WSWS (2021-12-17). Only a COVID-19 elimination strategy can protect educators, students, and their families from the Omicron tsunami! wsws.org The nearly two years of the pandemic have conclusively demonstrated that a science-based strategy that prioritizes saving workers' lives over corporate profits and investor wealth will only be imposed through the independent intervention of the working class.

Peoples Health Dispatch (2021-12-17). Nurses protest in Tbilisi for better pay and working conditions. peoplesdispatch.org A group of nurses and trade union organizers staged a protest in front of Georgia's government headquarters in Tbilisi on December 10, calling for fairer pay and measures to ease the extreme workload they have faced for years. | "Nurses in Georgia are very low in the health system hierarchy, maybe just a bit ahead of orderlies," says Sopo Japaridze from Tbilisi-based trade union Solidarity Network. "Because of this, they don't really have a voice at work, few people consider them to be professionals like doctors are perceived to be professionals," she adds. | Although they do not enjoy the same position in the hi…

WSWS (2021-12-17). German Chancellor Scholz's first speech: Praising Merkel, threatening Russia and committing to mass infection. wsws.org The new Chancellor's remarks confirmed the assessment of the WSWS that the programme of the so-called traffic light coalition of SPD (red), Liberals (FDP, yellow) and Greens is a declaration of war on the working class.

WSWS (2021-12-17). After working to the bone … German orchestra leader sacked following musicians' protest. wsws.org The response of the Social Democratic Party here, as in other areas of society, is typical. For many years the SPD has imposed austerity measures in cooperation with the trade unions while seeking to dissipate all opposition.

Staff (2021-12-17). Black Feminist bell hooks's Trailblazing Critique of "Imperialist White Supremacist Heteropatriarchy" democracynow.org We look at the life and legacy of trailblazing Black feminist scholar and activist bell hooks, who died at the age of 69 on Wednesday. We speak with her longtime colleague Beverly Guy-Sheftall, professor of women's studies at Spelman College, who remembers her as "a person who would sit with young people and community people and students and help them understand this world in which we live, which is full of all kinds of domination." Working in the tradition of intersectionality and Black radical feminism, hooks's critiques of "imperialist white supremacist heteropatriarchy" called attention to the interlocking sy…

Fight Back (2021-12-17). Strikers at Battle Creek Kellogg's stand strong, Bernie Sanders to join Friday rally. fightbacknews.org Battle Creek, MI – Kellogg's workers are continuing the fight after a rejection of a proposed contract last week. At the Battle Creek headquarters, there is determination to hold the line despite the company's plan to permanently replace 1400 workers. | Jason Rose, a mechanic who has worked at Kellogg's for 15 years, said the company is going to have a difficult time filling all the positions. In Battle Creek, the plant's downward trend in working conditions is well known. "They had a hard enough time hiring people in the first place," said Rose. | The strikers are asking to abolish the two-tier system of hiring…

Adolph Reed Jr. (2021-12-17). The limits of anti-racism. zcomm.org My point is that it's more effective politically to challenge the inequality and injustice directly and bypass the debate over whether it should be called "racism."

Staff (2021-12-16). Headlines for December 16, 2021. democracynow.org Unprecedented December Storms Hit Central U.S. as Biden Tours Kentucky Tornado Damage, U.K. and South Africa Set Coronavirus Records as Omicron Spreads Rapidly, Senate Approves Record $778 Billion Pentagon Budget, Build Back Better Act Stalls in Senate Again as Joe Manchin Rejects Expanded Child Tax Credit, Civil Rights Leaders Demand Senate Democrats Pass Federal Voting Rights Legislation, Democrats Call on Biden to Extend Student Loan Pause, Grant Debt Forgiveness, Syrian Conflict Has Stripped Civilians of Access to Healthcare, Created Humanitarian Disaster, Protesters Demand Mexico Decriminalize Immigration to…

John Knefel (2021-12-16). Most of the Democratic Party Is Responsible for the Build Back Better Debacle. truthout.org Democrats are bracing for potentially huge losses in next year's midterm elections, and many believe the next few months will be the last chance for President Joe Biden to turn the tide back by passing major legislation. His signature bill, the Build Back Better Act, is currently being held up by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who is claiming that rising inflation and the level of federal debt is causing him to rethink his support for the bill. Progressives in the party have been sidelined,…

Monica Cruz (2021-12-16). Home care workers protest 24-hour work day in NYC. peoplesdispatch.org Workers employed with the United Jewish Council (UJC) home care agency rallied to end the 24-hour work day and demand their stolen wages on the morning of December 16. While home care workers in New York are being forced to work 24-hour shifts for poverty wages, 11 hours worth of that pay is stolen by their employers. A coalition of worker's rights organizations including the Ain't I A Woman Campaign and the National Mobilization Against Sweatshops (NMASS) have been organizing alongside home care workers for years against these unjust labor practices. | "I am traumatized from working 24-hour shifts," said Epifani…

Rick Rozoff (2021-12-16). Ukraine, Turkey, Azerbaijan form pan-Turkic bloc against Russia in Crimea. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Zelensky invites President of Azerbaijan to host Kyiv-Ankara-Baku summit in Feb During his working visit to Brussels, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, during which they discussed issues of enhancing bilateral cooperation between the countries… It is noted that Zelensky thanked Aliyev for supporting the sovereignty …

Andy Kroll (2021-12-16). Climate Crisis at the Top of the World. tomdispatch.com When midnight strikes on New Year's Day of 2050, there will be little cause for celebration. There will, of course, be the usual toasts with fine wines in the climate-controlled compounds of the wealthy few. But for most of humanity, it'll just be another day of adversity bordering on misery — a desperate struggle to find food, water, shelter, and safety. In the previous decades, storm surges will have swept away coastal barriers erected at enormous cost and rising seas will have flooded the downtowns of major cities that once housed more than 100 million people. Relentless waves will pound shorelines aroun…

Brittani Banks (2021-12-16). A Critique of Obscene Wealth. independentmediainstitute.org Wherever and whenever obscenely rich people existed, they always protected their wealth and the privileges that come with it from the majority of non-wealthy people working for them and around them. Emperors, kings, czars as well as masters of huge slave plantations, lords of big feudal manors, and major shareholders and top executives of capitalist …

Alfred W. McCoy (2021-12-16). Melting of Ice Sheets Is Dramatic, But Melting of Permafrost Means Mass Death. truthout.org When midnight strikes on New Year's Day of 2050, there will be little cause for celebration. There will, of course, be the usual toasts with fine wines in the climate-controlled compounds of the wealthy few. But for most of humanity, it'll just be another day of

_____ (2021-12-16). Most American Homeowners Are 'House Poor'. popularresistance.org In a recent survey, 40% of homeowners with mortgages said they work second, full-time jobs to afford housing expenses. A majority of the 1,002 people surveyed by Consumer Affairs feel like they can't afford their housing expenses, and did not anticipate the extra costs of upkeep when they bought their homes. | The report comes amid record surges in US home prices, also finding that more than a third of respondents are incurring extra credit card debt to pay their bills. Despite these challenges, homeowners ultimately prefer owning a home to renting one. | The survey found that although 40% of people rely on secon…

WSWS (2021-12-16). US Congress approves massive $770 billion war budget. wsws.org The strategic orientation of the huge military bill is to prepare for war against Russia, China or both. Coupled with Tuesday's vote to raise the debt ceiling, congressional Democrats have satisfied their two main constituencies: the Pentagon and Wall Street.

_____ (2021-12-16). How The US Government Segregated America. popularresistance.org For many years, I worked in Boston public housing with teams of residents, community organizations, public housing staff and other professors on reducing and removing the many asthma triggers that caused the highest rates of asthma and asthma attacks in the city. Living and working in the heart of the city neighborhoods, I was keenly aware of the apartheid nature of public and residential housing (black Roxbury, white South Boston, white gentrification overtaking Boston's mixed-income interracial neighborhoods, and white suburbs) | I had been familiar with the mid-20th century pattern of "white flight" from urban…

People's World Editorial Board (2021-12-16). Uphold truth—by supporting People's World. peoplesworld.org Dear readers and friends, Our working class and people urgently need media that upholds the truth. People's World promotes solidarity. It gives voice to the heroic actions in defense of democracy, equality, and climate justice, that all of us, our fellow grassroots activists, neighbors, and co-workers are involved in. Please donate today to support the …

WSWS (2021-12-16). The issues in the Turkish health care workers national strike. wsws.org The Turkish Trotskyists support this strike movement and call on all workers and youth to draw the necessary lessons for the development of an independent political and social movement of the international working class.

WSWS (2021-12-16). Australian transport union working to push through sell-out deal at FedEx. wsws.org The TWU claims the deal is a "huge win" for drivers, but it does little to address job security concerns or the large pay disparity between FedEx and its competitors.

Staff (2021-12-16). "No Food Available": Afghanistan Faces Catastrophe as Donors Cut Humanitarian Aid to Taliban Gov't. democracynow.org Afghanistan under the new Taliban government faces a humanitarian catastrophe this winter as the United States and other donors have cut off financial aid. The United Nations warns nearly 23 million people in Afghanistan — or more than half the population — face potentially life-threatening food shortages, with nearly 9 million already on the brink of famine. In addition, people face lack of proper healthcare, unemployment and housing shortages. "The international aid organizations, for them, it's just another country … where they take pictures and make their careers out of it," says Pashtana Durran…

_____ (2021-12-16). Wage Inequality Continued To Increase In 2020. popularresistance.org Newly available wage data from the Social Security Administration allow us to analyze wage trends for the top 1.0% and other very high earners as well as for the bottom 90% during 2020. The upward distribution of wages from the bottom 90% to the top 1.0% that was evident over the period from 1979 to 2019 was especially strong in the 2020 pandemic year, yielding historically high wage levels and shares of all wages for the top 1.0% and 0.1%. Correspondingly, the share of wages earned by the bottom 95% fell in 2020. | Two features of the pandemic economy distorted wage patterns in 2020 and led to faster wage growth…

John W. Whitehead, Nisha Whitehead (2021-12-16). The Christmas Baby Born in a Police State: Then and Now. dissidentvoice.org When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the …

Rick Rozoff (2021-12-16). Ukraine, Turkey, Azerbaijan form pan-Turkic bloc against Russia in Crimea. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Zelensky invites President of Azerbaijan to host Kyiv-Ankara-Baku summit in Feb During his working visit to Brussels, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, during which they discussed issues of enhancing bilateral cooperation between the countries… It is noted that Zelensky thanked Aliyev for supporting the sovereignty …

WSWS (2021-12-16). US Congress approves massive $770 billion war budget. wsws.org The strategic orientation of the huge military bill is to prepare for war against Russia, China or both. Coupled with Tuesday's vote to raise the debt ceiling, congressional Democrats have satisfied their two main constituencies: the Pentagon and Wall Street.

WSWS (2021-12-16). The issues in the Turkish health care workers national strike. wsws.org The Turkish Trotskyists support this strike movement and call on all workers and youth to draw the necessary lessons for the development of an independent political and social movement of the international working class.

WSWS (2021-12-16). Australian transport union working to push through sell-out deal at FedEx. wsws.org The TWU claims the deal is a "huge win" for drivers, but it does little to address job security concerns or the large pay disparity between FedEx and its competitors.

Matthew J.L. Ehret (2021-12-15). Will Ethiopia Become Biden's Libya 2.0 or a Driver for an African Renaissance? dissidentvoice.org Many westerners trying to make sense of the events in the "dark continent" of Africa have many barriers standing in the way of their minds and reality. This must be the case, for without such filters of spin proclaiming Africa's problems to be self-induced (or the consequence of Chinese debt slavery), we in the west, …

Staff (2021-12-15). Headlines for December 15, 2021. democracynow.org U.S. Tops 800,000 COVID Deaths as Officials Around the World Warn of Omicron's Rapid Spread, House Votes to Hold Mark Meadows in Contempt; D.C. Sues Oath Keepers, Proud Boys over Insurrection, Judge Dismisses Trump Attempt to Shield Tax Docs from House; NY Probe into Trump Org. Continues, Another GOP Rep. Attacks Ilhan Omar as House Passes Anti-Islamophobia Bill, Congress Votes to Increase Debt Ceiling by $2.5 Trillion, Averting Default, UAE Suspends Talks with U.S. on $23 Billion Arms Sale, Presidents Putin and Xi Meet Amid Mounting Tensions with U.S., Belarusian Opposition Leader Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison…

Peter Certo (2021-12-15). In OtherWords: December 15, 2021. otherwords.org On December 15, the families of 65 million U.S. children received their last monthly payment under the expanded Child Tax Credit, which expires this month. | Those payments have kept millions out of poverty, writes West Virginia mom Kristen Olsen. Unfortunately, the GOP is unanimously opposed to extending them — and so far, they've had an ally in West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin. | Will the multimillionaire senator, Kristen wonders, really vote to send millions of kids back into poverty — including in his home state, whose kids are among the poorest in the country? The answer will have national impl…

Dana Sanchez (2021-12-15). Fact Check: Student Loan Forgiveness Will Increase The Black-White Wealth Gap. moguldom.com Student loan forgiveness would help Black borrowers, who are disproportionately represented in the $1.75 trillion debt total held by 43.2 million borrowers, but a recent Twitter discussion shows there is doubt about whether or not loan forgiveness would lower the Black-white wealth gap. HBCU alumni have a median federal-debt load of about $29,000 at graduation — 32 …

Isheka N. Harrison (2021-12-15). Hundreds Of Black Women In Georgia Will Get $850 Per Month Guaranteed Income To Tackle Racial Wealth Gap. moguldom.com A new guaranteed income program will give $850 dollars a month to Black women in Georgia. An initiative entitled "In Her Hands" is launching in early 2022 will send direct, no-strings-attached payments to up to 650 Black women across the state. The program will begin in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, where Dr. Martin Luther …

Thomas Klikauer (2021-12-15). Wealth, Capitalism and Ideology. zcomm.org As an almost classical consequence of capitalist markets, sovereignty in monetary terms exists only for big players…

Eric Zuesse (2021-12-15). The only way to deal effectively with a pandemic is socialistic. moderndiplomacy.eu The two extremes of ideology are libertarianism (anarchy) versus government (socialism). (Pure embodiments of either are rare if not non-existent.) A democratic government represents the public; an aristocratic government represents the wealthiest 0.1% as its actual dictators and beneficiaries. The two types of libertarianism are: the pure form, in which everyone is free to destroy …

Sharon Zhang (2021-12-15). Congress Raises Debt Ceiling After Months of Republican Obstruction. truthout.org Congress voted to raise the debt limit on Tuesday after months of brinkmanship and Republican obstruction that threatened economic disaster. | The resolution raises the debt ceiling

_____ (2021-12-15). Europe Finally Recognizes Platform Workers Aren't Self-Employed. popularresistance.org Sometimes change comes from the most unlikely of places. The European Commission—the unelected body of technocrats that designs European Union legislation—isn't exactly known as a friend of the worker. EU commissioners and their staff are more likely to be found having coffee with corporate lobbyists than rubbing shoulders with the working class. | Yet, last week, the EU Commission proposed what some are hailing as the most pro-worker reform to come out of the EU in years—a directive to regulate platform work. Often unfairly treated as self-employed, platform workers are now to be considered emp…

Liberation Staff, NYC (2021-12-15). NYC tenants say: 'Abolish winter evictions!'. liberationnews.org The action was dedicated to Ms. Joy Noel who died homeless at age 85 after her landlord evicted her and rented her apartment while she was on vacation.

Brian Wakamo (2021-12-15). The Year in Inequality in 10 Charts. inequality.org

Sarah Anderson (2021-12-15). Will Barrick Gold CEO Go Beyond Rhetoric to Deliver Justice for Victims of Police Killings at Tanzanian Mine? inequality.org

Sarah Anderson (2021-12-15). Record Corporate Profits, Record Stock Buybacks, and the Plan to Tax Them. inequality.org

Matthew J.L. Ehret (2021-12-15). Will Ethiopia Become Biden's Libya 2.0 or a Driver for an African Renaissance? dissidentvoice.org Many westerners trying to make sense of the events in the "dark continent" of Africa have many barriers standing in the way of their minds and reality. This must be the case, for without such filters of spin proclaiming Africa's problems to be self-induced (or the consequence of Chinese debt slavery), we in the west, …

Staff (2021-12-15). Headlines for December 15, 2021. democracynow.org U.S. Tops 800,000 COVID Deaths as Officials Around the World Warn of Omicron's Rapid Spread, House Votes to Hold Mark Meadows in Contempt; D.C. Sues Oath Keepers, Proud Boys over Insurrection, Judge Dismisses Trump Attempt to Shield Tax Docs from House; NY Probe into Trump Org. Continues, Another GOP Rep. Attacks Ilhan Omar as House Passes Anti-Islamophobia Bill, Congress Votes to Increase Debt Ceiling by $2.5 Trillion, Averting Default, UAE Suspends Talks with U.S. on $23 Billion Arms Sale, Presidents Putin and Xi Meet Amid Mounting Tensions with U.S., Belarusian Opposition Leader Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison…

Peter Certo (2021-12-15). In OtherWords: December 15, 2021. otherwords.org On December 15, the families of 65 million U.S. children received their last monthly payment under the expanded Child Tax Credit, which expires this month. | Those payments have kept millions out of poverty, writes West Virginia mom Kristen Olsen. Unfortunately, the GOP is unanimously opposed to extending them — and so far, they've had an ally in West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin. | Will the multimillionaire senator, Kristen wonders, really vote to send millions of kids back into poverty — including in his home state, whose kids are among the poorest in the country? The answer will have national impl…

Dana Sanchez (2021-12-15). Fact Check: Student Loan Forgiveness Will Increase The Black-White Wealth Gap. moguldom.com Student loan forgiveness would help Black borrowers, who are disproportionately represented in the $1.75 trillion debt total held by 43.2 million borrowers, but a recent Twitter discussion shows there is doubt about whether or not loan forgiveness would lower the Black-white wealth gap. HBCU alumni have a median federal-debt load of about $29,000 at graduation — 32 …

Isheka N. Harrison (2021-12-15). Hundreds Of Black Women In Georgia Will Get $850 Per Month Guaranteed Income To Tackle Racial Wealth Gap. moguldom.com A new guaranteed income program will give $850 dollars a month to Black women in Georgia. An initiative entitled "In Her Hands" is launching in early 2022 will send direct, no-strings-attached payments to up to 650 Black women across the state. The program will begin in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, where Dr. Martin Luther …

Thomas Klikauer (2021-12-15). Wealth, Capitalism and Ideology. zcomm.org As an almost classical consequence of capitalist markets, sovereignty in monetary terms exists only for big players…

Eric Zuesse (2021-12-15). The only way to deal effectively with a pandemic is socialistic. moderndiplomacy.eu The two extremes of ideology are libertarianism (anarchy) versus government (socialism). (Pure embodiments of either are rare if not non-existent.) A democratic government represents the public; an aristocratic government represents the wealthiest 0.1% as its actual dictators and beneficiaries. The two types of libertarianism are: the pure form, in which everyone is free to destroy …

_____ (2021-12-15). Europe Finally Recognizes Platform Workers Aren't Self-Employed. popularresistance.org Sometimes change comes from the most unlikely of places. The European Commission—the unelected body of technocrats that designs European Union legislation—isn't exactly known as a friend of the worker. EU commissioners and their staff are more likely to be found having coffee with corporate lobbyists than rubbing shoulders with the working class. | Yet, last week, the EU Commission proposed what some are hailing as the most pro-worker reform to come out of the EU in years—a directive to regulate platform work. Often unfairly treated as self-employed, platform workers are now to be considered emp…

Brian Wakamo (2021-12-15). The Year in Inequality in 10 Charts. inequality.org

Sarah Anderson (2021-12-15). Will Barrick Gold CEO Go Beyond Rhetoric to Deliver Justice for Victims of Police Killings at Tanzanian Mine? inequality.org

Sarah Anderson (2021-12-15). Record Corporate Profits, Record Stock Buybacks, and the Plan to Tax Them. inequality.org

Prabir Purkayastha (2021-12-14). Why poorer nations aren't falling for green-washed imperialism. canadiandimension.com Streets in the district of Satkhira, in southern Bangladesh, are flooded after months of heavy rain. Photo by Rafiqur Rahman Raqu/Department for International Development/ Fighting global warming is not just about providing a path to net-zero carbon emissions for all countries. It is also about figuring out how best to meet the energy needs of people across the world while working toward net-zero emissions. If fossil fuels have to be given up, which has now become an urgent need given the current environmental challenges, co…

WSWS (2021-12-14). Barbados declares a republic: British imperialism's legacy of slavery and colonialism. wsws.org None of the island's governments have been able to redress British imperialism's legacy of underdevelopment, dependency and above all economic hardship and social inequality.

Staff (2021-12-14). Strike Wave in the U.S.? Labor Historian Nelson Lichtenstein on Union Drives & Worker Revolts. democracynow.org As unionizing efforts have taken the U.S. by storm, we look at the history of the U.S. labor movement and how unions have acted as a bulwark against corporate power. Worker organizing at Starbucks, Kellogg's and Amazon shows that unions help enforce health and safety measures and protect workers who speak out. "A working-class consciousness ebbs and flows," says Nelson Lichtenstein, director of the Center for the Study of Work, Labor, and Democracy at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "A union is a way of capturing that consciousness and making it the law of the land."

Matt Sedlar (2021-12-14). Family Policies in the Build Back Better Act Would Reduce Burdens on Families and Provide a Better Buffer to Economic Instability. cepr.net Many US workers could not say exactly when or how much they will be working two weeks from today. As one might imagine, this situation makes it difficult to plan and control one's nonwork life. It also can lead to financial hardship for low- and moderate-income households when they experience a decline in earnings due …

Mark Gruenberg (2021-12-14). Parade of hurting people prods lawmakers to pass Build Back Better. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—One by one, advocating ending income inequality, strengthening and restoring voting rights, cutting military spending, extending the child care tax credit, raising the minimum wage, and more, a parade of people hurting from exploitation by corporations, the economic elite, and their political allies, took a hand-held microphone in D.C. Monday to campaign for their combined …

Newsroom (2021-12-14). More than half a billion people pushed into extreme poverty due to health care costs. moderndiplomacy.eu New evidence compiled by the World Health Organization and the World Bank shows that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to halt two decades of global progress towards Universal Health Coverage. The organizations also reveal that more than half a billion people are being pushed or pushed further into extreme poverty because they have to pay …

William Rivers Pitt (2021-12-14). Biden Campaigned on Climate. Where's the Bold Action? truthout.org Millions of years of evolution have graced birds with a wealth of healthy instincts. They have mastered the art of flight, and many species fly thousands of miles when the seasons change, unerringly returning time and again to a distant refuge where the weather is calm. More than anything, though, birds know better than to shit in their own nest. This is an instinct the president of the United States has yet to develop, and the whole wide world may come to pay a brutal price for it. | November's COP 26 international e…

Mark Hallim (2021-12-14). Nationalism and Liberal Democracies: The Rise of Nationalism in Brazil. moderndiplomacy.eu Twenty-five years ago, liberal democracies rose; the Berlin Wall had fallen, the Soviet Union collapsed, and new democracies emerged in Europe. In South Africa, the apartheid regime was removed. Even though the Chinese government brutally crushed a democracy, the belief existed that a more educated and wealthy middle class would demand democratic reforms. The 2008 …

Fight Back (2021-12-14). Sudanese people's struggle against the military dictatorship. fightbacknews.org Dallas, TX – On April 11, Omar al-Bashir, the military leader of Sudan for over 20 years, from 1989 to 2019, was deposed in a military coup. The coup occurred amidst largescale protests calling for the overthrow of al-Bashir, demanding democracy and an end to austerity measures enacted by the government in response to the country being over $60 billion in debt to the International Monetary Fund and France. | The protests were largely led by the National Consensus Forces (NCF), an alliance consisting of political parties including the Sudanese Communist Party, the Sudanese Baath Party, the National Umma Party, and…

teleSUR (2021-12-14). US Senate Approves Raising Debt Ceiling Ahead of Default. telesurenglish.net The measure would increase the debt limit by 2.5 trillion, which is expected to last until 2023 without the need for another vote to raise the borrowing cap, avoiding another partisan fight over the debt ceiling issue before the midterm elections next year. | Photo taken on Sept. 30, 2021 shows the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., the United States.

In Defense of Liberation! (2021-12-14). Understanding the Historical Moment We're in Takes Practical Action! anchor.fm In this episode I go into a discussion about the political, social, and economic placement we as working class people seem to find ourselves in today, not simply in the US but in some sense around the world. We are all hurting in a very similar way, added onto by our own individual struggles or difficulties we might face because of the color of our skin, our gender, our ability or willingness to be taken advantage of, etc. We are all suffering very difficult situations which none of us can take on alone, but if we want to do something about these things, we can't just pick up a gun and go, we'll be killed, or mos…

Eric A. Gordon (2021-12-14). 'Good People': Some are better than you think, others a whole lot worse. peoplesworld.org BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — An abyss divides the worlds of Southie—South Boston's Lower End, home of generations of working-class whites, many of Irish background, with its adjacent Black communities—and the toney residential suburb of Chestnut Hill. That insuperable class divide is a microcosm of America in 2009, in the wake of the wreckage of George …

Grace Woods (2021-12-14). Prosecutors found to be the criminals in NYC. liberationnews.org The purpose of prosecutors is to incarcerate working-class, Black and Brown people for alleged crimes that are overwhelmingly a result of the deteriorating conditions of capitalism.

teleSUR (2021-12-14). Venezuelan Plains' Working Songs Declared World Heritage. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) placed the working songs of the Venezuelan Plains on the list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity that requires urgent safeguarding measures. | RELATED: | The practice consists of singing melodies individually and a cappella on cattle herding and milking, which are part of the plains' traditional and environmentally…

WSWS (2021-12-14). José Antonio Kast: Chile's left paves the way for a fascist. wsws.org The political descendants of the forces that bore responsibility for straitjacketing the working class ahead of the September 11, 1973 coup are today playing the same role.

Staff (2021-12-14). Striking Kellogg's Workers Vow to Hold Out for Better Contract, Urge Boycott of Company's Products. democracynow.org Kellogg's announced it would begin permanently replacing the 1,400 workers who have been on strike for over two months to demand fair wages and better working conditions. The move comes after an overwhelming majority of Kellogg's workers rejected a new five-year agreement they say falls short of their demands and sparked widespread public backlash, including from President Biden. "We are fighting for equal pay and equal benefits, regardless of what the company is putting out there. And trying to replace us is something that they're using as a scare tactic," says Kevin Bradshaw, a striking Kellogg's worker and pre…

WSWS (2021-12-14). Support the Turkish health care workers' strike movement! wsws.org This strike movement, amid a raging pandemic, is internationally significant and deserves support from all sections of the working class.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-14). Massive workers' mobilization in Turkey demands fair minimum wage. peoplesdispatch.org In a massive rally in Istanbul called by the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (DiSK), workers demanded an increase in the minimum wage in the country to at least 5,200 Turkish Lira (USD 358.80) in order to meet their basic needs…

Sac. Regional Coalition to End Homelessness (2021-12-14). Tuesday 12/21: 8th Annual Homeless Memorial: Candlelight Vigil & Reading of Names in Sacramento. indybay.org Sacramento City Hall, 915 I St, Sacramento, CA 95814 | Please wear a mask. Follow COVID safety guidelines.

WSWS (2021-12-14). Soaring social inequality under New Zealand Labour government. wsws.org Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger warned recently that society is increasingly divided between the poor and the "obscenely rich," and that historically inequality was "the root cause of revolution."

Sam Pizzigati (2021-12-14). Against plutocrats, platitudes — about democracy — will always be pitiful. nationofchange.org The Biden administration's democracy initiative is missing the all-important inequality connection.

Newsroom (2021-12-14). More than half a billion people pushed into extreme poverty due to health care costs. moderndiplomacy.eu New evidence compiled by the World Health Organization and the World Bank shows that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to halt two decades of global progress towards Universal Health Coverage. The organizations also reveal that more than half a billion people are being pushed or pushed further into extreme poverty because they have to pay …

WSWS (2021-12-14). Barbados declares a republic: British imperialism's legacy of slavery and colonialism. wsws.org None of the island's governments have been able to redress British imperialism's legacy of underdevelopment, dependency and above all economic hardship and social inequality.

Mark Gruenberg (2021-12-14). Parade of hurting people prods lawmakers to pass Build Back Better. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—One by one, advocating ending income inequality, strengthening and restoring voting rights, cutting military spending, extending the child care tax credit, raising the minimum wage, and more, a parade of people hurting from exploitation by corporations, the economic elite, and their political allies, took a hand-held microphone in D.C. Monday to campaign for their combined …

Mark Hallim (2021-12-14). Nationalism and Liberal Democracies: The Rise of Nationalism in Brazil. moderndiplomacy.eu Twenty-five years ago, liberal democracies rose; the Berlin Wall had fallen, the Soviet Union collapsed, and new democracies emerged in Europe. In South Africa, the apartheid regime was removed. Even though the Chinese government brutally crushed a democracy, the belief existed that a more educated and wealthy middle class would demand democratic reforms. The 2008 …

Eric A. Gordon (2021-12-14). 'Good People': Some are better than you think, others a whole lot worse. peoplesworld.org BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — An abyss divides the worlds of Southie—South Boston's Lower End, home of generations of working-class whites, many of Irish background, with its adjacent Black communities—and the toney residential suburb of Chestnut Hill. That insuperable class divide is a microcosm of America in 2009, in the wake of the wreckage of George …

In Defense of Liberation! (2021-12-14). Understanding the Historical Moment We're in Takes Practical Action! anchor.fm In this episode I go into a discussion about the political, social, and economic placement we as working class people seem to find ourselves in today, not simply in the US but in some sense around the world. We are all hurting in a very similar way, added onto by our own individual struggles or difficulties we might face because of the color of our skin, our gender, our ability or willingness to be taken advantage of, etc. We are all suffering very difficult situations which none of us can take on alone, but if we want to do something about these things, we can't just pick up a gun and go, we'll be killed, or mos…

WSWS (2021-12-14). José Antonio Kast: Chile's left paves the way for a fascist. wsws.org The political descendants of the forces that bore responsibility for straitjacketing the working class ahead of the September 11, 1973 coup are today playing the same role.

WSWS (2021-12-14). Support the Turkish health care workers' strike movement! wsws.org This strike movement, amid a raging pandemic, is internationally significant and deserves support from all sections of the working class.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-14). Massive workers' mobilization in Turkey demands fair minimum wage. peoplesdispatch.org In a massive rally in Istanbul called by the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (DiSK), workers demanded an increase in the minimum wage in the country to at least 5,200 Turkish Lira (USD 358.80) in order to meet their basic needs…

WSWS (2021-12-14). Soaring social inequality under New Zealand Labour government. wsws.org Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger warned recently that society is increasingly divided between the poor and the "obscenely rich," and that historically inequality was "the root cause of revolution."

Staff (2021-12-13). Headlines for December 13, 2021. democracynow.org Biden Declares Major Federal Disaster in KY; 100+ Feared Dead After Tornadoes Rip Through 8 States, U.S. Health Officials Say Boosters Could Curb Winter COVID Surge as NY Tightens Mask Rules, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Tests Positive for COVID-19, Over Half a Billion People Faced Extreme Poverty Due to Healthcare Costs During Pandemic, SCOTUS Says Providers Can Sue over Texas Abortion Law But Limits Scope and Keeps Ban in Place, Gov. Gavin Newsom Says He Will Use Texas Abortion Ban as Model for CA Gun Control Laws, NYT: Secret Unit Launched 10,000s of Strikes Against ISIS, Killing Syrian Civilians in…

Chabeli Carrazana (2021-12-13). Build Back Better Could Help End Subminimum Wages for People With Disabilities. truthout.org Originally published by For almost a century, it has been completely legal for companies to pay workers with disabilities mere cents on the hour. Employees This practice of paying "subminimum wage," which the U.S. Departm…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-13). COVID-19-related health care expenditure pushed over half billion people into poverty in 2020, say WHO, World Bank. peoplesdispatch.org The numbers are still rising as governments across the world have failed to create vibrant public health care systems and have left the poor and vulnerable to fend for themselves…

Isheka N. Harrison (2021-12-13). Cut The Check: Viral 104-Year-Old Black Grandma Shares How Her Farm Wages Were Robbed. moguldom.com A 104-year-old Black Grandma has become a viral sensation after her granddaughter began sharing videos of the elder talking about her past — including the time she spent working from 3 a.m. to 5 p.m. in cotton fields for little to no money. Madie Scott first entered the public eye when her granddaughter, Shanika Bradshaw, …

WSWS (2021-12-13). "Amazon should absolutely be held liable": Growing outrage over deaths of workers kept on the job during massive tornado outbreak in US. wsws.org Workers at an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, Illinois, and at a candle manufacturing plant in Mayfield, Kentucky, were working late into the night and early morning as a series of devastating tornadoes ripped through six states.

Ediz Tiyansan (2021-12-13). See how this tiny home village is helping to fight homelessness. america.cgtn.com See how this village of tiny homes in the U.S. is helping to solve homelessness.

Sarah Anderson (2021-12-13). A Last-Ditch Effort to Eliminate a Tax Dodge for Super-Rich Private Equity Executives. inequality.org

Sarah Anderson (2021-12-13). Gig Workers are in the Driver's Seat in Europe. Is There Hope for the US? inequality.org

Ann Brown (2021-12-13). Talk Show Host Joe Madison Posts Naked Chest From Voting Rights Hunger Strike, Black America Responds. moguldom.com SiriusXM host Joe Madison is still on the hunger strike he started Nov. 8 to protest the lack of legislative action to pass the voting rights bill. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 is proposed legislation that would restore and strengthen parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Portions of the …

Staff (2021-12-13). Headlines for December 13, 2021. democracynow.org Biden Declares Major Federal Disaster in KY; 100+ Feared Dead After Tornadoes Rip Through 8 States, U.S. Health Officials Say Boosters Could Curb Winter COVID Surge as NY Tightens Mask Rules, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Tests Positive for COVID-19, Over Half a Billion People Faced Extreme Poverty Due to Healthcare Costs During Pandemic, SCOTUS Says Providers Can Sue over Texas Abortion Law But Limits Scope and Keeps Ban in Place, Gov. Gavin Newsom Says He Will Use Texas Abortion Ban as Model for CA Gun Control Laws, NYT: Secret Unit Launched 10,000s of Strikes Against ISIS, Killing Syrian Civilians in…

Chabeli Carrazana (2021-12-13). Build Back Better Could Help End Subminimum Wages for People With Disabilities. truthout.org Originally published by For almost a century, it has been completely legal for companies to pay workers with disabilities mere cents on the hour. Employees This practice of paying "subminimum wage," which the U.S. Departm…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-13). COVID-19-related health care expenditure pushed over half billion people into poverty in 2020, say WHO, World Bank. peoplesdispatch.org The numbers are still rising as governments across the world have failed to create vibrant public health care systems and have left the poor and vulnerable to fend for themselves…

WSWS (2021-12-13). "Amazon should absolutely be held liable": Growing outrage over deaths of workers kept on the job during massive tornado outbreak in US. wsws.org Workers at an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, Illinois, and at a candle manufacturing plant in Mayfield, Kentucky, were working late into the night and early morning as a series of devastating tornadoes ripped through six states.

Sarah Anderson (2021-12-13). Gig Workers are in the Driver's Seat in Europe. Is There Hope for the US? inequality.org

Sarah Anderson (2021-12-13). A Last-Ditch Effort to Eliminate a Tax Dodge for Super-Rich Private Equity Executives. inequality.org

scorinoco (2021-12-12). Why Poorer Nations Aren't Falling for Green-Washed Imperialism. orinocotribune.com By Prabir Purkayastha — Dec 8, 2021 | Fighting global warming is not just about providing a path to net-zero carbon emissions for all countries. It is also about figuring out how best to meet the energy needs of people across the world while working toward net-zero emissions. If fossil fuels have to be given up, which has now become an urgent need given the current environmental challenges, countries in Africa and a significant part of Asia, including India, need an alternate path for providing electricity to their people. What then is the best alternate course for poorer countries to follow for electricity…

National Welfare Rights Union (2021-12-12). Friday 12/10: Human Rights Day: Take Our Poverty, Not Our Children Houseless Truth Commission w/ NWRU. indybay.org Online teach-in…

National Welfare Rights Union (2021-12-12). Friday 12/10: Día de los Derechos Humanos: °Llévense nuestra pobreza, no nuestros hijos! indybay.org Evento en línea…

ecns.cn (2021-12-12). Biden signs bill to fast-track process to raise debt limit. ecns.cn U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday signed a bill to fast-track the process to raise the federal government's debt limit and avoid a potential default.

Gary Flomenhoft (2021-12-12). 'The Time Machine' in Australia, in the Age of Covid. asiatimes.com In the classic H G Wells story The Time Machine, the Eloi are the surface-dwelling descendants of the upper class who are bred and fed on by the subterranean-dwelling Morlock cannibals, descendants of the working class. In the story, the Eloi don't ask any questions and line up voluntarily to be food for the Morlocks …

Sac. Regional Coalition to End Homelessness (2021-12-12). Tuesday 12/21: 8th Annual Homeless Memorial: Candlelight Vigil & Reading of Names in Sacramento. indybay.org Sacramento City Hall, 915 I St, Sacramento, CA 95814 | Please wear a mask. Follow COVID safety guidelines.

Liberation Staff (2021-12-12). Dec. 13 protests to support hunger strike against abuse in Louisiana ICE jails. liberationnews.org Protests will be held on Monday, December 13, in two press conference/rallies to call for an end to abusive treatment and denial of basic rights to refugees and migrants in Louisiana ICE detention centers.

Astra Taylor (2021-12-11). "Your Debt Is Someone Else's Asset" zcomm.org Calls Mount to Cancel Debt & Halt Wealth Transfer to the Rich…

Martha Grevatt (2021-12-11). Rank-and-file democracy wins in the UAW. workers.org From Oct. 19 through Nov. 29, working and retired members of the United Auto Workers participated in a referendum vote on how they would elect their union's International Executive Board officers. The two choices were whether to continue the current delegate voting system, where the IEB is chosen by delegates . . . |

WSWS (2021-12-11). Meeting of the Network of Action Committees for Safe Education in Germany: "We are at the beginning of great mass struggles of the working class" wsws.org At the meeting, nurses, educators, workers and students presented a terrible picture of the consequences of the official coronavirus policies.

Jonathan Silberman (2021-12-11). Clarks strike strengthens union, pushes back wage cuts. themilitant.com LONDON — After eight weeks on strike, workers at Clarks Shoes distribution warehouse returned to work Nov. 30, having succeeded in pushing back the company's demand to cut their basic wage by 15%. "It shows what can be done if we stick together," striker Nathan Pritchard told the Militant by phone. "It sends a message to others in similar situations. What hit me the most was us working together and the solidarity." | Citing economic challenges incurred during the pandemic, Clarks had announced new contracts, cutting hourly wages to 9.50 pounds ($12.57) for over 100 workers on "legacy" contracts, a cut of 1.

WSWS (2021-12-11). "They are killing us": More flight attendants speak out about poisoned job uniforms. wsws.org Flight attendants from a number of airlines spoke about the toxic working conditions that they have been subjected to by their employers and the airline unions.

Vivian Sahner (2021-12-11). Help build working-class support in fight for woman's right to abortion. themilitant.com On Dec. 1, the U.S. Supreme Court began hearings on a case that challenges Roe v. Wade, its own 1973 ruling that decriminalized abortion during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. A decision by the court isn't expected until next year. | In Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the court will rule on a Mississippi law that bans abortions after 15 weeks, an arbitrary figure. | The state's attorney general, Lynn Fitch, argues that a woman's right to choose abortion should be tossed aside, saying "sweeping policy advances" allow women to "have it all," a career and a family. For Fitch, a divorced mother of thre…

Seth Galinsky (2021-12-11). Join 'Militant' renewal drive, help get paper out to workers. themilitant.com Readers of the Militant, including members of the Socialist Workers Party and Communist Leagues in Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand, are gearing up for an ambitious drive to win The Militant is unique in looking at all political questions from the standpoint of the working class, whether it's reporting from union picket lines, explaining what's at stake in the fight against antisemitism, fighting to win support for a woman's right to choose to have an abortion or in defending rights cr…

WSWS (2021-12-11). "A lot of things come down to money": Race-based affirmative action and the furor over Canadian academic Carrie Bourassa's native identity claims. wsws.org The entire episode is a particularly foul expression of the consequences of race-based affirmative action, which is irreconcilably at odds with the interests of working people and the fight for social equality.

WSWS (2021-12-11). Threat to fire striking Kellogg's workers prompts nervous statement from Biden administration. wsws.org The short, eight-sentence statement is a clear sign of the nervousness within ruling circles that the move by Kellogg's could trigger a social explosion within the working class.

SAM (2021-12-11). Against Plutocrats, Platitudes — About Democracy — Will Always Be Pitiful. inequality.org

Patrick Brown (2021-12-11). New Zealand farmers unite, demand end to gov't attack. themilitant.com AUCKLAND, New Zealand — "Without farmers you will be hungry, naked and sober," read a placard on a tractor heading a caravan through Christchurch Nov. 21. The convoy was one of 70 across New Zealand in which tens of thousands of farmers and their supporters said, "Enough is enough!" | They were protesting an accelerating onslaught of new regulations adopted by the Labour Party government in Wellington that impose costs and mountains of paperwork on rural producers, in the name of protecting the environment. | Organized by Groundswell, which was formed by farmers in Southland last year, the action built on a…

Astra Taylor (2021-12-11). "Your Debt Is Someone Else's Asset" zcomm.org Calls Mount to Cancel Debt & Halt Wealth Transfer to the Rich…

Jonathan Silberman (2021-12-11). Clarks strike strengthens union, pushes back wage cuts. themilitant.com LONDON — After eight weeks on strike, workers at Clarks Shoes distribution warehouse returned to work Nov. 30, having succeeded in pushing back the company's demand to cut their basic wage by 15%. "It shows what can be done if we stick together," striker Nathan Pritchard told the Militant by phone. "It sends a message to others in similar situations. What hit me the most was us working together and the solidarity." | Citing economic challenges incurred during the pandemic, Clarks had announced new contracts, cutting hourly wages to 9.50 pounds ($12.57) for over 100 workers on "legacy" contracts, a cut of 1.

Martha Grevatt (2021-12-11). Rank-and-file democracy wins in the UAW. workers.org From Oct. 19 through Nov. 29, working and retired members of the United Auto Workers participated in a referendum vote on how they would elect their union's International Executive Board officers. The two choices were whether to continue the current delegate voting system, where the IEB is chosen by delegates . . . |

Seth Galinsky (2021-12-11). Join 'Militant' renewal drive, help get paper out to workers. themilitant.com Readers of the Militant, including members of the Socialist Workers Party and Communist Leagues in Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand, are gearing up for an ambitious drive to win The Militant is unique in looking at all political questions from the standpoint of the working class, whether it's reporting from union picket lines, explaining what's at stake in the fight against antisemitism, fighting to win support for a woman's right to choose to have an abortion or in defending rights cr…

WSWS (2021-12-11). "They are killing us": More flight attendants speak out about poisoned job uniforms. wsws.org Flight attendants from a number of airlines spoke about the toxic working conditions that they have been subjected to by their employers and the airline unions.

WSWS (2021-12-11). Meeting of the Network of Action Committees for Safe Education in Germany: "We are at the beginning of great mass struggles of the working class" wsws.org At the meeting, nurses, educators, workers and students presented a terrible picture of the consequences of the official coronavirus policies.

Vivian Sahner (2021-12-11). Help build working-class support in fight for woman's right to abortion. themilitant.com On Dec. 1, the U.S. Supreme Court began hearings on a case that challenges Roe v. Wade, its own 1973 ruling that decriminalized abortion during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. A decision by the court isn't expected until next year. | In Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the court will rule on a Mississippi law that bans abortions after 15 weeks, an arbitrary figure. | The state's attorney general, Lynn Fitch, argues that a woman's right to choose abortion should be tossed aside, saying "sweeping policy advances" allow women to "have it all," a career and a family. For Fitch, a divorced mother of thre…

WSWS (2021-12-11). "A lot of things come down to money": Race-based affirmative action and the furor over Canadian academic Carrie Bourassa's native identity claims. wsws.org The entire episode is a particularly foul expression of the consequences of race-based affirmative action, which is irreconcilably at odds with the interests of working people and the fight for social equality.

WSWS (2021-12-11). Threat to fire striking Kellogg's workers prompts nervous statement from Biden administration. wsws.org The short, eight-sentence statement is a clear sign of the nervousness within ruling circles that the move by Kellogg's could trigger a social explosion within the working class.

SAM (2021-12-11). Against Plutocrats, Platitudes — About Democracy — Will Always Be Pitiful. inequality.org

Patrick Brown (2021-12-11). New Zealand farmers unite, demand end to gov't attack. themilitant.com AUCKLAND, New Zealand — "Without farmers you will be hungry, naked and sober," read a placard on a tractor heading a caravan through Christchurch Nov. 21. The convoy was one of 70 across New Zealand in which tens of thousands of farmers and their supporters said, "Enough is enough!" | They were protesting an accelerating onslaught of new regulations adopted by the Labour Party government in Wellington that impose costs and mountains of paperwork on rural producers, in the name of protecting the environment. | Organized by Groundswell, which was formed by farmers in Southland last year, the action built on a…

Caitlin A. Johnstone (2021-12-10). Super serious news reporting: notes from the Edge of The Narrative Matrix. mronline.org Hi I'm a very serious news reporter. The Russians are controlling our thoughts with Facebook memes and scrambling our brains with invisible ray gun attacks. In other news, capitalism is working fine and our wars defend freedom and democracy. The government never lies. Here's Bob with the weather.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-10). Journalist Nada Homsi freed after 23 days of illegal detention in Lebanon. peoplesdispatch.org Homsi was in Lebanon working with US news outlet NPR (National Public Radio) when she was detained on November 16 after members of the Lebanese General Security Directorate raided her home…

Amy Goodman (2021-12-10). "Your Debt Is Someone Else's Asset": Calls Grow to Keep Student Loan Moratorium. truthout.org Image Credit: The Intercept | As calls grow for Biden to extend the moratorium on student debt, we speak with the Debt Collective's Astra Taylor and feature her new film for The Intercept, "Your Debt Is Someone Else's Asset," animated by artist Molly Crabapple. The $15 trillion in U.S. household debt is "a form of wealth transfer" from the poor to the rich, Taylor says. "People are in debt by design." | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. | AMY GOOD…

Isheka N. Harrison (2021-12-10). CEO Takes Leave After Firing 900 Employees Over Zoom, Accused Them Of Stealing Time And Only Working 2 Hours A Day: How Many Hours Are Employees Really Working at Home? moguldom.com The CEO of Better.com has taken leave "effective immediately" after firing over 900 employees on a Zoom call with no warning and later accusing some of stealing time. The mortgage company's Founder and CEO Vishal Garg sent a memo stating he was "taking time off effective immediately," according to Insider. The story went viral last …

The Socialist Program (2021-12-10). The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union — Lessons for Socialists. liberationnews.org The Russian Revolution in 1917 brought the Bolsheviks to power. For the first time in history the working class seized and held state power. What was the experience of the Soviet Union? How did it change global politics in the 20th century? What did socialism achieve and what caused the Soviet Union to fall in 1991?>

imperial.ac.uk (2021-12-10). Omicron – latest findings and commentary from Imperial experts. imperial.ac.uk Experts from Imperial College London and worldwide are working around the clock to understand the rapidly spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19.

rebekah (2021-12-10). Amazon Can't Bust Unions Forever. inequality.org

Newsroom (2021-12-10). 35.8 million face lean season food crisis in West Africa and Sahel. moderndiplomacy.eu Growing food insecurity that is already affecting tens of millions of people across West Africa and the Sahel, must not be ignored by the international community, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday. The alert comes as new data from the region indicated that almost 36 million people are expected to be acutely food insecure by the …

Caitlin A. Johnstone (2021-12-10). Super serious news reporting: notes from the Edge of The Narrative Matrix. mronline.org Hi I'm a very serious news reporter. The Russians are controlling our thoughts with Facebook memes and scrambling our brains with invisible ray gun attacks. In other news, capitalism is working fine and our wars defend freedom and democracy. The government never lies. Here's Bob with the weather.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-10). Journalist Nada Homsi freed after 23 days of illegal detention in Lebanon. peoplesdispatch.org Homsi was in Lebanon working with US news outlet NPR (National Public Radio) when she was detained on November 16 after members of the Lebanese General Security Directorate raided her home…

MD Staff (2021-12-10). Africa Free Trade Area, likely spur for growth and development. moderndiplomacy.eu With productivity-boosting measures, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement could reduce poverty and inequality while spurring sustainable and inclusive growth, according to a report launched on Wednesday by the UN trade and development body, UNCTAD. The Economic Development in Africa Report 2021, underscores the importance of infrastructure financing that helps link up urban …

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-12-10). Video: #Yes, It's a "Killer Vaccine": Michel Chossudovsky. globalresearch.ca The unspoken truth is that the novel coronavirus provides a pretext to powerful financial interests and corrupt politicians to precipitate the entire World into a spiral of mass unemployment, bankruptcy, extreme poverty and despair.

Amy Goodman (2021-12-10). "Your Debt Is Someone Else's Asset": Calls Grow to Keep Student Loan Moratorium. truthout.org Image Credit: The Intercept | As calls grow for Biden to extend the moratorium on student debt, we speak with the Debt Collective's Astra Taylor and feature her new film for The Intercept, "Your Debt Is Someone Else's Asset," animated by artist Molly Crabapple. The $15 trillion in U.S. household debt is "a form of wealth transfer" from the poor to the rich, Taylor says. "People are in debt by design." | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. | AMY GOOD…

Isheka N. Harrison (2021-12-10). CEO Takes Leave After Firing 900 Employees Over Zoom, Accused Them Of Stealing Time And Only Working 2 Hours A Day: How Many Hours Are Employees Really Working at Home? moguldom.com The CEO of Better.com has taken leave "effective immediately" after firing over 900 employees on a Zoom call with no warning and later accusing some of stealing time. The mortgage company's Founder and CEO Vishal Garg sent a memo stating he was "taking time off effective immediately," according to Insider. The story went viral last …

The Socialist Program (2021-12-10). The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union — Lessons for Socialists. liberationnews.org The Russian Revolution in 1917 brought the Bolsheviks to power. For the first time in history the working class seized and held state power. What was the experience of the Soviet Union? How did it change global politics in the 20th century? What did socialism achieve and what caused the Soviet Union to fall in 1991?>

imperial.ac.uk (2021-12-10). Omicron – latest findings and commentary from Imperial experts. imperial.ac.uk Experts from Imperial College London and worldwide are working around the clock to understand the rapidly spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19.

WSWS (2021-12-10). Growth of the class struggle in Australia highlights need for rank-and-file committees. wsws.org A small but significant increase in industrial action points to mounting social and political opposition in the working class.

WSWS (2021-12-10). Mobilize the working class to stop the pandemic and the Omicron surge! wsws.org As the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 spreads globally, the Biden administration in the US and capitalist governments globally are approaching the pandemic with criminal recklessness.

rebekah (2021-12-10). Amazon Can't Bust Unions Forever. inequality.org

Newsroom (2021-12-10). 35.8 million face lean season food crisis in West Africa and Sahel. moderndiplomacy.eu Growing food insecurity that is already affecting tens of millions of people across West Africa and the Sahel, must not be ignored by the international community, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday. The alert comes as new data from the region indicated that almost 36 million people are expected to be acutely food insecure by the …

Staff (2021-12-09). "Your Debt Is Someone Else's Asset": Calls Mount to Cancel Debt & Halt Wealth Transfer to the Rich. democracynow.org As calls grow for Biden to extend the moratorium on student debt, we speak with the Debt Collective's Astra Taylor and feature her new film for The Intercept, "Your Debt Is Someone Else's Asset," animated by artist Molly Crabapple. The $15 trillion in U.S. household debt is "a form of wealth transfer" from the poor to the rich, Taylor says. "People are in debt by design."

Sharon Zhang (2021-12-09). Report: Borrowers Will Lose $85 Billion Yearly If Student Loan Payments Resume. truthout.org If student loan payments are allowed to resume without mass debt cancellation, borrowers will lose out on billions of dollars monthly, according to a new report done on behalf of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts). | The Roosevelt Institute

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-09). Sri Lankan public section workers stage strike seeking salary hike. peoplesdispatch.org After teachers and health workers, public sector workers in Sri Lanka struck working demanding higher wages in the face of repeated price hikes and an economic crisis…

April M. Short (2021-12-09). How Portland's Activists Are Bringing Mutual Aid to the Homeless. zcomm.org Mutual aid offers a route to directly help people living outside, and potentially save lives through the winter months…

Ann Brown (2021-12-09). Hedge Fund Legend Ray Dalio: There is a 30% Chance America Is Headed For A Civil War-Like Event. moguldom.com "Emotional" political polarization and finical inequality could lead to a Civil War-like event in the U.S. in the next 10 years, according to famed hedge fund founder Ray Dalio. He predicts a 30 percent chance of this happening. He made his bold claims in his new book, "Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: …

WSWS (2021-12-09). Billionaires increased wealth by $3.6 trillion in 2020, as millions died from global pandemic. wsws.org The coronavirus pandemic has worsened the financial gap between rich and poor around the world to levels not seen since the early 20th century.

WSWS (2021-12-09). UK teacher with Long COVID welcomes Global Workers Inquest into the pandemic. wsws.org "I absolutely support a global workers inquest. It's the only way to get out of this mess without causing more death and more comorbidities in the working class and children in state schools."

WSWS (2021-12-09). Australia: Sydney rail workers hold 24-hour strike. wsws.org In an expression of mounting anger in the working class, Tuesday's industrial action took place alongside strikes by teachers and bus drivers.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-09). Sri Lankan public section workers stage strike seeking salary hike. peoplesdispatch.org After teachers and health workers, public sector workers in Sri Lanka struck working demanding higher wages in the face of repeated price hikes and an economic crisis…

WSWS (2021-12-09). Mobilize the working class against the strikebreaking drive at Kellogg's! wsws.org The WSWS urges workers everywhere to come to the defense of strikers at Kellogg's in the US, who are being threatened with being permanently replaced by management after they overwhelmingly rejected a sellout contract.

WSWS (2021-12-09). Turkish currency, living standards in free fall as pandemic rages. wsws.org The unprecedented high level of cost of living and the raging pandemic in Turkey are driving mounting social discontent in the working class.

April M. Short (2021-12-09). How Portland's Activists Are Bringing Mutual Aid to the Homeless. zcomm.org Mutual aid offers a route to directly help people living outside, and potentially save lives through the winter months…

WSWS (2021-12-08). PSOE-Podemos government, Spanish trade unions agree to savage austerity. wsws.org The pseudo-left Podemos party is imposing attacks on the working class in close collaboration with the European Union.

The Socialist Program (2021-12-08). Capitalist Vultures Cause Homelessness. liberationnews.org Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss landlords going after the children of the tenants they target for eviction & the ultra-wealthy keeping over $10 billion more of their inheritances in 2020 thanks to the Trump estate tax cuts.

Brittani Banks (2021-12-08). Kamala vs. Mitt: Two Different Viewpoints of Family Planning Prefigure Different Futures for Planetary Health. independentmediainstitute.org Click here for a photo that you may use to accompany the article (captions and credits can be found in each image's description field). U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris does not have any biological children and grew up middle-class. Meanwhile, Utah Senator Mitt Romney, a Mormon with five kids, was born into wealth and has …

WSWS (2021-12-08). A new turn in China's Evergrande crisis. wsws.org A restructuring process has begun after the debt-ridden property developer announced it feared it could not meet a $260 million financial obligation.

Chris Walker (2021-12-08). Progressives Ask Why Deal to Pass Debt Ceiling Can't Be Used for Voting Rights. truthout.org Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have reached an agreement on the debt limit, subverting the economic disaster that would have taken place if the United States government were to default on its debts for the first time. | The proposed workaround would temporarily bypass Republicans' ability to filibuster Democrats on the debt ceiling vote — leaving many progressive advocates questioning why the measure can't be taken for other critical issues, like voting protections and reprodu…

Ann Brown (2021-12-08). CIA Director Says Agency Currently Has 'A Number Of Different Projects' Focused On Crypto. moguldom.com The CIA is looking into ways to gather information on cryptocurrency. The director of the CIA says the agency is already working on "a number of different projects" focused on crypto. The director, William Burns, said that building knowledge on crypto was "an important priority" for the CIA, and he planned to devote "resources and …

Sharon Zhang (2021-12-08). $18 Minimum Wage May Soon Be on the Ballot in California. zcomm.org "If you work full time, you should be able to live with full financial security, and that's not the case in California"

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-12-08). Video: Covid-19: Economic and Social Chaos. globalresearch.ca V the Virus" is said to be responsible for the wave of bankruptcies and unemployment. That's a lie. There is no causal relationship between the (microscopic) SARS-2 virus and economic variables. | It's the powerful financiers and billionaires who are behind …

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-12-08). Video: The Covid-19 Crisis Triggers Economic and Social Chaos Worldwide. globalresearch.ca V the Virus" is said to be responsible for the wave of bankruptcies and unemployment. That's a lie. There is no causal relationship between the (microscopic) SARS-2 virus and economic variables. | It's the powerful financiers and billionaires who are behind …

rebekah (2021-12-08). How Do We Fix Abusive Donor-Advised Funds? inequality.org

rebekah (2021-12-08). A Strong Economic Case for Federal Investment in Universal Preschool. inequality.org

Sarah Anderson (2021-12-08). After a Year-Long Strike, Indian Farmers Score a Big Win. inequality.org

David Moore (2021-12-08). Students in Arizona Launch Hunger Strike to Pass Freedom to Vote Act. truthout.org This article was produced by Election reform legislation is stymied in the U.S. Senate, where three major voting rights bills this year have been blocked from advancing to a debate by Republican filibusters. | In Arizona, a grou…

Frances Moore Lappé (2021-12-08). Hunger Is Over, If We Want It. zcomm.org Globally, in this now-or-never moment, we can remake governance to answer to all of us, to finally make policy with the understanding that hunger will only be uprooted if we tackle the anti-democracy forces at its roots…

Brittani Banks (2021-12-08). Kamala vs. Mitt: Two Different Viewpoints of Family Planning Prefigure Different Futures for Planetary Health. independentmediainstitute.org Click here for a photo that you may use to accompany the article (captions and credits can be found in each image's description field). U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris does not have any biological children and grew up middle-class. Meanwhile, Utah Senator Mitt Romney, a Mormon with five kids, was born into wealth and has …

Brittani Banks (2021-12-08). How Portland's Activists Are Bringing Mutual Aid to the Homeless. independentmediainstitute.org Steven Stroud says when he was released from prison in 2020, where he'd wound up due to becoming addicted to doctor-prescribed opioids and eventually heroin, the Portland, Oregon, streets where he grew up had changed. The pandemic had shut down most of the already sparse jobs he would have potentially been able to pursue, and …

Brittani Banks (2021-12-07). Why Poorer Nations Aren't Falling for Green-Washed Imperialism. independentmediainstitute.org Fighting global warming is not just about providing a path to net-zero carbon emissions for all countries. It is also about figuring out how best to meet the energy needs of people across the world while working toward net-zero emissions. If fossil fuels have to be given up, which has now become an urgent need …