro English (2021-10-08). From EL FARO ENGLISH: Exposed by the Pandora Papers. latinorebels.com Central America, in Brief: The Pandora Papers, a global investigation led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) involving more than 600 journalists in 117 countries, shed new light on how offshore banking shields the cash of Central America's wealthy and well-connected, including presidential candidates and former heads of state. While the practice doesn't prove illegal activity, it raises serious questions about transparency and economic inequality.

WSWS (2021-10-08). 10,000 Alberta Superstore workers vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action. wsws.org The poorly-paid grocery workers are outraged over poverty wages, the company's erratic scheduling practices and the virtual absence of COVID-19 protections in the workplace.

Robert Reich (2021-10-08). The Democrats' one chance to cut child poverty in half. nationofchange.org Poverty is a policy choice. Congress must make the Child Tax Credit permanent.

WSWS (2021-10-08). ISU graduate students vote on union-backed contract enforcing poverty wages. wsws.org The Illinois State University Graduate Workers Union is working to push through a sellout contract that enforces poverty-like conditions in a no-strike contract.

_____ (2021-10-08). Hope For Labor At The End Of History. popularresistance.org It was "the end of history": America in the 1990s. Francis Fukuyama published a book with that title in 1992. Things would continue to happen, according to the philosopher, but the underlying story line had come to a finish with the triumph of liberal democracy and capitalism. As the decade wore on, Fukuyama's prophecy seemed practically clairvoyant. At the turn of the millennium, Bob Dylan captured the zeitgeist: "I used to care, but things have changed." | Yet how could that be? Talk of a second Gilded Age of gross disparities in income and wealth was already commonplace. Homelessness, declining wages, a reemer…

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (2021-10-08). Lisa Graves on the Fight for the Post Office, Stevana Sims on Saving Anti-Racist Education. fair.org (image via BillMoyers.com) | This week on CounterSpin: The thing about the US Postal Service: Low-income people get the same service as the rich; rural people get their prescriptions and paychecks and ballots in the same timeframe as those in big cities. The idea has always been that postal service is a public good, not to be mined for profit, and not tiered to give the wealthy yet another leg up. USPS is the second-largest employer in the country, traditionally offering opportunities for people of color—and unlike the number one employer, Walmart, it doesn't subsidize itself by paying wages so low that em…

Dave Lindorff (2021-10-08). The Rich are Different: They're Richer Than Us and Far Greedier. counterpunch.org F. Scott Fitzgerald is famously said to have once remarked to his pal Ernest Hemingway, "The rich are different from you and me, Ernest," to which Hemingway is said to have replied, "Yes, they have more money." Fitzgerald had it right. Particularly these days, when the wealthiest people in the US are not millionaires, or

Staff (2021-10-08). Omar, Ocasio-Cortez Give Biden Deadline on Student Debt Cancelation Memo. truthout.org After months of silence on student loan forgiveness from the White House, progressive lawmakers, led by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), have written a letter giving President Joe Biden a two-week deadline to release a memo on student debt cancelation. | "Decades ago, Congress voted

Staff (2021-10-08). Headlines for October 8, 2021. democracynow.org Pfizer-BioNTech Requests Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccine for Children Aged 5-11, COVID Deaths in Russia Top 900/Day; Venezuela Accuses IMF of Withholding Pandemic Funds, Senate Cmte. Says Trump Repeatedly Asked DOJ for Help Overturning Election Loss, Senate Votes to Lift Debt Ceiling Until Early December, Minneapolis Police Joke About "Hunting Activists" During 2020 Racial Justice Uprising, Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, WSJ: U.S. Military Secretly Training Taiwanese Forces for Possible Conflict with China, Gunmen Kill 2 School Teachers in Kashmir Amid Mounting Attac…

Josh Bivens (2021-10-08). Abolish the Debt Ceiling Before It Commits Austerity Again. zcomm.org The GOP used the debt ceiling to force spending cuts in 2011. It can't be allowed again…

Editor2 (2021-10-08). Revolutionizing the Cities: 10 Years of Housing, Self-Management, and Communes in Venezuela. orinocotribune.com By Alba Movimientos — Oct 5, 2021 | Ten years ago we gathered in the Ezequiel Zamora Park (or El Calvario) of Caracas—as part of a public dialogue alongside Commander Hugo Chávez—and began an ongoing process of urban revolution that has allowed the people of Venezuelan to recover previously abandoned or underutilized lands. Today, millions of houses have been built on these lands, thousands of units have been constructed by people's power, many of which are now self-managed by the community. The right to housing for working families is fully protected, in stark contrast to a past in which people…

Joe Bernick (2021-10-08). Tucson nurses find Sinema's office empty, just like her promises. peoplesworld.org TUCSON—When local members of National Nurses United showed up at Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's local office on Oct. 7, they were not surprised to find the office empty, just like her promises. Working people have gotten used to being ignored by her. They knew there was no chance they could speak to the senator or even …

Matt Sedlar (2021-10-08). Baker, Boettner: Manchin May Want to Stop Digging. cepr.net Charleston Gazette-Mail | There's an old line, that when you find yourself in a deep hole, stop digging. This is advice that Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., might want to take to heart. | In the debate over President Joe Biden's Build Back Better plan, Manchin is working hard to protect the interest of West Virginia's coal industry. On the one hand, this is understandable. | The coal industry has a long history in the st…

Staff (2021-10-08). Anti-Iran and Anti-Venezuela Agents Conspire. orinocotribune.com Two prominent individuals working against Iran and Venezuela met this week to continue their conspiracies against the governments of their respective countries. | The Venezuelan coup plotter and fugitive Leopoldo López and the US journalist of Iranian descent Masih Alinejad held a meeting on Tuesday, October 7, within the framework of the so-called Oslo Freedom Forum, held in the US state of Florida. | Alinejad and López, who are known for their illegitimate actions against their governments, advocated strengthening their cooperation in their "struggle for freedom"—a euphemism for defending Washington's int…

_____ (2021-10-08). The Time To Prohibit Nuclear Weapons Is Now. popularresistance.org Dr. Helen Caldicott, who has spent decades working for a nuclear weapons-free world, recently wrote a blunt op-ed with an unforgettable headline: "With All Its Wisdom, the Human Race Is Killing Itself." | Decrying the arms industry and the nine countries that now own nuclear weapons, Caldicott points to the one trillion dollars per year that the U.S. spends on "national defense," and states that if we can't learn to live in peace, we are doomed. | At least 56 nations ("state parties") have come to the same conclusion and have now signed the new UN Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which came i…

Dean Baker — Ted Boettner (2021-10-08). Manchin May Want to Stop Digging. counterpunch.org There's an old line, that when you find yourself in a deep hole, stop digging. This is advice that Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., might want to take to heart. In the debate over President Joe Biden's Build Back Better plan, Manchin is working hard to protect the interest of West Virginia's coal industry. On the

Ana Vraƒçar (2021-10-08). Nurses left behind by Croatian government. peoplesdispatch.org Several hundred health workers from the trade union Nurses United, held a protest on 23 September this year in Zagreb, Croatia, calling on the government to improve their working conditions. The rally was the first significant public action in the healthcare sector after a large protest in 2019, when over 2,000 nurses, ambulance drivers, and other health workers protested exhausting working hours and worsening rights in the workplace. | In addition to the unresolved issue of overtime work, the nurses' requests expanded to more employment in public health facilities and a reversal of mandatory COVID-19 passes for…

Bama Athreya (2021-10-08). Want a Working Democracy? Try Democratizing Work. counterpunch.org Google's well-known motto, "Don't be Evil," might imply the company expects employees will use their moral compass. Then again, maybe not. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently reviewed a case regarding Google's termination of several employees for applying their conscience at work. What the NLRB decides will have major implications for workplace rights. But

Peoples Dispatch (2021-10-08). Venezuela condemns U.S. veto blocking access to IMF's COVID-19 funds and other stories. peoplesdispatch.org In today's episode of the Daily Round-up, we take a look the IMF's restrictions on Venezuela's access to 5 billion dollars in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) funds; the upcoming parliamentary elections in Iraq scheduled for October 10th following years of protests for political and economic reforms; the occupation of a pipeline facility of Peru's state-owned PetroPeru company by Indigenous activists protesting contamination by oil spills; and the ongoing strike against unsafe working conditions and low pay by health workers in Guinea-Bissau.

Vijay Prashad (2021-10-08). A World without hunger: The Fortieth Newsletter (2021). mronline.org There is nothing more obscene than the existence of hunger, the terrible indignity of working hard but being without the means for sustenance.

WSWS (2021-10-08). No retreat from elimination! The New Zealand and international working class must fight to stamp out COVID-19! wsws.org The working class must oppose the Ardern government's plan to "transition" away from a strategy of elimination, which threatens to allow COVID-19 to spread throughout the country, killing thousands of people.

WSWS (2021-10-08). Interim Senate Judiciary Report confirms Trump's repeated attempts to enlist Department of Justice into January 6 coup attempt. wsws.org The preliminary report details Trump's numerous attempts, working in concert with Republican lawmakers and sympathetic figures within the Department of Justice, to carry out a fascist coup.

_____ (2021-10-08). What Is Ecocide, And Why Does It Matter? popularresistance.org Jamie Hunter has just returned from defying a court injunction to protect old-growth forest in Fairy Creek and is going to Glasgow next month to push for a major change to international law that would provide another tool against environmental degradation. | The 21-year-old from Nelson, B.C., sees the actions as two fronts of the same battle to confront forces otherwise damaging the planet and imperiling its inhabitants. | "To me, Stop Ecocide is a really tangible solution," said the co-founder of its Canadian chapter. "Obviously, it's not the only solution, but it's a big piece of the puzzle because it really sa…

rebekah (2021-10-08). The Care Movement Fights Back Against Cuts to Biden's Historic Home Care Plan. inequality.org

Staff (2021-10-08). Hurricanes Aren't Just Natural Disasters — They Also Fuel Inequality. truthout.org When President Joe Biden toured storm-ravaged neighborhoods in Louisiana in September, he portrayed the damage of Hurricane Ida as a Natural disasters cou…

John Sifton (2021-10-08). How to Avert Afghanistan's Food and Economic Crises. counterpunch.org Afghanistan's humanitarian situation is spiraling into catastrophe. Millions of Afghans are now facing severe economic stress and food insecurity in the wake of the Taliban's August takeover, set off by widespread lost income, cash shortages, and rising food costs. Officials with the UNand several foreign governments are warning of an economic collapse and risks of worsening acute malnutrition and outright

Staff (2021-10-08). Six Palestinian hunger strikers "starving for freedom" — take action to defend their lives! samidoun.net Six Palestinian prisoners are facing an increasingly urgent health crisis as they continue their hunger strike to end administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. Kayed Fasfous, Miqdad Qawasmeh and Alaa al-Araj have all been hospitalized after 85, 78 and 60 days of hunger strike, respectively, and both are pledging to continue their hunger strikes […] | The article

Paul Cochrane (2021-10-08). Pandora Papers: How London became a financial hub for Gulf rulers and the super-rich. middleeasteye.net Pandora Papers: How London became a financial hub for Gulf rulers and the super-rich | Many of the secretive structures used to hide wealth from scrutiny were created during the British Empire and involved the Middle East | Fri, 10/08/2021 – 12: 00 | A statue of a dragon marks the boundary of the City of London, the British capital's financial hub (Reuters) | Since leaving the European Union, the B…

WSWS (2021-10-08). 10,000 Alberta Superstore workers vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action. wsws.org The poorly-paid grocery workers are outraged over poverty wages, the company's erratic scheduling practices and the virtual absence of COVID-19 protections in the workplace.

WSWS (2021-10-08). ISU graduate students vote on union-backed contract enforcing poverty wages. wsws.org The Illinois State University Graduate Workers Union is working to push through a sellout contract that enforces poverty-like conditions in a no-strike contract.

Dave Lindorff (2021-10-08). The Rich are Different: They're Richer Than Us and Far Greedier. counterpunch.org F. Scott Fitzgerald is famously said to have once remarked to his pal Ernest Hemingway, "The rich are different from you and me, Ernest," to which Hemingway is said to have replied, "Yes, they have more money." Fitzgerald had it right. Particularly these days, when the wealthiest people in the US are not millionaires, or

Staff (2021-10-08). Headlines for October 8, 2021. democracynow.org Pfizer-BioNTech Requests Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccine for Children Aged 5-11, COVID Deaths in Russia Top 900/Day; Venezuela Accuses IMF of Withholding Pandemic Funds, Senate Cmte. Says Trump Repeatedly Asked DOJ for Help Overturning Election Loss, Senate Votes to Lift Debt Ceiling Until Early December, Minneapolis Police Joke About "Hunting Activists" During 2020 Racial Justice Uprising, Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, WSJ: U.S. Military Secretly Training Taiwanese Forces for Possible Conflict with China, Gunmen Kill 2 School Teachers in Kashmir Amid Mounting Attac…

Josh Bivens (2021-10-08). Abolish the Debt Ceiling Before It Commits Austerity Again. zcomm.org The GOP used the debt ceiling to force spending cuts in 2011. It can't be allowed again…

Editor2 (2021-10-08). Revolutionizing the Cities: 10 Years of Housing, Self-Management, and Communes in Venezuela. orinocotribune.com By Alba Movimientos — Oct 5, 2021 | Ten years ago we gathered in the Ezequiel Zamora Park (or El Calvario) of Caracas—as part of a public dialogue alongside Commander Hugo Chávez—and began an ongoing process of urban revolution that has allowed the people of Venezuelan to recover previously abandoned or underutilized lands. Today, millions of houses have been built on these lands, thousands of units have been constructed by people's power, many of which are now self-managed by the community. The right to housing for working families is fully protected, in stark contrast to a past in which people…

WSWS (2021-10-08). Interim Senate Judiciary Report confirms Trump's repeated attempts to enlist Department of Justice into January 6 coup attempt. wsws.org The preliminary report details Trump's numerous attempts, working in concert with Republican lawmakers and sympathetic figures within the Department of Justice, to carry out a fascist coup.

Bama Athreya (2021-10-08). Want a Working Democracy? Try Democratizing Work. counterpunch.org Google's well-known motto, "Don't be Evil," might imply the company expects employees will use their moral compass. Then again, maybe not. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently reviewed a case regarding Google's termination of several employees for applying their conscience at work. What the NLRB decides will have major implications for workplace rights. But

WSWS (2021-10-08). No retreat from elimination! The New Zealand and international working class must fight to stamp out COVID-19! wsws.org The working class must oppose the Ardern government's plan to "transition" away from a strategy of elimination, which threatens to allow COVID-19 to spread throughout the country, killing thousands of people.

Matt Sedlar (2021-10-08). Baker, Boettner: Manchin May Want to Stop Digging. cepr.net Charleston Gazette-Mail | There's an old line, that when you find yourself in a deep hole, stop digging. This is advice that Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., might want to take to heart. | In the debate over President Joe Biden's Build Back Better plan, Manchin is working hard to protect the interest of West Virginia's coal industry. On the one hand, this is understandable. | The coal industry has a long history in the st…

Ana Vraƒçar (2021-10-08). Nurses left behind by Croatian government. peoplesdispatch.org Several hundred health workers from the trade union Nurses United, held a protest on 23 September this year in Zagreb, Croatia, calling on the government to improve their working conditions. The rally was the first significant public action in the healthcare sector after a large protest in 2019, when over 2,000 nurses, ambulance drivers, and other health workers protested exhausting working hours and worsening rights in the workplace. | In addition to the unresolved issue of overtime work, the nurses' requests expanded to more employment in public health facilities and a reversal of mandatory COVID-19 passes for…

Staff (2021-10-08). Anti-Iran and Anti-Venezuela Agents Conspire. orinocotribune.com Two prominent individuals working against Iran and Venezuela met this week to continue their conspiracies against the governments of their respective countries. | The Venezuelan coup plotter and fugitive Leopoldo López and the US journalist of Iranian descent Masih Alinejad held a meeting on Tuesday, October 7, within the framework of the so-called Oslo Freedom Forum, held in the US state of Florida. | Alinejad and López, who are known for their illegitimate actions against their governments, advocated strengthening their cooperation in their "struggle for freedom"—a euphemism for defending Washington's int…

Dean Baker — Ted Boettner (2021-10-08). Manchin May Want to Stop Digging. counterpunch.org There's an old line, that when you find yourself in a deep hole, stop digging. This is advice that Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., might want to take to heart. In the debate over President Joe Biden's Build Back Better plan, Manchin is working hard to protect the interest of West Virginia's coal industry. On the

John Sifton (2021-10-08). How to Avert Afghanistan's Food and Economic Crises. counterpunch.org Afghanistan's humanitarian situation is spiraling into catastrophe. Millions of Afghans are now facing severe economic stress and food insecurity in the wake of the Taliban's August takeover, set off by widespread lost income, cash shortages, and rising food costs. Officials with the UNand several foreign governments are warning of an economic collapse and risks of worsening acute malnutrition and outright

Staff (2021-10-08). Six Palestinian hunger strikers "starving for freedom" — take action to defend their lives! samidoun.net Six Palestinian prisoners are facing an increasingly urgent health crisis as they continue their hunger strike to end administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. Kayed Fasfous, Miqdad Qawasmeh and Alaa al-Araj have all been hospitalized after 85, 78 and 60 days of hunger strike, respectively, and both are pledging to continue their hunger strikes […] | The article

Dean Baker (2021-10-07). High Drug Prices and the Refusal to Talk Seriously About Debt and Deficits. counterpunch.org Reporters and politicians have been screaming about our debt and deficits in recent weeks, as the Democrats try to steer their public investment package through the senators from Arizona and West Virginia. The infuriating part of this story is that the whining about debt and deficits, and the reporting on it, literally makes no sense.

Sonali Kolhatkar (2021-10-07). The Child Tax Credit Is a Proven Boost to American Families, So Why Are Conservative Democrats Trying to Stop It? counterpunch.org American families have struggled for decades to make ends meet with wages simply not rising as fast as the cost of living and a government social safety net that has been so deeply decimated that the U.S. now spends less on children than nearly any other wealthy nation. This year there was a small glimmer of hope that such

Staff (2021-10-07). Headlines for October 7, 2021. democracynow.org Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Texas's Near-Total Ban on Abortions, Senate GOP Leader McConnell to Allow Debt Limit Extension into December, WHO Approves Use of First-Ever Vaccine Against Malaria, U.S. COVID Deaths in 2021 Surpass 2020's Total, U.N. to Pay Salaries of Aid Workers in Afghanistan, U.N. Appoints Envoy to Western Sahara After Two-Year Vacancy, Education Department to Expand Student Loan Forgiveness for Public Workers, Crude Oil Spills from Galveston Bay, TX Refinery, Biden Administration Restores Key Environmental Review Provisions to NEPA, Appeals Court Blocks California Law Banning Private Prisons…

teleSUR (2021-10-07). Stark Inequalities Among Poor Ethnic Groups: UNDP. telesurenglish.net The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), produced by the UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, measures the composition of the poor in 109 countries covering 5.9 billion people, about 92 percent of the developing world's population. | RELATED: | For the first time, the 2021 Index examines the correlations between poverty and ethnicity and race, caste and gender, the UNDP said. Besides income, it studie…

Matt Sedlar (2021-10-07). Transcript: "Making the Most of Special Drawing Rights: Approaches to Maximize Impact and Create a Sustainable and Just Recovery" cepr.net CEPR Senior Research Fellow Andrés Arauz participated in an event on October 4th as part of the IMF Annual Meetings, sponsored by CEPR, ActionAid, Afrodad, the Bretton Woods Project, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, Eurodad, Global Policy Forum, Global Call to Action Against Poverty, Jubilee Debt Campaign, Latindadd, Oxfam International, Social Justice in Global …

John Kendall Hawkins (2021-10-07). Biden: The Interesting Debt Master-Slave Dialectic. counterpunch.org As a US Senator from Delaware Biden smoothed the way for his state to become a tax haven and a place that openly welcomed credit card companies. After graduating from Yale Law School, Hunter was offered the executive vice president position at MBNA, a rising credit card company, despite his lack of banking experience: "Hunter rejected concerns about the political ties between the firm and his father."

Staff (2021-10-07). To Understand the Debt Ceiling Crisis, Observe the Far Right Clown Show in Idaho. truthout.org The debt ceiling crisis has been At first blush, the idea of confusion w…

_____ (2021-10-07). Minneapolis Is About To Vote On Whether To Dismantle The Police. popularresistance.org It was a cool Friday in Minneapolis, made cooler by the shadows of the skyscrapers towering over People's Plaza. In the brick-lined courtyard between the Hennepin County Government Center and Minneapolis City Hall on September 17, the Yes 4 Minneapolis campaign and its allies held a rally whose purpose had come undone the day before. | Yes 4 Minneapolis is working to amend the Minneapolis City Charter by removing a mandate for a mayor-controlled police department with a certain number of officers per resident (0.0017, to be exact). In its place, the amendment establishes a Department of Public Safety under the jo…

Peoples Health Dispatch (2021-10-07). Guinea-Bissau health workers demand to be valued. peoplesdispatch.org Nurses, doctors, and other health workers at the Simà£o Mendes National Hospital (SMNH) in Bissau walked off their jobs on September 20 this year, protesting unsafe working conditions and neglect by the government. Soon, they were followed by health workers in other regions of Guinea-Bissau. United under the slogan No sinta na casa pa é danu balur! (Let's stay at home to be valued!), the workers have echoed the often-heard call by governments during the pandemic, who asked people to remain at home to minimize the spread of COVID-19. | In this case, health workers in Guinea-Bissau used a similar call to pres…

WSWS (2021-10-07). South Africa: COSATU holds one-day protest strike as steel strike continues. wsws.org COSATU and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa are reacting to the extreme social tensions building up and seeking to head off an anti-capitalist movement in the working class.

WSWS (2021-10-07). Close New York City schools to protect children and stop the spread of COVID-19! wsws.org Our committee demands the closing of schools to protect the lives of children and as a first step in a global program by the working class to eradicate COVID-19.

C.J. Atkins (2021-10-07). Temporary victory won against 'offensive' Texas abortion law. peoplesworld.org Delivering a temporary victory to fighters for women's reproductive health, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ordered an immediate injunction against Texas's latest abortion restrictions—measures which pave the way for the elimination of Roe v. Wade. Pitman branded the Texas law, officially designated SB 8, an "offensive deprivation" of the constitutional right of women to make …

Staff (2021-10-07). Federal Judge Blocks Texas Abortion Ban, Blasts "Offensive Deprivation of Such an Important Right" democracynow.org A federal judge has temporarily blocked Texas's near-total ban on abortions, granting the Justice Department's emergency request to halt the law while courts consider its legality. In his ruling, Judge Robert Pitman slammed the Texas ban's unconstitutionality, writing, "This Court will not sanction one more day of this offensive deprivation of such an important right." "Judge Robert Pitman ruled and said what advocates in Texas and clinics operators in Texas have been saying all along … a near-total ban on abortion in the state of Texas is flagrantly unconstitutional," says Amy Littlefield, abortion access corr…

Elizabeth Preza (2021-10-07). Federal judge temporarily blocks Texas abortion ban. salon.com "This Court will not sanction one more day of this offensive deprivation of such an important right"

Guest Contributor (2021-10-07). OPINION: COVID and Latinx Homelessness in Los Angeles. latinorebels.com Time will tell if Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's homeless programs will live up to expectations. But many Angelenos like myself believe these programs are not enough.

Mia Jackson (2021-10-07). Opinion: Government food aid programs need a digital facelift. salon.com Burgeoning online markets for food and grocery delivery may hold the key to fighting food insecurity…