California Free Press

by Kenny Stancil, staff writer

"If one in four recipients are making more off unemployment than they did working, that's not an indictment of $300 a week in UI benefits. It's an indictment of corporations paying starvation wages."

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Food delivery driver Jorge Vargas honks a horn while driving his vehicle in a car caravan strike by fast food workers and their supporters on February 9, 2021 in Los Angeles. (Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Pushing back on the right-wing narrative about the reason for real or perceived labor shortages in some markets nationwide, progressives on Friday told corporations that if they want to hire more people, they'll need to start paying better wages.

Soon after the Labor Department released its April jobs report, the U.S. Chamber of Congress blamed last month's weak employment growth on the existence of a $300 weekly supplemental jobless benefit and began urging lawmakers to eliminate the federally enhanced unemployment payments that were extended through early September when congressional Democrats passed President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan.

"We do not have a shortage of willing workers in this country. We have a shortage of employers who are willing to pay workers enough to live."
—Morris Pearl, Patriotic Millionaires

"No. We don't need to end [the additional] $300 a week in emergency unemployment benefits that workers desperately need," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in response to the grumbles of the nation's largest business lobbying group. "We need to end starvation wages in America."

"If $300 a week is preventing employers from hiring low-wage workers there's a simple solution," Sanders added. "Raise your wages. Pay decent benefits."

According to the Chamber's analysis, the extra $300 unemployment insurance (UI) benefit results in roughly one in four recipients taking home more pay than they earned working.

In response to that claim, Sanders' staff director Warren Gunnels said: "If one in four recipients are making more off unemployment than they did working, that's not an indictment of $300 a week in UI benefits. It's an indictment of corporations paying starvation wages."

"Raise your wages and benefits or flip your own damn burgers and sweep your own damn floors," Gunnels added.

Other progressives like former labor secretary Robert Reich and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) also chimed in.

"We do not have a shortage of willing workers in this country," Morris Pearl of the Patriotic Millionaires said in a Friday afternoon statement responding to the Chamber. "We have a shortage of employers who are willing to pay workers enough to live."

"Claiming that today's disappointing jobs report is a result of expanded unemployment insurance is nothing more than a cruel tactic to pressure the administration into helping companies that they represent to continue to underpay and exploit their workforce," Pearl continued. "Our leaders are supposed to be helping to increase wages for low paid workers, not helping employers to keep wages down."

"Instead of blaming struggling workers," Pearl continued, "large corporations that do not pay their employees a liveable wage... should take this moment to self-reflect. Maybe—just maybe—paying their workers more than starvation wages would incentivize workers to reenter the workforce."

Writing for Jacobin earlier this week, Sandy Barnard noted that another overlooked factor is the increased morbidity rates among food and agricultural workers, which increased more than any other occupation during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a recent study from the University of California–San Francisco.

"Living, breathing people... have decided they do not want to risk their lives for $7.25 per hour and no health benefits," Barnard wrote.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) responded to the Chamber's call for an end to enhanced unemployment benefits by arguing that "the interests of big business are at war with the interests of the working class."

"They will spend millions of dollars to take $300 a [week] away from you and your family, to force you to work for them for pennies," she added. "Their greed has no bounds."

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Posted at 07:33 AM in Common Dreams, Jobs | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 12, 2021

'We Have to Act': Atmospheric CO2 Passes 420 PPM for First Time Ever

Published on Tuesday, April 06, 2021

by Kenny Stancil, staff writer

"It is truly groundbreaking," Greta Thunberg said of the growing concentration of the heat-trapping gas. "And I don't mean that in a good way."

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Activists hold signs reading "We Are Treating the Symptoms, Not the Cause" and "There Is No Planet B" during a climate justice demonstration outside the Spanish Parliament on September 25, 2020 in Madrid. (Photo: Pablo Blazquez Dominguez via Getty Images)

The concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide surged past 420 parts per million for the first time in recorded history this past weekend, according to a measurement taken at the Mauna Loa Observatory on the Big Island of Hawaii.

When the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research station "began collecting CO2 measurements in the late 1950s, atmospheric CO2 concentration sat at around 315 PPM," the Washington Post reported. "On Saturday, the daily average was pegged at 421.21 PPM—the first time in human history that number has been so high."

Climate activist Greta Thunberg took notice of NOAA's most recent data on CO2 levels. She described the first-ever documented eclipse of 420 PPM of CO2 in Earth's atmosphere as "truly groundbreaking."

Exceeding 420 PPM of the heat-trapping gas "is a disconcerting milestone in the human-induced warming of the planet, around the halfway point on our path toward doubling preindustrial CO2 levels," the Post noted, adding:

There is special significance in reaching and surpassing a concentration of 416 PPM. It means we've passed the midpoint between preindustrial CO2 levels, around 278 PPM, and a doubling of that figure, or 556 PPM.

The record of 421 PPM reached Saturday is just a single point and occurred as CO2 levels are nearing their yearly peak. But the levels over the past two months, of more than 417 PPM, signal that the annual average concentration is likely to exceed 416 PPM.

While the growing concentration of atmospheric CO2—which increases the global average temperature and the number and severity of extreme weather events—is a long-term trend that corresponds with the rise of fossil fuel-powered capitalism, it has accelerated particularly rapidly since the 1970s.

The doubling of atmospheric CO2 is expected to increase Earth's temperature by 2.6 to 4.1ºC above preindustrial averages, a level of planetary heating that would "rul[e] out more modest warming scenarios," as the Post noted.

"Even if greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were to plummet overnight, the planet would continue warming for years to come," the Post added. That's because, as Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at the Breakthrough Institute in California, told the newspaper: "The amount of warming that the world is experiencing is a result of all of our emissions since the industrial revolution—not just our emissions in the last year."

As the Post reported, CO2 isn't the only GHG with "worrying trends." Emissions of methane and sulfur hexafluoride have spiked, too.

Although methane doesn't remain in the atmosphere as long as CO2, it absorbs heat much more effectively, which means that it greatly exacerbates the climate crisis. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, methane is 84 times more potent than CO2 in the first two decades after its release.

Here's the Post on sulfur hexafluoride, a GHG that "results from the production of insulators used on electrical grids [and] also reached all-time records of 10 parts per trillion":

While its concentration remains orders of magnitude more dilute than that of most other major greenhouse gases, its rate of increase in the atmosphere has doubled since 2003.

Sulfur hexafluoride is also thousands of times more potent—a single molecule can cause 23,900 times more warming than a molecule of CO2. And a single molecule of sulfur hexafluoride can stick around in the atmosphere for more than three millennia.

While the Paris climate agreement seeks to limit the rise in annual mean global temperature to 1.5°C above preindustrial averages by the end of the 21st century, the World Meteorological Organization warned last year that there is a 20% chance the world will hit or surpass that level of warming in at least one year by 2024.

"The science is clear," United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in December. "Unless the world cuts fossil fuel production by 6% every year between now and 2030, things will get worse. Much worse."

As forest ecologist Giorgio Matteucci tweeted Monday, "We have to act!"

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Posted at 10:25 AM in Common Dreams, Climate Change, Global Warming | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 18, 2021

Critics Say 'Scorched Earth' Threat Over Filibuster Shows McConnell 'Getting Scared'

Published on Tuesday, March 16, 2021

"McConnell is clearly getting desperate as momentum grows to eliminate the filibuster as a weapon he can use to maintain power from the minority."

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks during a news conference in the U.S. Capitol after the Senate Republican Policy luncheon in Washington on Tuesday, February 23, 2021. (Photo: Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's threat Tuesday to unleash never-before-seen "chaos" on the Senate if Democrats take aim at the legislative filibuster was viewed by progressives as a strong signal that the Kentucky Republican is beginning to get nervous about losing his most powerful tool of obstruction as support for weakening—or outright abolishing—the archaic rule continues to mount.

Just hours after Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) became the highest ranking Senate Democrat to speak out in support of filibuster reform, McConnell—the upper chamber's chief obstructionist—took to the floor to vow "a completely scorched-earth Senate" if the majority party moves to eliminate the 60-vote threshold, which effectively gives the minority veto power over most legislation in a narrowly divided chamber.

"Senate Democrats should ignore these latest hypocritical threats and continue their work delivering results in the face of unanimous Republican opposition."
—Eli Zupnick, Fix Our Senate

On top of promising that Republicans would "use every other rule" to obstruct the Democratic agenda should the majority vote to nuke the filibuster, McConnell said the GOP would take the first opportunity they get to "erase" every Democratic achievement and ram through longstanding right-wing policy objectives, such as "nationwide right-to-work" and "defunding Planned Parenthood."

Far from being a reason for Democratic leaders to shy away from mounting support within their caucus for filibuster reform or abolition, progressives said McConnell's threat-laced speech shows that the party is moving in the right direction and should step on the gas.

"Mitch McConnell is terrified of the filibuster being abolished," tweeted consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen. "Is there any better sign that we should do it?"

Eli Zupnick of Fix Our Senate said in a statement Tuesday that "McConnell is clearly getting desperate as momentum grows to eliminate the filibuster as a weapon he can use to maintain power from the minority and prevent Democrats from delivering on their promises."

"McConnell eliminated the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees when he was in power and has already made it clear that he and his caucus plan to use every tool at their disposal to delay and obstruct the majority's popular agenda," Zupnick added, "so Senate Democrats should ignore these latest hypocritical threats and continue their work delivering results in the face of unanimous Republican opposition."

Sawyer Hackett, a senior adviser to Julián Castro, tweeted that McConnell's speech is "zero cause for flinching."

"McConnell has used every ounce of his power to enact his agenda without Dem input," Hackett wrote. "Without the filibuster, the GOP would have to actually campaign on their record and the public would see the benefit of Dems in majority."

McConnell's remarks came days after the House and Senate passed a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that Democrats had to push through the filibuster-proof budget reconciliation process due to unanimous Republican opposition. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) offered a taste of the kind of obstruction McConnell might have in mind for the near future when he forced the Senate clerk to read aloud all 628 pages of the bill, which took nearly 11 hours.

Given the rules constraining the reconciliation process, progressives have argued that the only way Senate Democrats will have any hope of passing a much-needed expansion of voting rights, immigration and labor law reform, climate legislation, and more is if they eliminate or significantly reform the legislative filibuster—moves that would require the support of all 50 Democratic senators plus a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Kamala Harris.

In recent weeks, several Senate Democrats previously skeptical of filibuster reform have come out in favor of reform or complete abolition, pointing to persistent Republican obstruction that turned the Senate into a legislative graveyard.

After calling the filibuster a "weapon of mass obstruction" on the Senate floor Monday, Durbin told HuffPost that it was McConnell's conduct in recent years that changed his opinion on the modern filibuster, which he used to support.

"Senator McConnell taught me that I was wrong," said Durbin. "He managed to use and abuse the filibuster so many times and stopped the Senate in its track."

Durbin suggested reviving the talking filibuster, which would require senators who wish to block a bill to speak continuously on the Senate floor—a dramatic change from the status quo of allowing the minority party to obstruct legislation via email.

Even Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), the Senate's most conservative Democrat, has said he would be open to a return to the talking filibuster, telling Fox News earlier this month that "maybe it has to be more painful, maybe you have to stand there."

With momentum clearly on the side of significantly weakening the filibuster, Adam Jentleson of the Battle Born Collective argued Senate Democrats should plow ahead with a major change to the archaic rule without fearing the retaliation McConnell has promised.

"Trading this for the ability to actually pass bills like voting rights seems like an easy call," Jentleson, who previously served as a staffer for former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), said of McConnell's "scorched Earth" threat.

"If McConnell's tactics become truly onerous," Jentleson added, "Dems can always pass further reforms to end obstruction. McConnell's goal is to make government fail, Dems' goal should be to make it work."

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Posted at 10:05 AM in Common Dreams, Democrats, Filibuster, Republicans | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 14, 2021

The Filibuster Is a Labor Issue

Published on Sunday, March 14, 2021

by In These Times

The PRO Act will not pass unless we end the filibuster. Those two things are a package deal.

by Hamilton Nolan

Joe Manchin speaks at a 2016 union rally. Time to pay up. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

On Tuesday, the House passed the PRO Act, the sweeping labor law reform bill that would re-energize unions in America. If it were to become law. Which it will not, as long as the filibuster remains in place in the Senate. The situation now is very simple: destroying the filibuster is a labor issue.

The Senate, an anti-democratic institution by design that exists to squash the dreams of the majority of our nation’s citizens, is evenly split, controlled by Democrats by only a single vote. It currently takes 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, meaning that ten Republicans would have to join all of the Democrats to push through the PRO Act. There is zero chance of this happening. (Frankly, I doubt that every Senate Democrat would even line up behind the PRO Act if the Chamber of Commerce lobbyists really started putting the screws on them, but that is purely academic at this point.)

On top of that, it is hard to imagine any Congressional election in the coming decades that would change the composition of the Senate enough to allow the bill to pass with the filibuster in place. The PRO Act is not bullshit — it is serious, historic, pro-worker reform. That is something that is not now and will never be an issue that a large chunk of Republican senators will flock to support. The donors who pay to elect Republican senators, as a rule, are spending money to prevent a bill like this from ever passing.

"Words from Senate Democrats now about how pro-union they are do not mean anything at all if they are not accompanied by a commitment to end the filibuster."

So here is where we are: A) Organized labor went all out to get Joe Biden and a Democratic Congress in place, and they know they are owed payback; B) The PRO Act is labor’s highest priority; and C) The PRO Act has virtually no chance of becoming law as long as the filibuster stays in place. To be very gauche and transactional about all of this, words from Senate Democrats now about how pro-union they are do not mean anything at all if they are not accompanied by a commitment to end the filibuster. I would venture to say that it is time to start painting Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema, the two most outspoken Democrats committed to preserving the filibuster, as anti-union. They will certainly protest, but reality tells its own truth. We need the PRO Act. There is only one way to get it. Being unwilling to do something completely within their power to get the bill passed is indistinguishable from being against the bill. And if you’re against the bill, you are not pro-union.

The filibuster is a barrier to progress in worker rights, just like union-busting law firms and greedy bosses are. A barrier is a barrier is a barrier. It is absurd to treat this barrier as sacrosanct, and then declare that you are, nevertheless, strongly in support of doing the thing that the barrier is preventing. Get real!

The AFL-CIO’s executive board is meeting this week, and they are considering the possibility of taking a formal position on the filibuster. They should. AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka has said “The PRO Act is our litmus test,” which should imply that opposition to the filibuster is a litmus test as well. At this point, eliminating the filibuster is part and parcel of the progressive reforms that we are all trying to get passed. Claiming to support the PRO Act, or a strong green infrastructure bill, or the voting rights bill, without supporting the end of the filibuster, is like claiming to support going into a building but refusing to open the door. Assuming that you don’t enjoy banging your head against the wall endlessly, you must do one in order to do the other.

It’s good that major unions are running publicity campaigns touting the PRO Act. It will also go down as a lot of wasted effort if we are not able to do away with the filibuster, as it seems rather futile to do all this work to promote a bill that will just languish in a Senate drawer. Ending the filibuster is a labor fight. It is an environmental fight. It is a healthcare fight. It is equivalent to the substance of all these issues themselves, because it is the thing that enables them to happen. There is a coalition to be built on this issue — of every progressive in America who wants tangible gains in the next two years — that is broad and powerful enough to push the Democratic Party where it needs to go.

Any Senate Democrats who don’t like this ultimatum should consider themselves to be on the other side of working people. And we should be sure to tell them that, loudly.

Hamilton Nolan is a labor reporting fellow at In These Times. He has spent the past decade writing about labor and politics for Gawker, Splinter, The Guardian, and elsewhere. You can reach him at [email protected].

Posted at 09:41 AM in Common Dreams, Filibuster | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 03, 2021

Urging Senate to 'Ignore the Parliamentarian,' Sanders to Force Vote on $15 Minimum Wage Amendment

Published on Tuesday, March 02, 2021

"I regard it as absurd that the parliamentarian, a Senate staffer elected by no one, can prevent a wage increase for 32 million workers."

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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, arrives at a hearing on Capitol Hill on February 25, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Stefani Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)

Calling on the Senate Democratic majority to disregard the advice of the unelected parliamentarian, Sen. Bernie Sanders late Monday announced he will force a vote this week on an amendment to include a $15 minimum wage provision in the pending $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.

"At a time when millions of workers are earning starvation wages, when the minimum wage has not been raised by Congress since 2007 and stands at a pathetic $7.25 an hour, it is time to raise the minimum wage to a living wage," Sanders, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said in a statement.

"The Senate should ignore the parliamentarian's advice, which is wrong in a number of respects."
—Sen. Bernie Sanders

The Vermont senator's announcement came as the White House and Senate Democrats signaled a retreat from the effort to include a minimum wage increase in the coronavirus relief package after the parliamentarian advised last week that the measure would run afoul of the Byrd Rule, which requires provisions of reconciliation bills to have a direct—not "merely incidental"—impact on the federal budget.

Citing two anonymous Democratic aides, the Washington Post reported Monday that "Senate Democrats will move forward with a version of the relief bill that does not attempt to raise the minimum wage." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a floor speech Monday that the chamber will begin voting on the sprawling relief package this week, with an initial procedural vote expected as early as Wednesday.

In his statement Monday night, Sanders said he was "extremely disappointed by the decision of the parliamentarian, who ruled that the minimum wage provision was inconsistent with the Byrd Rule and the reconciliation process."

Echoing the calls of progressive House Democrats and dozens of grassroots advocacy groups representing millions of people across the U.S., Sanders said his "own personal view is that the Senate should ignore the parliamentarian's advice, which is wrong in a number of respects."

"I am not sure, however, that my view at this point is the majority view in the Democratic caucus," the Vermont senator added, alluding to opposition from Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.). "Obviously, as soon as we can, we must end the filibuster that currently exists in the U.S. Senate. Given the enormous crises facing working families today, we cannot allow a minority of the Senate to obstruct what the vast majority of the American people want and need."

Progressives in recent days have pushed Vice President Kamala Harris to overrule the parliamentarian's advice, which she has the constitutional authority to do. Should the vice president opt to use that authority, it would take 60 votes in the Senate to overrule her.

But White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was adamant during a Monday briefing that Harris will not attempt to overrule the parliamentarian, the official tasked with interpreting Senate rules.

Asked by NBC News reporter Geoff Bennett why the White House appears to be fighting harder to salvage the collapsing nomination of budget office pick Neera Tanden than to keep the minimum wage increase in the coronavirus relief package, Psaki accused Bennett of "mixing a few things kind of irresponsibly."

Sanders made clear Monday that he will continue pushing to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour if his coronavirus relief amendment fails to pass this week.

Following the parliamentarian's advisory ruling against the proposed pay raise last week, Sanders and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) began crafting a backup plan that would impose tax penalties on large corporations that don't pay their employees $15 an hour. But Sanders and Wyden reportedly dropped the plan after it became clear that the measure would be too difficult to implement and that there wouldn't be sufficient support to include it in the emerging Covid-19 relief package.

Speaking to the press about his new $15 minimum wage amendment, Sanders said Monday that "there will be a roll call vote, and we'll see who votes for it and doesn't."

"I would suggest that those who vote against it from a political point of view, that's a mistake. The American people want to see that minimum wage raised," Sanders continued. "Let me be very clear—if we fail in this legislation, I will be back."

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Posted at 09:35 AM in Bernie Sanders, Common Dreams, Senate | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 28, 2021

Progressives to VP Kamala Harris: 'This Is Not a Difficult Decision. Use Your Power. Keep $15 In.'

Published on Friday, February 26, 2021

"A $15 federal minimum wage is now in the hands of Kamala Harris. There is a path to get it done. Refusing to step up will be seen as a huge failure."

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President Joe Biden listens as Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Pentagon on February 10, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Alex Brandon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

The attention of the Fight for $15 movement and its allies turned to Vice President Kamala Harris Thursday night after the Senate parliamentarian opined—erroneously, according to progressives—that a wage hike proposed as part of the emerging coronavirus relief package runs afoul of budget reconciliation rules and should be removed from the aid legislation.

While the parliamentarian's advice is typically honored on Capitol Hill, progressive lawmakers and advocacy groups emphasized that the unelected official's opinion is not binding and that Harris, as presiding officer of the Senate, has the constitutional authority to ignore the recommendation.

"If Vice President Kamala Harris decides to use her constitutional power to disregard the decision of the parliamentarian and tell the clerk to call the roll for the vote, the only way her decision could be overruled is with 60 votes," Morris Pearl, chair of advocacy group Patriotic Millionaires, said in a statement Thursday night.

"Because there is no possibility of 10 Democrats breaking ranks, if the vice president of the United States decides to use the power that is granted to her in the Constitution, every lawmaker in America would then have to publicly vote to either support working people or continue to exploit human beings for profit," said Pearl. "This is not a difficult decision. Use your power. Keep $15 in."

Should Harris opt to exercise her authority to keep the pay hike in the coronavirus relief bill, the two Democratic lawmakers who have publicly opposed the $15 minimum wage provision—Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.)—would face a choice: Either abandon their opposition to the popular wage proposal, or vote to sink the entire $1.9 trillion aid package over its inclusion.

Though Harris herself has not spoken publicly about the parliamentarian's decision or what she intends to do in response, the Biden White House has thus far signaled that she would not be willing to disregard the official's recommendation, which accepts Republican arguments that the proposed wage increase would not have a sufficient budgetary impact to comply with Senate rules.

In an interview Wednesday ahead of the parliamentarian's decision, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said that Harris would "certainly" not override the advice, adding, "We're going to honor the rules of the Senate and work within that system to get this bill passed."

But Klain's suggestion that disregarding the parliamentarian's opinion would somehow be inconsistent with Senate rules was swiftly refuted by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who pointed out that "there is no provision in the Constitution that says that the Senate parliamentarian has any power."

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) added late Thursday that "people don't care about listening to the parliamentarian."

"People care about getting the relief they need," Bush tweeted. "Do what it takes to raise the minimum wage to at least $15."

Bolstering the progressive case for Harris to step in and prevent an unelected official from quashing a popular and much-needed wage increase, a confidential memo circulating on Capitol Hill and obtained by The Daily Poster details precisely how Harris and Senate Democrats could team up to overrule the parliamentarian's decision and keep the pay raise in the relief package.

"It would take 60 votes to overturn the ruling of the chair [Harris] on a Byrd Rule point of order, regardless of what the parliamentarian advises," reads the memo obtained by The Daily Poster. "What would probably happen is a senator would appeal the ruling of the chair and then the full Senate would vote on whether to sustain the appeal."

"The chair's ruling would be upheld as long as there are not 60 affirmative votes to sustain the appeal," the memo continues. "So, if the majority could hold enough members together (less than 60 affirmative votes to sustain the appeal), the ruling that runs counter to the parliamentarian's advice would be upheld."

As progressive advocacy group RootsAction put it Thursday night, "A $15 federal minimum wage is now in the hands of Kamala Harris."

"There is a path to get it done," the group said. "Refusing to step up will be seen as a huge failure."

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Posted at 04:50 PM in Common Dreams, Senate | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 21, 2021

'Words Are Not Enough': Biden Pushed to Take Bold Climate Action as US Returns to Paris Agreement

Published on Friday, February 19, 2021

"The livelihoods and dignity of billions of people who didn't create the climate crisis require that the Biden administration takes immediate and far-reaching climate action driven by justice, equity, and science."

Continue reading "Transforming to an Ecological Civilization: The Alternative Is Unthinkable" »

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Activists demanding climate and racial justice marched in New York City on September 20, 2020. (Photo: Steve Sanchez/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

While Democrats and scientists across the United States applauded the Biden administration for officially rejoining the Paris climate agreement on Friday and figures from around the world said "welcome back America," climate campaigners and experts emphasized that the nation now needs to take bold, immediate action.

As the advocacy group Public Citizen put it: "We have a tremendous amount of catching up to do."

On his first day in office, President Joe Biden delivered on his campaign promise to begin the process of returning to the deal—ditched by his predecessor the day after the November presidential election—which aims to limit global temperature rise this century to "well below" 2°C, and preferably 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels.

"We can no longer delay or do the bare minimum to address climate change. This is a global, existential crisis, and we'll all suffer—we'll all suffer the consequences if we fail," Biden declared Friday, addressing the virtual Munich Security Conference. "We have to rapidly accelerate our commitments to aggressively curb our emissions and to hold one another accountable for meeting our goals and increasing our ambitions."

Similar messages came from key members of the Biden administration. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that "addressing the real threats from climate change and listening to our scientists is at the center of our domestic and foreign policy priorities. It is vital in our discussions of national security, migration, international health efforts, and in our economic diplomacy and trade talks."

Climate Envoy John Kerry—who, as the country's top diplomat during the Obama administration, played a key role of making the Paris agreement a reality—called climate change "among the most complex security issues we've ever faced." Pointing to the compounding crises in Texas this week, he added that "what these extreme weather events translate to on the ground should concern every single one of us."

Advocates of ambitious climate action welcomed the comments from the president and his allies, but they also made clear that "words are not enough."

"In a climate emergency, the only thing that will do is decisive action to dismantle the weapons of mass destruction that are #FossilFuels," tweeted Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace International. "Now is the time to really act."

While thanking Biden for keeping his promise, Andrea McGimsey, senior director for Environment America's Global Warming Solutions campaign, said Friday that "as pleased as we are with our return to the Paris agreement, it must only be a start."

"From getting more electric buses on the road to installing more charging stations in our national parks, so much can and must be done," she continued. "We'll also need to electrify our buildings and all of our appliances, and power them with clean renewable energy. And it's time to stop subsidizing fossil fuels with Americans' tax dollars."

"Extreme weather continues to hammer communities across the country," added McGimsey, as Texans endured power, food, and water problems due to a winter storm. "It's clear that to protect our families' health and well-being today—and to achieve a stable climate for our children and grandchildren—we need to lean in now to meet the commitments of the Paris agreement and go far further."

Leading up to Friday, tens of thousands of people and scores of advocacy organizations backed a demand that the Biden administration commit the United States to doing its "fair share" to combat the climate crisis—both in terms of reducing emissions at home and helping developing countries reach their goals.

That call and the U.S. return to the agreement follow a study released last week which warned that countries' Paris pledges to cut emissions—called nationally determined contributions (NDCs)—should increase by 80% to meet even the deal's dangerously inadequate 2°C target.

As Rachel Cleetus, policy director and lead economist for climate and energy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, wrote Thursday:

On April 22, Earth Day, President Biden will host a Leaders' Climate Summit, aiming to catalyze greater ambition ahead of COP26. The major emitters will be urged to raise their emissions reductions pledges for 2030 and add more detail on the domestic policies they will implement to achieve them. Developing countries—members of the Climate Vulnerable Forum—will also be there to remind the world of their dire plight and the moral imperative for richer countries to act quickly and boldly to help stave off existential threats to people and the planet.

The U.S. is expected to announce its updated NDC ahead of that summit. An ambitious U.S. NDC is the strongest signal the nation can send to show the global community that we are not just back in the Paris agreement, but in it to do our fair share. It is the single most important thing we can do to reestablish our credibility, foster trust, and catalyze greater action from other nations.

In an opinion piece for CNN on Friday, Alok Sharma, president of COP26—which was delayed until this November because of the coronavirus pandemic—celebrated the U.S. return to the Paris agreement and said, "I have been extremely encouraged by the conversations I have had with Kerry and White House National Climate Adviser Gina McCarthy—both formidable allies in the fight against climate change."

Sharma also emphasized that at the summit in Scotland, world leaders must contend with the fact that "developing nations, particularly those most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change, need financial support from developed countries to tackle its causes and effects—especially smaller island states like in the Pacific."

"Tackling climate change is a shared endeavor. And the clock is ticking ever closer to the point of no return," he wrote. "And so, I look forward to working as a matter of urgency with President Biden's administration and governments around the world, to deliver decisive climate action on the road to and at Glasgow. We owe that to current and future generations."

Organizers worldwide echoed that call for the Biden administration to approach the climate crisis on a global scale.

Meena Raman of Friends of the Earth Malaysia asserted that "the U.S. must not repeat its earlier bullying stance of blocking and undermining developing countries on issues such as equity between countries and the transfer of finance and technology, including for loss and damage."

"To be taken seriously, President Biden must go far beyond just rejoining the Paris agreement—he must listen and work cooperatively with developing countries in addressing the challenges they face in implementing more climate action in the face of the pandemic and growing indebtedness," said Raman. "The U.S. must be seen as a cooperative player, taking responsibility for its historical emissions and doing its fair share of action to phase out fossil fuels and increase its financial contributions."

Dipti Bhatnagar, international program coordinator for climate justice and energy with Friends of the Earth International, noted that "the United States' refusal to accept and address the high level of responsibility it bears for the climate crisis and encouragement of high-carbon lifestyles has resulted in untold suffering for women, men, and children throughout the developing world."

"Droughts are destroying crops, cyclones are leveling homes, and whole nations are literally disappearing," added Bhatnagar, who is from Mozambique. "The livelihoods and dignity of billions of people who didn't create the climate crisis require that the Biden administration takes immediate and far-reaching climate action driven by justice, equity, and science."

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Posted at 09:15 AM in Common Dreams, Climate Change, Global Warming, Joe Biden | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 20, 2021

Transforming to an Ecological Civilization: The Alternative Is Unthinkable

Published on Friday, February 19, 2021

by YES! Magazine

A society based on natural ecology might seem like a far-off utopia—yet communities everywhere are already creating it. We need to forge a new era for humanity—one that is defined, at its deepest level, by a transformation in the way we make sense of the world, and a concomitant revolution in our values, goals, and collective behavior.

Jeremy Lent

22 Comments

When we consider the immensity of the transformation needed, the odds of achieving an ecological civilization might seem daunting—but it’s far from impossible. (Photo by Frédéric Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images)

As a new, saner administration sets up shop in Washington, D.C., there are plenty of policy initiatives this country desperately needs. Beyond a national plan for the COVID-19 pandemic, progressives will strive to focus the administration’s attention on challenges like fixing the broken health care system, grappling with systemic racial inequities, and a just transition from fossil fuels to renewables.

These are all critically important issues. But here’s the rub: Even if the Democratic administration were resoundingly successful on all fronts, its initiatives would still be utterly insufficient to resolve the existential threat of climate breakdown and the devastation of our planet’s life-support systems. That’s because the multiple problems confronting us right now are symptoms of an even more profound problem: The underlying structure of a global economic and political system that is driving civilization toward a precipice.

Take a moment to peer beyond the day-to-day crises capturing our attention, and you quickly realize that the magnitude of the looming catastrophe makes our current political struggles, by comparison, look like arguing how to stack deck chairs on the Titanic.

The climate emergency we’re facing is far worse than most people realize. While it was clearly an essential step for the United States to rejoin the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, the collective pledges on greenhouse gas emissions from that agreement are woefully insufficient. They would lead to a dangerous temperature rise of more than 2 degrees Celsius this century—and many nations are failing to make even these targets. We are rapidly approaching—if we haven’t already passed—climate tipping points with reinforcing feedback loops that would lead to an unrecognizable and terrifying world.

Even if the climate crisis were somehow brought under control, our current growth-oriented economic juggernaut will bring us face-to-face with a slew of further existential threats in future decades. As long as government policies emphasize growth in gross domestic product and transnational corporations relentlessly pursue shareholder returns, we will continue accelerating toward global catastrophe.

We’re rapidly decimating the Earth’s forests, animals, insects, fish, fresh water—even the topsoil we need to grow our crops. We’ve already transgressed four of the nine planetary boundaries that define humanity’s safe operating space, and yet global GDP is expected to triple by 2060, with potentially calamitous consequences. In 2017, more than 15,000 scientists from 184 countries issued an ominous warning to humanity that time is running out: “Soon it will be too late,” they wrote, “to shift course away from our failing trajectory.”

We need to forge a new era for humanity—one that is defined, at its deepest level, by a transformation in the way we make sense of the world, and a concomitant revolution in our values, goals, and collective behavior. In short, we need to change the basis of our global civilization. We must move from a civilization based on wealth accumulation to one that is life-affirming: an ecological civilization.

A Life-Affirming Civilization

Without human disruption, ecosystems can thrive in rich abundance for millions of years, remaining resilient in the face of adversity. Clearly, there is much to learn from nature’s wisdom about how to organize ourselves. Can we do so before it’s too late?

Changing our civilization’s operating system to one that naturally leads to life-affirming policies and practices rather than rampant extraction and devastation.

This is the fundamental idea underlying an ecological civilization: using nature’s own design principles to reimagine the basis of our civilization. Changing our civilization’s operating system to one that naturally leads to life-affirming policies and practices rather than rampant extraction and devastation.

An ecological civilization is both a new and ancient idea. While the notion of structuring human society on an ecological basis might seem radical, Indigenous peoples around the world have organized themselves from time immemorial on life-affirming principles. When Lakota communities, on the land that is now the U.S., invoke Mitakuye Oyasin (“We are all related”) in ceremony, they are referring not just to themselves but to all sentient beings. Buddhist, Taoist, and other philosophical and religious traditions have based much of their spiritual wisdom on the recognition of the deep interconnectedness of all things. And in modern times, a common thread linking progressive movements around the world is the commitment to a society that works for the flourishing of life, rather than against it.

Posted at 10:12 AM in Common Dreams, Climate Change, Global Warming, Pollution, The Environment | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 13, 2021

'Subpoena Kevin McCarthy If You Have To': Democrats Urged to Bring Witnesses After Bombshell Report on Trump Call

Published on Saturday, February 13, 2021

"As evidence of Trump's behind-the-scenes sociopathy mounts, it becomes clearer that Dems must call witnesses."

53 Comments

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) walks back to his office from the Senate floor on U.S. Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, February 4, 2021. (Photo: Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Update:

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the lead House impeachment manager, said Saturday morning that his team will seek to subpoena Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) to testify before the Senate about her knowledge of a phone conversation between Donald Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) that took place during the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"When McCarthy finally reached the president on January 6 and asked him to publicly and forcefully call off the riot, the president initially repeated the falsehood that it was antifa that had breached the Capitol," Herrera Beutler said in a statement late Friday. "McCarthy refuted that and told the president that these were Trump supporters. That's when, according to McCarthy, the president said, 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.'"

The Senate voted by a margin of 55-45 Saturday morning to open the door to calling witnesses. Senators will soon vote on calling specific witnesses, including Herrera Beutler; Trump's defense team has threatened to call "lots" of witnesses, but their requests must be approved by the Senate.

"The significance of this development in the impeachment trial can't be overstated. We are now going to have witnesses. Each witness can lead to other witnesses and new information. This can also prompt others with new evidence to come forward voluntarily," tweeted Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). "The focus for now is on Trump's conversation with Kevin McCarthy. That conversation goes to the critical issue of Trump's actions and state of mind after the rioters breached the Capitol."

Earlier:

Democratic House impeachment managers are facing growing public pressure to call witnesses to testify at Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial in the wake of bombshell reporting on the former president's conversation with Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy during the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by a right-wing mob.

Progressive watchdog groups, as Common Dreams reported earlier this week, have been urging Democrats to call witnesses since before the start of the trial, but CNN's late Friday story on Trump's conversation with McCarthy added fuel to those demands.

During the phone call, according to CNN, Trump told the California Republican, "Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are," a comment that reportedly prompted a shouting match between the two GOP leaders as McCarthy pleaded with the then-president to speak out against the attack. Hours after the assault began, Trump finally released a video urging the insurrectionists to go home while praising them as "special."

"Trump's call with McCarthy is another powerful piece of evidence that Trump was on the side of the rioters attacking the Capitol," Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) tweeted late Friday. "He utterly failed his oath to protect and defend our nation. This should seal the conviction with every senator."

While the Democratic leadership is hoping for a speedy end to the trial in order to move forward with confirmation of President Joe Biden's nominees and legislative business—including coronavirus relief—critics argued Friday night that failure to call witnesses following news of Trump's remarks to McCarthy would be a dereliction of duty.

"Democrats should call Kevin McCarthy as a witness and have him testify under oath about this call," tweeted Judd Legum, author of the Popular Information newsletter. "I know they want to wrap this up but it won't take long. The American people deserve the truth."

After House impeachment managers, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), delivered their striking case in support of convicting the former president for inciting a deadly insurrection against the U.S. government, several members of the Senate Democratic caucus said Thursday that witnesses would not be necessary.

"I feel like we've heard from enough witnesses," said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), referring to interviews played during House Democrats' presentation. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with Democrats, "I think the case has been made. I don't know what witnesses would add."

But observers argued that the new details of Trump's phone conversation with McCarthy indicate that compelling the House Republican leader and others to testify under oath could yield important new information. Calling witnesses would require a simple-majority vote in the Senate.

"As evidence of Trump's behind-the-scenes sociopathy mounts, it becomes clearer that Dems must call witnesses," said the Washington Post's Greg Sargent.

Others echoed that sentiment, pointing also to new reporting confirming that Trump was aware that former Vice President Mike Pence was in danger when he tweeted an attack on Pence during the mob assault.

In an appearance on MSNBC late Friday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) argued the new reporting "undermines the entire defense that the president's lawyers have put on" and said he would be open to calling witnesses to testify at the trial.

"I think [House impeachment managers] have established a slam-dunk case that the president incited violence for the purpose of overturning the election," said Van Hollen. "If they make a decision to call witnesses... obviously we would welcome that."

Watch:

Joining the growing chorus, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) tweeted Saturday morning that "the House Managers should ask for witnesses to be called, including anyone who communicated with Donald Trump or [has] direct knowledge of his actions and state of mind while he was in the White House after the Capitol was breached and while the attempted coup was ongoing."

Democrats are expected to decide on whether to call witnesses at some point Saturday morning. As Politico reported, "If Democrats and Trump's team opt against calling witnesses on Saturday, the trial will move immediately to closing arguments, expected to last no more than four hours. That would set up a vote on the charge against Trump in the early afternoon."

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Posted at 10:20 AM in Common Dreams, Democrats, Republicans, Senate, Trump | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 06, 2021

'Jim Crow Relic': Progressives Ramp Up Efforts to Finally Get Rid of Filibuster

Published on Sunday, January 24, 2021

On the Filibuster: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: "A Cherished Tool of Segregationists"; former President Barack Obama: "Jim Crow Relic"; and ex-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: "Outlived Its Usefulness."

by Common Dreams staff

41 Comments

Democratic Congresswoman from New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks as now Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer listens during a press conference in the Corona neighborhood of Queens on April 14, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Johannes Eisele / AFP via Getty Images)

A coalition of more than 40 progressive groups—Just Democracy—is ramping up the pressure on Majority Leader Chuck Schumer by running a digital billboard in New York's Times Square—the heart of Schumer's district—urging him to end the Senate filibuster. The filibuster rule requires most legislation to reach 60 votes to pass in the Senate.

The coalition—made up of over 40 grassroots civil rights and social justice groups from around the country—created and paid for the week-long billboard starting Monday.

Just Democracy tweeted Sunday that the billboard was previewed on NBC's "Meet the Press" earlier in the day:

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the majority whip, said on "Meet the Press" that "the American people want us to take action, action on this pandemic, action on this economy and on a host of other issues, and if this filibuster has become so common in the Senate that we can't act, that we just sit there helpless, shame on us. Of course we should consider a change in the rule under those circumstances."

The Just Democracy ad quotes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: "A Cherished Tool of Segragationists"; former President Barack Obama: "Jim Crow Relic"; and ex-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: "Outlived Its Usefulness." Ocasio-Cortez is reportedly considering a challenge to Schumer for his Senate seat in 2022.

“Democrats gained control of the Senate because of Black and Brown organizers and voters," Stasha Rhodes, campaign director for 51 for 51 and a member of the Just Democracy coalition, said in a statement. "Now they have a chance to remove the biggest impediment to the legislation those voters care about most — voting rights, healthcare, a serious COVID rescue package and more."

Meanwhile, another progressive/labor coalition—Fix Our Senate—ran a full-page ad in Sunday's New York Times that also pushed Schumer to end the filibuster. “There is absolutely no reason to give Sen. McConnell months and months to prove what we absolutely know — that he is going to continue his gridlock and dysfunction from the minority,” said Eli Zupnick, a spokesman for Fix Our Senate. The group has launched a six-figure ad campaign and plans to deploy field staff in states where Democratic senators have expressed reluctance to ditch the rule.

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Posted at 09:10 AM in Common Dreams, Filibuster | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 04, 2021

It’s a New Day in the Climate Battle, Now We Must Act With Agency

Published on Thursday, February 04, 2021

by The Hill

We must push forward aggressively now that the wind is finally at our backs, to rescue our planet while there is still time.

by Michael Mann

A poster is held aloft during a demonstration of the Fridays for Future movement calling for urgent action for climate protection, on January 24, 2020 in Berlin. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP) (Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images)

Last week, President Biden signed a flurry of executive orders aimed at tackling the climate crisis. The new rules place climate at the center of our foreign policy and national security considerations, building upon the recently re-entered Paris Climate Accord, and establishing the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy and the National Climate Task Force as part of a broad, intergovernmental approach to climate action. Taken together, they constitute the boldest climate plan ever enacted in the U.S. government.

We are so close now we can taste it. We’re finally seeing the policy movement that is and will be necessary if we are to avert catastrophic climate change.

And not a moment too soon. Unprecedented wildfires, heat waves, floods and superstorms amplified and exacerbated by climate change collectively cost us a whopping $100 billion dollars in 2020. If you are Puerto Rico, or North Carolina, or Texas or California, or Louisiana, or Iowa, or … just about anywhere on our planet, dangerous climate change impacts have arrived. As my friend, the youth climate advocate Greta Thunberg has put it so poignantly, “Our house is on fire.” There simply couldn’t be greater urgency.

Hopelessness is perhaps the surest path to disengagement there is.

But there is agency, too. There is still time to take the actions necessary to avert a catastrophic 3F planetary warming. We have now witnessed a favorable shift in the political winds in the U.S. with a new president, in Biden, who campaigned on climate action, has a mandate on climate action, and is taking bold climate action. There is now Democratic control of Congress, if by only the slimmest of margins. And while a 50/50 Senate may not pass an expansive Green New Deal, there is an opportunity for bipartisan compromise on climate legislation that will complement the executive actions under way. With the U.S. once again reasserting leadership on this issue, chances are excellent that other nations, too, will be more mobilized to act.

The climate denialism once advanced by the fossil fuel industry and its advocates has grown impotent—it simply isn’t credible any more to deny the impacts of climate change when we are experiencing them in real time. But that doesn’t mean these forces of inaction (the “inactivists”) have given up or stopped throwing out roadblocks to slow the transition from fossil fuels toward clean energy.

They are instead now fighting what I call the “New Climate War” in my new book of that title—engaging in an array of tactics that seeks to delay, deflect and divide, intent on leading us down the same path of inaction as outright denial.

The most insidious of the tactics, however, involves another “D” word—doom. Or, to be more precise, doom-mongering. Petrostate actors such as Russia have used troll and bot armies to promote fractious melees on social media that sow conflict and discord, getting climate advocates to fight with each other. It’s a divide-and-conquer tactic to make sure that climate advocates fail to present a united front demanding policy action.

They also have manipulated social media environments to promote doom and despair, the idea that it is too late to actually do anything about the problem. After all, if there’s nothing we can do at this point, why bother? Inactivists, after all, don’t care about the path you take, just the destination. And hopelessness is perhaps the surest path to disengagement there is. It’s an especially nefarious gambit that seeks to take the very people who might be most motivated to demand action—environmental progressives—and weaponize them to advance the agenda of the fossil fuel industry.

Almost as if to try to prove the point, just last week Indiana’s former Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, a noted critic of climate action, insisted in a Washington Post op-ed that “If the climate change computer models prove accurate, it is already too late to prevent the world’s thermometer from rising to levels deemed unacceptable.” That, of course, is entirely wrong. The latest science demonstrates that the surface of the planet stops warming up as soon as we stop burning carbon. Our efforts today have a direct and immediate impact. And the only real obstacles, at this point, are political ones.

What is so pernicious about this sort of rhetoric is that it seeks to rob us of the very sense of agency that is so critical to our meeting the challenge ahead. And even those with the best of intentions and our most respected media outlets — including the New York Times quite recently, in fact—fall victim to this framing at times, playing into, if unintentionally, the narrative that “it’s too late to act, so why bother.”

It’s a new day in the climate battle, and I’ve never been more hopeful—for the first time in a while, there is a clear path forward on climate. But we need to educate ourselves about the obstacles in our way and, in particular, the tactics that ever-more-crafty adversaries are using, such as doomism, to suppress enthusiasm for change. We must push forward aggressively now that the wind is finally at our backs, to rescue our planet while there is still time.

Michael Mann is Distinguished Professor of Meteorology at Penn State University. He was recognized with other Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change authors for their contribution to the IPCC's 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Follow him @MichaelEMann

Posted at 08:37 AM in Common Dreams, Climate Change, Global Warming | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 03, 2021

Warren Blasts 'Unconscionable' $740 Billion Pentagon Budget While Millions Suffer From Poverty, Joblessness, and Covid-19

Published on Tuesday, February 02, 2021

by Kenny Stancil, staff writer

"A budget is about priorities," said the Democratic senator.

34 Comments

"Spending $740 billion dollars a year on this one piece of the federal budget is unconscionable," Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said to Kathleen Hicks, one of President Joe Biden's Pentagon appointees, on Tuesday, February 2, 2021. (Photo: Screengrab from PBS NewsHour)

"We continue to overinvest in defense while underinvesting in public health and so much more."

"We can spend less on the military and obtain not only the same amount of security, but more."
—Stephen Wertheim, Historian

That's what Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said during Tuesday's Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing for Kathleen Hicks, President Joe Biden's nominee for deputy defense secretary.

"The size of the defense budget... has long been a concern of mine," said Warren, "but after the past year, watching more than 400,000 fellow Americans die, tens of millions unemployed due to Covid-19, millions more who are lined up at food banks, and even millions more who are on the threshold of losing their homes and being put out on the street, spending $740 billion dollars a year on this one piece of the federal budget is unconscionable."

"A budget is about priorities," said Warren. When the senator asked if the U.S. can reduce defense spending "without sacrificing our security," Hicks said no.

Even though "I certainly understand" how the coronavirus crisis "calls into question what the priorities are across our government," said Hicks, "I also... believe that we are a nation that can afford the defense that it needs to have."

"The focus on the top-line number can really obscure a more important conversation around what is it we want our military... to do," Hicks said, sidestepping Warren's point, which was that the national budget should reflect the issues that people in the U.S. want their representatives to focus on, like implementing policies to mitigate compounding public health, economic, and environmental emergencies.

"We can spend less on the military and obtain not only the same amount of security, but more," asserted Stephen Wertheim, deputy director of research and policy at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and research scholar at Columbia University.

Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the peace group CodePink, pointed out that Warren was the only lawmaker at the hearing to juxtapose the nation's bloated military budget with the surge in unmet social needs.

As Common Dreams reported Monday, all 10 senators behind the GOP's $618 billion coronavirus relief counterproposal voted in favor of spending $740 billion on endless wars in fiscal year 2021.

Those members of Congress were joined in supporting the National Defense Authorization Act by the majority of their fellow Republicans as well as the bulk of Democrats in the House and Senate, providing additional evidence of the extent to which most American lawmakers' priorities aren't aligned with those of the public.

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Posted at 10:03 AM in Common Dreams, Elizabeth Warren, The Military, The Military Industrial Complex | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 29, 2021

'Cry Me a River': Sanders Hits Back as Billionaire Investor Whines About Potential Tax Hikes Amid GameStop Fiasco

Published on Friday, January 29, 2021

"Oh look, another billionaire is mad that he might have to pay more taxes while children in America go hungry and veterans sleep on the street."

22 Comments

Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman speaks during an interview on CNBC on January 28, 2021. (Photo: CNBC/YouTube Screengrab)

As the ongoing GameStop saga sparked renewed calls for a financial transactions tax and other commonsense redistributive measures to tackle soaring inequality and Wall Street abuses, billionaire investor Leon Cooperman took to the airwaves Thursday to fume that the idea of compelling the mega-rich to pay their fair share is a "bullshit concept" and merely "a way of attacking wealthy people."

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a longtime proponent of raising taxes on billionaires like Cooperman, was not impressed.

"Yes. We will make Wall Street billionaires pay their fair share of taxes and create an economy that works for all of us."
—Sen. Bernie Sanders

"Oh look, another billionaire is mad that he might have to pay more taxes while children in America go hungry and veterans sleep on the street. Cry me a river," the Vermont senator tweeted late Thursday. "Yes. We will make Wall Street billionaires pay their fair share of taxes and create an economy that works for all of us."

A hedge fund manager who was charged with insider trading by the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2016, Cooperman is one of several industry big-wigs who has appeared on financial networks like CNBC in recent days to complain about the retail investors who banded together to send GameStop shares into the stratosphere, blowing up a ploy by short-selling hedge funds to cash in on the company's seemingly imminent demise.

Cooperman, whose net worth is estimated to be around $3 billion, sniffed that "the reason the market is doing what it's doing is, people are sitting at home, getting their checks from the government, basically trading for no commissions and no interest rates."

"I'm not damning them. I'm just saying from my experience, this will end in tears," Cooperman said as the investing app Robinhood abruptly restricted trading on GameStock and other shares, prompting members of Congress such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) to demand hearings and an investigation.

During the 2020 presidential campaign, Sanders proposed a Wall Street transaction tax aimed at both curbing reckless financial speculation and raising revenue that could be used to fund progressive agenda items, including tuition-free public colleges and universities.

Warren Gunnels, Sanders' staff director, noted in a tweet Thursday that Sanders' transaction tax would raise $2.4 trillion over the next decade—"enough to make public colleges tuition free and cancel student debt."

"If the working class could bail out Wall Street," Gunnels said, "Wall Street can bail out working families in America during a damn pandemic."

HuffPost's Zach Carter argued Wednesday that a financial transactions tax would be the "simplest solution" to an untenable status quo in which Wall Street titans are handsomely rewarded for engaging in "what is a mostly economically wasteful activity."

"We have plenty of roads and bridges to repair and a vastly outdated transportation system," Carter wrote. "Redistributing money from hedge funders in the Hamptons to a high-speed rail network or a national public housing program would do more for growth and productivity than all the shorts and put options in New York."

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Posted at 08:16 AM in Bernie Sanders, Common Dreams, Billionaires, Tax the Rich | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 09, 2021

Big Tech Further Mutes President, Far Right Megaphone as Demands for Trump Removal Swell

Published on

Saturday, January 09, 2021

by Andrea Germanos, staff writer

Google yanked Parler from its app store Friday in light of "continued posting... that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the U.S."

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Donald Trump's Twitter account displayed on a mobile phone screen next to a vinyl doll which features the U.S. President Donald Trump, seen in front of the U.S. flag, on Saturday, 9 January 2021, in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Amid ongoing calls for President Donald Trump to face accountability for his role in encouraging Wednesday's attack on the U.S. Capitol, Google announced Friday that it pulled from its app store Parler—a social media platform described as "where the rancor of the far-right thrives"—citing "continued posting... that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the U.S."

"In order to protect user safety on Google Play, our longstanding policies require that apps displaying user-generated content have moderation policies and enforcement that removes egregious content like posts that incite violence," a Google spokesperson said. "All developers agree to these terms and we have reminded Parler of this clear policy in recent months."

"We're aware of continued posting in the Parler app that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the U.S.," the statement continued. "In light of this ongoing and urgent public safety threat, we are suspending the app's listings from the Play Store until it addresses these issues."

Arusha Gordon, associate director of the James Byrd Jr. Center to Stop Hate at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, welcomed the development. "It is time companies enforce their terms of use and ensure their products are not used by white supremacists and others to organize violent attacks on our democracy," she said.

Google's announcement followed Apple's threat earlier on Friday to ban Parler within 24 hours unless the social media app submitted an updated plan for moderating its content amid accusations Parler was a key medium for facilitating Wednesday's failed coup effort.

"We have received numerous complaints regarding objectionable content in your Parler service, accusations that the Parler app was used to plan, coordinate, and facilitate the illegal activities in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021 that led (among other things) to loss of life, numerous injuries, and the destruction of property," Apple wrote to Parler, according to BuzzFeed News. "The app also appears to continue to be used to plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities."

The developments came the same day Twitter suspended Trump's personal account, @realdonaldtrump. The ban followed Trump firing off over 57,000 tweets, frequently using the platform throughout his time in office to spread xenophobia, throw insults, and amplify false claims of voter fraud, which prompted Twitter warnings on the posts starting in May.

@TeamTrump was subsequently suspended on Friday after that account posted a series of tweets attributed to the president, since "using another account to try to evade a suspension is against our rules," Twitter said.

@TeamTrump suspended Just ahead of that account's suspension, it "had pointed its 2.3 million followers to its account on Parler," Reuters reported.

The swelling list of suspended Trump-affiliated accounts includes Facebook, with that company blocking the president from posting on his account for at least two weeks. "We believe the risks of allowing the president to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great," said CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation says the companies are justified in the bans, calling the moves "a simple exercise of [the platforms'] rights, under the First Amendment and Section 230, to curate their sites."

"Nevertheless," EFF legal director Corynne McSherry wrote Thursday, "we are always concerned when platforms take on the role of censors, which is why we continue to call on them to apply a human rights framework to those decisions." She urged the platforms to be "more transparent and consistent in how they apply their rules—and we call on policymakers to find ways to foster competition so that users have numerous editorial options and policies from which to choose."

EFF's call came as questions swirled about how the extremist mob was able to wreak the havoc they did, especially given indications the violence would unfold. As ProPublica reported Thursday, "warnings of Wednesday's assault on the Capitol were everywhere" on social media, including Parler.

Detailing those warnings, far-right extremism researcher Alex Newhouse wrote Friday at The Conversation:

Although posts on Facebook and Twitter hinted that more than just protests were possible, nowhere was the coming violence as obvious as on Parler. The site, which has attracted millions of new conservative users in the past year, has positioned itself as a bastion for right-wing conspiracy theories and organizing efforts. From my research, hundreds of Parler users expressed their sincere belief, and even desire, that the demonstrations would spark a physical battle, revolution or civil war.

We are ready to fight back and we want blood," a Parler post from Dec. 28 declared. "The president need to do some thing if Jan. 6 is the day then we are ready." Another user stated, "January 6 will either be our saving grace or we will have another civil war that should end very quickly!! Either way Trump will be our POTUS!! Anything less is unacceptable!!"

Using tools that allow me to monitor large-scale social media data, I found evidence that right-wing activists had been explicit and open with their intentions for the Jan. 6 demonstrations since at least mid-December.

The heightened scrutiny of Parler joins growing calls for Trump's removal, either through impeachment or the 25th Amendment, with the demands coming from advocacy groups as well as a growing list of lawmakers.

A group of House Democrats plans on introducing an article of impeachment against Trump on Monday for "willfully inciting violence against the government of the United States."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will act on the measure next week of the president doesn't resign first.

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Posted at 11:12 AM in Common Dreams, Social Media, Trump | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 04, 2021

Amid Warnings of Surging Worldwide Poverty, Planet's 500 Richest People Added $1.8 Trillion to Combined Wealth in 2020

Published on Saturday, January 02, 2021

"Surging billionaire wealth hits a painful nerve for the millions of people who have lost loved ones and experienced declines in their health, wealth, and livelihoods."

Julia Conley, staff writer

109 Comments

Tesla CEO Elon Musk saw the greatest increase in personal wealth in 2020—reported to be the fastest wealth creation in history, according to Bloomberg.(Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Bloomberg's year-end report on the wealth of the world's billionaires shows that the richest 500 people on the planet added $1.8 trillion to their combined wealth in 2020, accumulating a total net worth of $7.6 trillion.

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index recorded its largest annual gain in the list's history last year, with a 31% increase in the wealth of the richest people.

The historic hoarding of wealth came as the world confronted the coronavirus pandemic and its corresponding economic crisis, which the United Nations last month warned is a "tipping point" set to send more than 207 million additional people into extreme poverty in the next decade—bringing the number of people living in extreme poverty to one billion by 2030.

Even in the richest country in the world, the United States, the rapidly widening gap between the richest and poorest people grew especially stark in 2020.

As Dan Price, an entrepreneur and advocate for fair wages, tweeted, the 500 richest people in the world amassed as much wealth in 2020 as "the poorest 165 million Americans have earned in their entire lives."

Nine of the top 10 richest people in the world live in the United States and own more than $1.5 trillion. Meanwhile, with more than half of U.S. adults living in households that lost income due to the pandemic, nearly 26 million Americans reported having insufficient food and other groceries in November—contributing to a rise in shop-lifting of essential goods including diapers and baby formula. About 12 million renters were expected to owe nearly $6,000 in back rent after the new year.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk enjoyed an historic growth in wealth last year, becoming the second richest person in the world and knocking Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates down to third place. Musk's total net worth grew by $142 billion in 2020, to $170 billion—the fastest creation of personal wealth in history, according to Bloomberg.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is at the top of the list, with a net worth of $190 billion. Bezos added more than $75 billion to his wealth in 2020, as the public grew dependent on online shopping due to Covid-19 restrictions and concern for public health.

While Bezos and a select few others in the U.S. have amassed historic gains in personal wealth in the last year, the federal government has yet to extend much in the way of meaningful assistance to struggling Americans. The Republican-led Senate on Friday continued to stonewall a vote on legislation that would send $2,000 checks to many American households.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) denounced the proposal as "socialism for rich people" even though the plan includes a phaseout structure and individuals making only up to $115,000 per year—not those in the highest tax brackets—would receive checks.

"Surging billionaire wealth hits a painful nerve for the millions of people who have lost loved ones and experienced declines in their health, wealth, and livelihoods," Chuck Collins, director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies, told Bloomberg this week. "Worse, it undermines any sense that we are 'in this together'—the solidarity required to weather the difficult months ahead."

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January 03, 2021

Paygo Exemptions in House Rules Will Help Pave Way for Green New Deal and Medicare for All, Progressives Say

Published on

Saturday, January 02, 2021

Common Dreams

"Paygo's the biggest scam of the decade, designed to legitimize the fear-mongering over artificial deficits. This is a big win by progressives."

66 Comments

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) speaks during a news conference outside of the Democratic National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, November 19, 2020. (Photo: Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Progressives on Saturday applauded House Democrats for including in the chamber's rules package for the incoming Congress two key exemptions from the "pay as you go" rule, also known as Paygo, which could cut down on roadblocks keeping lawmakers from passing far-reaching healthcare and climate action legislation.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) unveiled an updated rules package which would exempt legislation "to prevent, prepare for, or respond to economic or public health consequences" of the Covid-19 pandemic or of the climate crisis, from being subjected to Paygo.

Paygo requires that any increase in spending by the federal government be matched by offsetting tax increases or budget cuts, and progressives including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) have called for the rule to be revoked in recent years while Pelosi and other Democrats have defended it.

Ocasio-Cortez and her legislative goals were derided by critics after taking office in January 2019, as Pelosi adopted the Paygo rule for the 116th Congress. The New York congresswoman voted against the 2019 rules package.

On Saturday, Ocasio-Cortez added the "demotion" of Paygo to the list of achievements by progressives in Congress in recent years.

Breaking the federal government and corporate political press's "austerity mindset and rules, especially on climate, is a major tenet of the Green New Deal," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.

The Intercept journalist Ryan Grim noted that the elimination of Paygo as a consideration for measures involving public health could eventually help Congress to pass Medicare for All as well as other measures to help Americans struggling with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lawmakers "could quite easily cite [the pandemic and the climate crisis] as the need for expanded public healthcare, which is specified in both subsections," Grim tweeted, adding that the rules change "easily covers a very sweeping set of policies."

After decades of powerful House Democrats being "fervently committed" to Paygo, tweeted Claire Sandberg, former national organizing director for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), "it's welcome news that exemptions have now been created for two extremely broad policy areas."

Other progressives praised the proposed rules change, which must still be voted on in the Democrat-controlled House, on social media.

"Amending Paygo opens the door to crucial legislation that meets the scale of our greatest challenges," tweeted Rep.-elect Marie Newman (D-Ill.).

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Posted at 09:57 AM in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Common Dreams, Deficits Don't Matter, Green New Deal, Medicare for All, Modern Monetary Theory | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 20, 2020

Biden Needs to Spend Big—And Fast. Here Are 4 Immediate Priorities.

Published on Sunday, December 20, 2020

by In These Times

Forget about the debt. Boosting the economy and sending people money isn’t just good policy, it’s smart politics.

by Max B. Sawicky

9 Comments

"There is a lot of new spending we need, and elevating the most urgent priorities is an important political task," Sawicky writes. (Photo: Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

Expectations are high for the incoming Joe Biden administration, not because the political circumstances are advantageous, nor because of Biden himself, but because our troubles are so great.

Tens of millions of Americans are unemployed. The death toll from Covid-19 in the United States now tops 300,000. An avalanche of evictions and foreclosures is on its way. And this is on top of our ongoing political crisis: A stubborn minority of voters refuse to recognize the results of the election, while many of President Trump’s supporters remain unwilling to observe elementary safety measures to reduce the further spread of the virus. In Washington, D.C. last week, a rampaging mob of fascist goons assaulted random passers-by and vandalized black churches — ostensibly as a way to show fealty to Trump. To put it mildly, America is in bad shape.

"No credibility should go to any Democratic stuffed shirt who bleats about restoring norms. Working people are desperate. This is class war, folks."

Much of the Biden administration’s ability to respond to the health and economic crises we face depends on the outcome of the January 5 run-off elections in Georgia that will determine which party controls the Senate. But even with victories in both of those races, centrist Democrats in Congress will continue to oppose major progressive policies. And Democrats’ narrow majority in the House (and, if we’re lucky, the Senate) will make it difficult for President Biden to spend as much money as necessary.

Nevertheless, there is a lot of new spending we need, and elevating the most urgent priorities is an important political task: It applies pressure on current Democratic officials, including the president himself, and educates and motivates people who can vote for a new, more progressive Congress in 2022.

Here are four of the top priorities:

1. Send money now! When it comes to stimulus, there are always dual objectives: boosting the economy, and providing relief for those in the greatest need. Sending checks to everybody, extending unemployment benefits, and bailing out beleaguered small business have already been shown to be effective. The recession and pandemic are far from over, so these policies should continue. The skinny compromise that might be struck in Congress provides no more than a small respite. To speed up a return to economic health, the first step is to avoid sinking deeper into the current rut.

Just as important is providing relief to state and local governments, which provide services of vital importance to working people. These governments never quite recovered from the Great Recession of 2007 – 2008. They are obliged to balance their budgets, so unlike the federal government, their borrowing capacity is restricted. The triple hit to state and local finance — reduced tax revenue, added recession-related spending, and additional virus-related expenses — has depleted their reserves.

2. Public investment and the Green New Deal: do everything. A recession is always an opportune time to ramp up public investment on a permanent basis. Many possibilities will compete for funding. Two important angles should be kept in mind.

The traditional sort of investment in “infrastructure” — roads, bridges, school buildings, airports and rail systems — has been neglected for decades. A revival, however, needs to be done through the lens of climate change awareness. Among other things, this means a preference for public, mass transit rather than roads; the upgrade of public facilities (including rail systems) with a view towards reducing carbon emissions; and the modernization of the nation’s power grid.

The other consideration is to take seriously what might be called an infrastructure of care: workers and facilities devoted to housing and caring for those unable to do so for themselves, including the persistently unemployed, the indigent elderly, the differently abled, those in failing mental health, those without housing, the incarcerated, and beleaguered immigrants.

3. The Peace Dividend. Currently, the federal budget devotes $697 billion to national defense. When it comes to the federal government actually doing things other than mailing checks to individuals and medical care providers — what is classified as “discretionary spending” — defense takes nearly half. Much of this money is devoted to supporting the capacity to wage war, and we have to ask, against whom? The interventions in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen have not gone well, to say the least.

It is possible to overstate how quickly a peace dividend could be pried out of the defense budget. Workers and uniformed military cannot be summarily dismissed — they will need transition assistance. Big-ticket hardware contracts that are set for a period of years cannot be instantly canceled. Even so, there is an opportunity to redirect a large quantity of funding to non-defense purposes.

4. Forget about the national debt. In a downturn, the economy loses more than it gains by failing to ramp up federal deficit spending. Of course, Republicans have shown themselves to be comical hypocrites when it comes to worries about deficits. Unfortunately, some influential Democrats may actually believe such nonsense. They would be well-advised to read a recent paper by Jason Furman, Obama’s chief economist, and Larry Summers, omnipresent Democratic Party economist, wherein they basically admit everything they used to say about budget deficits was hogwash and is particularly inappropriate under current circumstances. As far as elite economic thinking is concerned, there should be no obstacle to massive increases in non-defense deficit spending.

Biden will also have important tools that do not depend on Congress. A recent column by Dave Roberts provides a nice overview, both technical and political. Biden can issue executive orders, make recess appointments of nominees the Senate refuses to approve, fumigate Trump’s termites from the woodwork of the federal civil service, re-regulate what has been deregulated, and un-fire good people who were dismissed by Trump.

Trump flouted every conceivable legal and informal constraint on his rule, to the utter silence of the Republican Party. He has given Biden a license to do likewise. No credibility should go to any Democratic stuffed shirt who bleats about restoring norms. Working people are desperate. This is class war, folks.

Max B. Sawicky is a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR.net).

Posted at 04:38 PM in Common Dreams, Green New Deal, Joe Biden, The Economy, The National Debt | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 11, 2020

In Must-Watch Video, Greta Thunberg Warns Humanity 'Still Speeding in Wrong Direction' on Climate

Published on Thursday, December 10, 2020

by Andrea Germanos, staff writer

The global crisis, says the youth leader, "cannot be solved without system change. That's no longer an opinion. That's a fact."

6 Comments

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (C) takes part in a Fridays For Future protest in front of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdagen) in Stockholm on September 25, 2020. (Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)

Teen climate leader Greta Thunberg on Thursday reiterated her demand that humanity end its inaction on the planetary emergency as she warned—five years after the Paris agreement was signed—the world is "speeding in the wrong direction" in terms of emission reductions.

With nothing less than a total "system change" needed, the 17-year-old Swede told viewers in a new video that she's "inviting you to be part of the solution."

Thunberg shared the 3-minute video on Twitter Thursday—two days before the Paris climate agreement's five-year anniversary.

While "a lot has happened" since the accord was finalized December 12, 2015 to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursue a goal of a 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature threshold, "the action needed is still nowhere in sight," said Thunberg.

In fact, she warned, "We are still speeding in the wrong direction."

Thunberg denounced global leaders' "hypothetical targets" for emissions reductions and "big speeches," because "when it comes to the immediate action we need, we are still in a state of complete denial."

She further stressed that the "climate and ecological crisis cannot be solved without system change. That's no longer an opinion. That's a fact."

"For too long," Thunberg continued, "we have been distancing ourselves from nature, mistreating the planet—our only home—living as if there was no tomorrow," and are now poised to blow past the 1.5 warming threshold "within 7 years, long before we will even have a chance to deliver on our 2030 or 2050 targets."

Despite that projection, Thunberg said that "there is hope because the people have not yet been made aware."

"We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis. Nor can we treat something like a crisis unless we understand the emergency. So let's make this our main priority. Let's unite and spread awareness," she said.

"Once we become aware, then we can act," Thunberg continued. "Then change will come."

"This is the solution," she said. "We are the hope. We, the people."

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November 28, 2020

'Hunger Like They've Never Seen It Before': US Food Banks Struggle as 1 in 6 Families With Children Don't Have Enough to Eat

Published on Friday, November 27, 2020

by Brett Wilkins, staff writer

"We're now seeing families who had an emergency fund but it's gone and they're at the end of their rope," said one Texas food bank director.

74 Comments

People line up to receive free food in Clermont, Florida on November, 21, 2020. (Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/Light Rocket/Getty Images)

People queue on November 21, 2020 at a food distribution site at Lake-Sumter State College in Clermont, Florida sponsored by the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. (Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/Light Rocket/Getty Images)

One in six U.S. families with children don't have enough to eat this holiday season, a national emergency exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and the unemployment crisis it has generated. Over the past several days, remarkable reporting in the Washington Post and National Geographic, among other outlets, has explored this alarming trend.

"It's been hard to survive. Money is low. No jobs. Hard to find work."
—Randy Young, Houston

According to Feeding America, the largest hunger relief organization in the U.S., more than 50 million people will experience food insecurity by the end of the year. Among U.S. children, the figure rises to one in four. The group, which runs a network of some 200 food banks across the nation, says it distributed over half a billion meals last month alone, a 52% increase from an average pre-pandemic month.

The latest U.S. Census Bureau pandemic survey, published earlier this month, found that fewer than half of U.S. households with children were "very confident" they could afford to provide enough food for their families in the next month.

As is so often the case when it comes to matters of economic inequality, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities are disproportionately impacted by the hunger crisis. Among the 25 U.S. counties experiencing the worst food insecurity, only four have majority white populations, all of them in rural Kentucky. Census Bureau data reveals that fully 27% of Black and 23% of Latinx households with children reported not having enough to eat over the past week—compared with just 12% of white families.

"This is a story about racial and ethnic disparities—both food insecurity and the story of coronavirus," Emily Engelhard, managing director of Feeding America's research unit, told National Geographic. "The populations and geographies that started in the most disadvantageous state of food insecurity are the ones that are getting hit the hardest" during the pandemic.

"People are seeing hunger like they've never seen it before," Trisha Cunningham, president of the North Texas Food Bank—where cars lined up for miles and people slept in their vehicles waiting for Thanksgiving food boxes—told National Geographic. On November 14, its busiest day on record, North Texas Food Bank provided groceries—including 7,000 whole turkeys—to more than 25,000 people.

In northeastern Ohio, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank planned to distribute 12,000 meals, a 5,000-meal increase from a year ago.

"We're now seeing families who had an emergency fund but it's gone and they're at the end of their rope," Kristin Warzocha, president of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, told the Guardian. "We're going to be doing this for a really long time, and that's frankly terrifying given the impact hunger has on physical health, learning and development for children, and parents' stress."

In Texas' second-largest city, the San Antonio Food Bank distributes eight semi-trucks full of food every day, but still was forced to resort to rationing due to soaring need.

"Covid-19 has taken so much, people's jobs, their loved ones, and now we're just trying to stop it from taking Thanksgiving," San Antonio Food Bank CEO Eric Cooper told CNBC. "Pre-pandemic we were feeding around 60,000 people a week, and now we're seeing around 120,000... and most of those are new to the food bank. They've never had to ask for help before."

Indeed, among the thousands of cars that lined up starting in the pre-dawn hours for free Thanksgiving meals at Houston's NRG Stadium last weekend, there were more than a few luxury makes.

"I was just telling my mom, 'You look at people pulling up in Mercedes and stuff, come on,'" Randy Young, a recently laid-off cook at the stadium who was waiting in line with his elderly mother, told the Post. "If a person driving a Mercedes is in need of food, you know it's bad."

"It's been hard to survive," Young said. "Money is low. No jobs. Hard to find work."

Loudoun County, Virginia is per capita the wealthiest county in the nation, with a median household income of just under $140,000. Yet the Post reports Loudoun Hunger Relief recently handed out meals to 887 households in one recent week, a 300% increase from pre-pandemic activity.

"We are continuing to see people who have never used our services before," Jennifer Montgomery, Loudoun Hunger Relief's executive director, told the Post.

In the nation's largest city, Food Bank for NYC president Leslie Gordon told France 24 that "even before the pandemic, there were 1.5 million residents here across the five boroughs who didn't always know where their next meal was coming from or what it would be, and that's escalated considerably to nearly two million of our neighbors."

"Across the country demand has not let up, and food banks do everything they can to make sure families have food on the table for Thanksgiving," Zuani Villareal, a spokesperson for Feeding America told the Guardian. "There's no end in sight, but we can't be the only solution."

Celia Call, CEO of Feeding Texas, stressed to the Post that "without sustained aid at the federal level, we'll be hard-pressed to keep up" with demand. "We're just bracing for the worst," she added.

Several progressive lawmakers tweeted the Post article over the past two days. One of them, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), said that "Congress has the power to address this crisis," and asked, "Why aren't we doing it?"

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Posted at 07:53 AM in Common Dreams, Coronavirus, Food | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 17, 2020

'It's Even Worse on Video': Trump Adviser Welcomes Killing Loved Ones With Covid-19 as This May Be 'Their Final Thanksgiving' Anyway

Published on Tuesday, November 17, 2020

"Eat, drink, and be merry, because tomorrow my policies may kill you."

8 Comments

Dr. Scott Atlas, a top White House coronavirus adviser, said Monday that Americans should flout public health guidance and gather as normal for the holidays as this may be "the final Thanksgiving" for many. (Photo: screenshot)

In his latest anti-science appeal to Americans, White House coronavirus adviser Dr. Scott Atlas on Monday night called on families to ignore the guidance of public health experts who say the holiday season should not include indoor gatherings—suggesting to Fox News that families should take the risk even for elderly or sick relatives this Thanksgiving because they will no longer be alive next year.

"This kind of isolation is one of the unspoken tragedies of the elderly who are now being told don’t see your family at Thanksgiving," Atlas, who has no public health expertise, told Fox host Martha MacCallum. "For many people this is their final Thanksgiving, believe it or not. What are we doing here?"

Stanford University, where Atlas was a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution before joining President Donald Trump's coronavirus team, promptly distanced itself from the doctor's comments, while political observers expressed shock on social media.

Talking Points Memo founder Josh Marshall wrote that for many Americans it will be their last Thanksgiving "because they're attending Thanksgiving."

Protecting the elderly from Covid-19 is one of the main reasons infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and other officials have called on Americans to skip indoor family gatherings and traveling this year. Last week he advised Americans to wear face coverings at any gatherings they do have if they don't know the Covid-19 status of all attendees.

Meanwhile, Atlas has falsely stated that face masks don't reduce transmission of Covid-19 and is a proponent of the U.S. government taking a "herd immunity" approach to the pandemic—encouraging people who are relatively young and healthy to go about their daily lives with no regard for mask-wearing, social distancing, or the existence of a virus that's killed more than 246,000 people in the U.S. this year, while using unspecified methods to separate them from people who are elderly or at high risk for severe Covid-19 infections.

The "herd immunity" approach, euphemistically rebranded as "focused protection" by some proponents, has been denounced as "fringe" by seasoned public health officials.

On Sunday, Atlas also called on Michigan residents to "rise up" against public health guidance after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that in-person learning, indoor dining, organized sports, and other activities would be shut down for three weeks to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.

"This guy is a public health menace and it needs to stop now," tweeted one emergency room physician on Monday evening following Atlas's comments about Thanksgiving.

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Posted at 08:12 AM in Common Dreams, Coronavirus | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 08, 2020

'Great News for Progressives Around the World': International Applause After US Voters Fire Donald Trump

Published on Sunday, November 08, 2020

"It's time to get back to building bridges, not walls." Leaders from around the world congratulate the Democrats, but say much damage done by Trump requires repair.

by Jon Queally, staff writer

30 Comments

A young girl walks past Kenyan daily newspaper with headline "Donald Trump Fired" in the capital Nairobi on November 8, 2020. (Photo: Simon Maina/AFP via Getty Images)

Celebrations took place across the globe and congratulations from world leaders for U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-election Kamala Harris poured in Saturday and into Sunday after the Democratic ticket was declared the decisive winner in the 2020 election and results showed that President Donald J. Trump had been soundly "fired" by the American people.

"Great news for progressives around the world that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have defeated Trump," tweeted former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn from the United Kingdom, one of America's longest and closest allies. "Let's work together internationally to build a better, fairer, greener, peaceful and more equal world."

From London, the city's progressive Mayor Sadiq Khan—who often clashed with Trump and denounced the U.S. president's racism—congratulated both Biden and Harris on their victory. "London looks forward to working with you," Khan tweeted. "It's time to get back to building bridges, not walls."

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, who recently won a landslide reelection victory in her country, sent well-wishes to the incoming U.S. leaders.

"Congratulations President-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on your victory in the U.S. presidential election," Arden declared in an Instagram post. "With so many issues facing the international community, your message of unity is one we share. New Zealand looks forward to working with you both!"

While Trump, as of this writing, has still refused to acknowledge his defeat or issue a concession, Slate's Ben Mathis-Lilley on Saturday explained that Biden's victory is quite decisive in historical terms:

Defeating a sitting United States president is an extraordinarily hard thing to do, but with the vote count mounting in his favor, Biden turns out to have done it with relative ease. Per current estimates, he will receive something like 51.3 percent of the national popular vote, 3 percentage points more than Hillary Clinton and a higher total than any candidate challenging an incumbent president since FDR got 57 percent against Herbert Hoover in 1932. That’s more than Ronald Reagan got (50.7 percent) in his 1980 win over Jimmy Carter, which is still (accurately!) heralded as a paradigm shift in American politics.

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, also congratulated the pair in a Sunday statement and urged the new U.S. administration to "strengthen the Palestinian-American relationship" as a way to foster "peace, stability, and security" throughout the Middle East region. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, tweeted: "Joe, we've had a long & warm personal relationship for nearly 40 years, and I know you as a great friend of Israel."

From Iran, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif—who criticized Trump relentlessly for imposing brutal sanctions on the Iranian people and pulling out of the international nuclear agreement that was implemented under the Obama-Biden administration—suggested it was a new day for future relations between the two nations. "The American people have spoken," said Zarif.

Separately, Iran's Vice-President Eshagh Jahangiri said his government hopes for "a change in the destructive policies of the United States, a return to the rule of law and international obligations, and respect for nations" now that Trump will soon be leaving the White House.

And President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday that Biden must work to repair the damage done by Trump and the betrayal committed against previous international commitments made by the United States.

"An opportunity has arisen now for the next U.S. administration to make up for the past mistakes and return to the course of commitment to international obligations by respecting international principles," Rouhani said. "The Islamic Republic," he added, "considers constructive interaction with the world to be its strategy."

Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took a more hesitant approach to the U.S. election results, indicating in a Saturday statement that he would withhold his congratulations until any legal challenges related to vote count were resolved or when the results are officially certified.

"With regard to the U.S. election, we are going to wait until all the legal matters have been resolved," López Obrador said at a news conference. "I can't congratulate one candidate or the other. I want to wait until the electoral process is over."

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said the "emphatic win" by Biden and Harris in the U.S. was "a demonstration of Americans' confidence in the leadership credentials of the former vice-president." And in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari said Trump's ouster arrived at "time of uncertainty and fear in world affairs" as he congratulated Biden. "His election," Buhari added, "is a reminder that democracy is the best form of government because it offers the people the opportunity to change their government by peaceful means."

But most people of the world—like most within the United States—have been able to see that Biden's win was decisive, and despite Trump's refusal to concede and his continued unhinged proclamations that he won when all the evidence shows he clearly lost, led to street celebrations both in the U.S. and abroad.

As Slate reports, fireworks erupted across Europe and people across the continent were queuing up for champagne at local shops and dancing in the streets.

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Posted at 08:50 AM in Common Dreams, Foreign Policy, Progressives, Trump | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 07, 2020

'Nightmare Coming to an End': Vanquishing Donald Trump, Joe Biden Wins US Presidential Election

Published on Saturday, November 07, 2020

"We, the voters, decided this!"

by Common Dreams staff

30 Comments

Beryl McCrainey Slevin from California and who voted using a mail in ballot stands in front of the mural of Joe Biden on November 7, 2020 as locals celebrate in anticipation of Biden being elected as the next US President in Ballina, Ireland. (Photo: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

After days of uncertainty amid concurrent global crises, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was declared the winner of the closely-watched contest that denied President Donald Trump a second term Saturday morning, after votes tallied in the battleground state of Pennsylvania pushed Biden over the 270 electoral vote threshold.

According to NBC News: "The former vice president amassed 273 Electoral College votes after winning Pennsylvania’s 20 electors, according to NBC News, surpassing the 270 needed to win the White House and defeat President Donald Trump."

The Associated Press, which put both Arizona and Pennsylvania in Biden's column, also called the race:

The determination in Pennsylvania put Biden at 273 electoral votes to Trump's 214—a deficit the president has no way of overcoming even as five other states—Alaska, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina—continue to process their results. Adding Arizona's eleven electortal to Biden's column, put his electoral count to 284.

Shortly after the news broke, Biden said in a tweet addressed to the nation that he was "honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country."

"The work ahead of us will be hard," he added, "but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans—whether you voted for me or not. I will keep the faith that you have place in me."

Progressives immediately celebrated Biden's victory and expressed elation over Trump's pending departure.

"This nightmare is coming to an end. Despite every attempt to silence our voices and block our vote, the will of the people won," declared George Goehl, director of the grassroots advocacy group People's Action.

"We, the voters, decided this!" said Tamara Toles O'Laughlin, North America director for 350 Action, in a statement when the news broke. "By working together, our unapologetic movement for people and planet has been steadfast and patient as our votes were counted. People power stood up to Donald Trump's fascist vision for America and elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris into the White House. The government we chose must be sworn in because this is the people's democracy."

The subject line in an email from the Sunrise Movement was expressive: "We fucking did it."

"Excuse my language," said the group's executive director Varshini Prakash, "but we fucking did it. It's official. We WON."

"We won. And this is a big win," said María Urbina, acting co-executive director and national political director of Indivisible. "A record number of voters turned out amidst a pandemic to express the will of the people, and to put a historic ticket in the White House by clear margins. Come January, we'll move forward together to swear in a President and Vice President who are serious about governing and will be expected to deliver on an agenda of dignity and justice for all."

"Together," Urbina added, "we can make good on the promise of an America that works for all of us, that prioritizes the most vulnerable, and that ensures we can all live with dignity. For now, we celebrate. This victory belongs to all of us."

Biden's victory comes in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and related economic crisis, a monthslong national reckoning over systemic racism, seemingly endless U.S. war, and the global climate emergency. There have been more than 9.7 million Covid-19 cases and nearly 236,000 deaths in the United States out of over 49 million infections and 1.24 million deaths worldwide.

On top of that is the broader crisis of Trump's presidency, which has featured rollbacks of environmental and public health protections at the behest of deep-pocketed polluters, a "pro-corporate, anti-worker agenda," efforts to degrade the rights of historically marginalized groups, inhumane immigration policies—including forcibly separating migrant children from their parents at the border—and constant lies.

Since Election Day, Trump has escalated his attacks on American democracy by falsely declaring victory early Wednesday, tweeting disinformation about the election, and delivering on Thursday evening what one reporter called "the most dishonest speech he has ever given." His campaign has also filed multiple lawsuits this week related to the race, validating pre-election warnings that he would try to steal the vote to retain power.

The president's actions sparked nationwide demonstrations demanding election officials "count every vote." Amid fears that Trump may refuse to concede, Biden campaign spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement on Friday that "the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House."

Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1942, Biden studied history and political science at the University of Delaware then earned a law degree at Syracuse University. After practicing law as a public defender and at a firm, and entering local politics in Delaware's New Castle County, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972.

Biden represented Delaware in the Senate for nearly four decades—with stints chairing the Foreign Relations and Judiciary committees—before serving as vice president for both terms of President Barack Obama's administration. After declining to run in 2016, Biden beat 27 primary competitors to secure the 2020 Democratic nomination.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Biden's running mate, was among his primary competitors. Born in 1964, Harris hails from Oakland, California. After graduating from Howard University, she earned a law degree from the University of California, Hastings. She was district attorney of San Francisco and attorney general of California before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016. She will be the first woman, as well as the first Black and South Asian American, to serve as vice president.

Since Biden selected Harris in August, progressives have pledged to continue engaging with the pair and pushing them to embrace bold, popular policies including Medicare for All and a Green New Deal. As climate campaigners have pressured Biden and Harris to pursue more ambitious proposals, they have also emphasized that "Trump's climate policies are a raging dumpster fire." On Wednesday, the U.S. ditched the 2015 Paris climate agreement at Trump's direction; Biden has vowed to reenter the accord.

While progressives—including former primary rivals Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)—have rallied behind Biden's bid to oust Trump, the future president has also faced extensive criticism for his political track record on numerous fronts, such as his support for the Iraq War, his primary role in the 1994 crime bill, and his refusal to back universal public healthcare or a ban on fracking for fossil fuels.

"The evident defeat of Donald Trump would not have been possible without the grassroots activism and hard work of countless progressives," Norman Solomon wrote in a column for Common Dreams early Friday. "Now, on vital issues—climate, healthcare, income inequality, militarism, the prison-industrial complex, corporate power, and so much more—it's time to engage with the battle that must happen inside the Democratic Party."

Some news outlets, such as Vox and Business Insider, declared Biden victorious on Friday morning, based on a determination from their election-calling partner, Decision Desk HQ, at 8:50 am ET that the former vice president had won Pennsylvania—hours before other election-calling operations or major news network announced a winner.

"The race is over, as far as our call is concerned, because of the vote totals coming out of Philadelphia this morning," Drew McCoy, the president of Decision Desk, told Vox senior politics correspondent Andrew Prokop. "It became pretty obvious that as the remaining votes across the state and in Philadelphia are counted, Biden's lead will continue to grow."

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Posted at 09:27 AM in Common Dreams, Elections, Joe Biden, Trump | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 06, 2020

Greta Thunberg Tells Trump to 'Chill, Donald, Chill' After Unhinged, Lie-Filled Ballot Tirade

Published on Friday, November 06, 2020

"Donald must work on his Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend!"

by Andrea Germanos, staff writer

11 Comments

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg protests during a "Fridays for Future" protest in front of the Swedish Parliament Riksdagen in Stockholm on October 9, 2020. (Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)

International climate leader Greta Thunberg on Thursday cleverly mocked President Donald Trump's all-caps, unlawful demand that election officials "stop the count" of ballots in several states, with a response using the same words the U.S. leader had directed at her last year.

"So ridiculous. Donald must work on his Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Donald, Chill!" Thunberg tweeted.

As of this writing, the climate activist's tweet has been "liked" over 1.5 million times.

Fellow youth climate leader Vanessa Nakate responded to Thunberg's taunt with her own sarcastic quip: "He actually seemed like a very happy man looking forward to a bright and wonderful future."

Democratic candidate Joe Biden even weighed in as well:

Thunberg's suggestion to Trump mirrors one the president issued in December in response to Thunberg's being chosen TIME's 2019 Person of the Year for her role in sparking the global youth climate strike movement. The president seemed to suggest that the world's youth, hundreds of thousands of whom have been taking to the streets to demand urgent climate action, were unfounded in their anger over global leaders and fossil fuel companies setting the planet on fire.

Weighing in on the U.S. elections in October, Thunberg endorsed Biden, who's now leading in electoral votes. She said that while she "never engage[s] in party politics... the upcoming U.S. elections is above and beyond all that." Thunberg also urged Americans to "get organized and get everyone to vote" for the former vice president.

Thunberg further appealed to U.S. voters in an Election Day tweet, writing, "Your vote will affect billions of people around the world" and "will affect countless of generations to come."

"Every election is a climate election," she added.

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Posted at 09:40 AM in Common Dreams, Climate Change, Global Warming, Trump | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 24, 2020

'We're Rounding the Corner Beautifully,' Trump Lies Just Before US Hits Another Record: 85,000+ New Covid-19 Cases

Published on Saturday, October 24, 2020 by Common Dreams

"Trump's lies and his rejection of science have cost us tens of thousands of lives. We need a new president," said Sen. Bernie Sanders.

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President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign event on October 23, 2020 in The Villages, Florida. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump late Friday repeated his lie that the United States is on its way to defeating the coronavirus pandemic just before the country reported a single-day record of more than 85,000 new Covid-19 infections, nearly 10,000 more cases than were tallied at the height of the devastating surge in mid-July.

But the president's remarks during a campaign rally Friday at The Villages, a Florida retirement community, conveyed zero indication that the U.S. is entering what could be the worst phase of the pandemic yet.

"It's true that country is rounding the turn of the pandemic. We are spiraling out of control."
—Dr. Zoë McLaren,School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County

"I mean, you look at what's going on and we're rounding the turn. We're rounding the corner. We're rounding the corner beautifully," Trump said, recycling an egregious falsehood that has become a staple of his stump speech even as infections and hospitalizations surge nationwide.

The New York Times reported late Friday that "since the start of October, the rise in cases has been steady and inexorable, with no plateau in sight... By that measure, Friday was the worst day of the pandemic, and health experts warned of a further surge as cold weather sets in. The number of people hospitalized with Covid-19 has already risen 40 percent in the past month."

Consistent with his reckless downplaying of the pandemic from the very start, Trump once again peddled the lie that the U.S. is "rounding the turn" during a late Friday rally in Pensacola, one of many largely maskless and closely packed in-person campaign events the president has held in recent days against the warnings of public health officials.

Watch:

"It's true that country is rounding the turn of the pandemic," responded Dr. Zoë McLaren, associate professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. "We are spiraling out of control."

In addition to the record number of cases, the U.S. also reported more than 940 coronavirus deaths on Friday, bringing the nation's death toll to nearly 224,000—the highest in the world.

"This is only getting worse," tweeted epidemiologist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, warning that the U.S. could soon reach 100,000 new cases per day as the winter months approach.

With the November 3 election less than two weeks away, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) tweeted Friday that "Trump's lies and his rejection of science have cost us tens of thousands of lives."

"We need a new president," Sanders said.

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Posted at 08:29 AM in Common Dreams, Coronavirus, Trump | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 18, 2020

Critics Say Deregulatory Rush Shows Even If Defeated the Trump White House Willing to 'Scorch the Earth Before They Go'

Published on Saturday, October 17, 2020

by Brett Wilkins, staff writer

From bomb trains to biometrics to workers' rights, the administration is pushing for last-minute rollbacks that could prove hard for its successor to overturn.

64 Comments

President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to roll back regulations, and he has largely delivered on his pledge. (Photo: Andrew Harrer/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the White House. (Photo: Andrew Harrer/Getty Images)

With President Donald Trump's re-election very much in doubt, his administration is rushing to ram through regulatory rollbacks that could adversely affect millions of Americans, the environment, and the ability of Joe Biden—should he win—to pursue his agenda or even undo the damage done over the past four years.

Reporting by the New York Times details how the administration is cutting corners as it scrambles to enact as much of its agenda as possible before ceding power on January 20 if Trump loses the election. Required public comment periods and detailed analyses, according to the Times, are being eschewed in favor of streamlined approval processes that have left even staunch deregulation defenders sounding the alarm.

"Two main hallmarks of a good regulation is sound analysis to support the alternatives chosen and extensive public comment to get broader opinion," Susan E. Dudley, director of the George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center and formerly head of regulation in the George W. Bush White House, told the Times. "It is a concern if you are bypassing both of those."

Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, told the Times that the president has always "worked quickly... to grow the economy by removing the mountain of Obama-Biden job-killing regulations."

However, critics are warning that some of the proposed changes are being rushed through with insufficient regard to the harm they might cause. Some of the issues that are raising red flags include:

Refusing to lower limits on dangerous particulate and ozone pollution, which cause thousands of annual premature deaths.
Allowing so-called "bomb trains" that transport highly combustible liquefied natural gas on freight trains.
Determining when workers can be classified as employees or independent contractors.
Exempting certain commercial drivers from mandatory hour limits and rest periods.
Placing limits on how science is used in the air pollution rule-making process.
Expanding regulation of immigrants by requiring citizenship applicants to submit biometric data, by forcing sponsors of immigrants to stay off welfare and prove their financial independence.

In response to the reporting, critics of the administration like writer Matthew Kressel said that it helps make clear that if the Republicans in the White House cannot win reelection, they'll "scorch the earth before they go."

And Matthew Gertz, a senior fellow at Media Matters for America, tweeted: "I think people underestimate the amount of time and energy that is going to be needed just to climb out from under the mountain of shit this administration leaves behind."

Many of the changes reflect the agendas of the powerful corporate and other business interests whose key players have donated generously to Trump, belying the president's oft-repeated claim that he is "draining the swamp." Other regulator rollbacks come despite warnings from career officials within federal agencies about the harm they could cause.

Alarmed by the administration's rushed rate of regulatory rollbacks, a group of over 15 Democratic senators earlier this month sent a letter (pdf) to Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia warning of "profound economic implications" for some 143 million U.S. workers that would result from curtailing public comment periods for the proposed rule change regarding independent contractors.

"Workers across the country deserve a chance to fully examine and properly respond to these potentially radical changes, and a 30-day comment period is not nearly enough," the letter states.

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Posted at 08:49 AM in Common Dreams, Trump | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 09, 2020

Health Experts 'Stunned' as Trump Says He Will Resume In-Person Rallies While Infected With Covid-19

Published on Friday, October 09, 2020

Trump and White House officials have repeatedly refused to say whether the president has tested negative for the coronavirus since his diagnosis last week.

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President Donald Trump greets a crowd during a campaign rally at Smith Reynolds Airport on September 8, 2020 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. The president also made a campaign stop in South Florida on Tuesday. (Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

After refusing to say whether he has tested negative for Covid-19 since his diagnosis late last week, President Donald Trump told Sean Hannity of Fox News Thursday night that he is hoping to hold a pair of in-person rallies this coming weekend in the key battleground states of Florida and Pennsylvania despite the potential risk of spreading a virus that has now killed more than 212,000 Americans on his watch.

"I'll tell you, I took this Regeneron, it's phenomenal," Trump said, blowing past Hannity's question about whether he has recently tested negative for Covid-19. "Eli Lilly has something very comparable, it's phenomenal. It's a whole new day."

When asked later in the interview if he's had a coronavirus test since his diagnosis, Trump said, "Well, what we're doing is probably the test will be tomorrow, the actual test, because there's no reason to test all the time. But they found very little infection or virus, if any. I don't know that they found any—I didn't go into it greatly with the doctors."

Watch:

Amid ongoing questions about the president's condition following his release from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday, White House doctors and administration officials have repeatedly declined to say when Trump's last negative coronavirus test was, prompting concerns that the president is still contagious and poses a risk to others.

"I don't want to go backwards," White House physician Dr. Sean Conley said Monday when asked about the president's last negative test result. White House Deputy Press Secretary Brian Morgenstern told reporters that he doesn't know when the president last tested negative for the coronavirus and is not interested in finding out.

"We're not asking to go back through a bunch of records and look backwards," Morgenstern said, parroting Conley's line.

In a brief memo on Thursday, Conley—who has come under fire for evading reporters' questions and omitting crucial information during his briefings on the president's condition—wrote that "based on the trajectory of advanced diagnostics the team has been conducting," he believes Trump will be able to safely "return to public engagements" as early as Saturday.

But public health experts immediately voiced skepticism in response to Conley's proposed timeline. Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University's Milken School of Public Health, said she was "stunned" by Conley's claim that the president is nearly ready to return to public activities.

Saturday is "day 10, according to White House's own time course," Wen noted. "Patients with severe Covid-19 can be infectious for 20 days."

Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious-disease physician based in South Carolina, told the New York Times Thursday that while "everyone is going to have a different point of view," he would "err on the safe side, and keep [Trump] isolated for 20 days."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that "for most persons with Covid-19 illness, isolation and precautions can generally be discontinued 10 days after symptom onset and resolution of fever for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing medications, and with improvement of other symptoms." Based on the White House's public statements, it's unclear when Trump began showing coronavirus symptoms.

"This is bigger than him," Kuppalli said, alluding to the public health risks associated with the president resuming public events.

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Posted at 11:39 AM in Common Dreams, Coronavirus, Trump | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 07, 2020

'Telling All Working People...to Drop Dead': Trump Ended Covid Relief Talks After McConnell Said Republicans Wouldn't Vote for Deal

Published on Wednesday, October 07, 2020

"Trump is turning his back on you," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal. "He doesn't care about workers and families. He only cares about himself."

64 Comments

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) walks from the Senate floor to his office on Thursday, July 30, 2020. (Photo: Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

President Donald Trump's abrupt decision Tuesday to order a halt to coronavirus relief negotiations despite widespread and growing economic suffering, hunger, and a looming mass eviction crisis came after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly told the president that any compromise deal would likely be doomed to fail in the Republican-controlled chamber.

On a call with Trump shortly before he fired off a series of tweets announcing the end of stimulus talks, McConnell "suggested to Trump that [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi was stringing him along and no deal she cut with [Treasury Secretary Steve] Mnuchin would command broad GOP support to pass in the Senate," the Washington Post reported, citing two unnamed sources with knowledge of the conversation.

"We are looking at the potential of hunger in the United States exploding on a level that we have never seen since the Great Depression. And all of it is preventable. All of it."
—Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

McConnell publicly voiced agreement with the president's instructions to push off stimulus negotiations until after next month's election and focus fully on confirming right-wing Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, despite polling showing that even a majority of Republican voters want the Senate to prioritize another aid package.

"I think his view was that they were not going to produce a result and we needed to concentrate on what's achievable," the Kentucky Republican told reporters Tuesday, just 24 hours after Trump departed Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after a brief stay for coronavirus treatment.

For months, in the face of increasingly dire economic circumstances and nationwide desperation, McConnell and his GOP allies in Congress have obstructed progress on an additional aid package, allowing relief programs approved by previous stimulus legislation to expire and abandoning tens of millions of jobless Americans to drastically reduced incomes.

Last week, as Common Dreams reported, not a single Republican representative voted for a $2.2 trillion compromise version of House Democrats' HEROES Act. McConnell has dismissed the House-passed legislation as a "political stunt" and refused to allow the bill to reach the Senate floor for a vote.

"They are telling all working people, no matter who we vote for or what state we live in, to drop dead," tweeted the Working Families Party.

In an interview on MSNBC Tuesday night, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) warned that "if the president and the GOP follow through with walking away from Covid relief, we are staring down the barrel at one of the largest mass eviction crises in this country since the Great Depression."

"We're looking at a potential second wave [of the coronavirus] that could be catastrophic," said Ocasio-Cortez. "We are looking at the potential of hunger in the United States exploding on a level that we have never seen since the Great Depression. And all of it is preventable. All of it."

Just hours after killing negotiations over a broad relief package that likely would have included aid to state and local governments, stimulus checks, and an extension of the lapsed federal unemployment insurance boost, Trump took to Twitter once more to advocate stand-alone bills to assist the airline industry and provide another round of direct $1,200 payments.

"If I am sent a Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200), they will go out to our great people IMMEDIATELY," the president tweeted. "I am ready to sign right now. Are you listening Nancy?"

Following the president's earlier call for an end to relief negotiations, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.)—co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus—tweeted that "by walking away from the Covid package we just passed, Trump is turning his back on you—and on economic relief, expanded unemployment assistance, stimulus checks, eviction moratoriums, help for businesses."

"He doesn't care about workers and families," Jayapal added. "He only cares about himself."

Kyle Herrig, president of watchdog group Accountable.US, echoed Jayapal in a statement late Tuesday. "Economic experts and working Americans agree: the time for Congress to secure a new aid deal is now," said Herrig. "Unfortunately, President Trump and his Senate allies don't feel the same."

"While Trump and his friends in Congress prioritize Barrett's nomination over new coronavirus relief," Herrig continued, "American families and small businesses—and by extension, the nation's economy—continue to suffer."

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Posted at 11:46 AM in Common Dreams, Coronavirus, Trump | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 03, 2020

'Postpone the Hearing': Democrats Demand Delay in Barrett's Confirmation Process After Third GOP Senator Tests Positive for Covid-19

Published on Saturday, October 03, 2020

"Rushing to have the hearing under these circumstances just shows that Republicans know they won't have the votes after Election Day."

Seventh U.S. Circuit Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump's pick for the Supreme Court, meets with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) in the Mansfield Room of the U.S. Capitol on September 30, 2020 in Washington, D.C. Tillis announced he had tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday. (Photo: Bill Clark-Pool/Getty Images)

Democratic lawmakers and progressive advocates demanded on Friday and into Saturday that the Senate Judiciary Committee postpone Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearing for the U.S. Supreme Court after at least three Republican senators tested positive for the coronavirus.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced his positive result on Saturday morning, a day after two Senate Judiciary Committee members—Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)—were also diagnosed with Covid-19.

Johnson did not attend the White House gathering last Saturday where President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Barrett, but he has been attending lunches with other Republican senators three times per week, including this past week. Lee and Tillis have also been attending the gatherings, suggesting that they may have exposed several of their Senate colleagues. Democratic senators have suspended their in-person lunches in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The progressive advocacy group Demand Justice was among those who called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to postpone Barrett's hearings, which are set to begin Oct. 13.

"They need to postpone the hearing because voting on Barrett before the election would gravely damage the legitimacy of the Court itself," wrote Susan Hennessey, executive editor of Lawfare. "Rushing to have the hearing under these circumstances just shows that Republicans know they won't have the votes after Election Day."

Johnson's diagnosis calls into question—even if the Senate Judiciary Committee moves forward with a virtual hearing—whether Barrett could be confirmed before Election Day, one month from Saturday.

As CNN reported Saturday, "If the three senators remain out this month, it would effectively prevent Barrett from being confirmed to the Supreme Court until they return, which could be after Election Day during a lame-duck session."

"A lame-duck confirmation is a situation that GOP leaders are eager to avoid in case they lose control of the chamber next month," reported Manu Raju and Lauren Fox. "The fear is that one or two GOP senators may break ranks after seeing the election results and citing the will of the voters."

Two Republican senators—Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have already indicated they do not support moving forward with Barrett's confirmation process before the election, but have not ruled out a confirmation during a potential lame-duck session should Trump lose to Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) tweeted late Friday that with at least two Covid-positive Judiciary Committee members, "The Senate cannot safely proceed on the Supreme Court nomination. We must focus on containing this virus to protect members and staff."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, issued a joint statement Friday along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), noting the "bipartisan agreement that a virtual confirmation hearing for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench is not an acceptable substitute" for an in-person hearing and calling on committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) postpone the hearing.

"All circuit court nominees have appeared in person during the pandemic, and there is far more at stake for the American people with this Supreme Court nomination, including the Affordable Care Act being struck down and more than seven million Covid survivors being denied health coverage," the lawmakers said. "It’s critical that Chairman Graham put the health of senators, the nominee and staff first – and ensure a full and fair hearing that is not rushed, not truncated, and not virtual. Otherwise this already illegitimate process will become a dangerous one.”

The statement followed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's indication that Republicans intend to move "full steam ahead" with Barrett's confirmation. McConnell made his statement before Tillis announced his positive test result.

"How many Senate Judiciary Committee members need to test positive to get Lindsey Graham to postpone Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearing?" asked UCLA political scientist Miranda Yaver after Tillis's diagnosis became public.

David Segal, executive director of progressive campaign group Demand Progress,called for the hearing to be postponed while urging voters to "prepare to push for further postponement thereafter."

Yep postpone the hearing - and prepare to push for further postponement thereafter. Call your senators, no matter where you are, at 202-899-8938. (Will get script to use once you dial.) https://t.co/hj8UeClo5p

— David Segal (@DavidSegalRI) October 3, 2020

"Call your senators, no matter where you are," Segal tweeted.

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Posted at 09:56 AM in Common Dreams, Coronavirus, Republicans, Senate | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 30, 2020

Bernie Sanders: Ruinous 2020 Debate Showcased Why Trump Is 'Most Dangerous President' in US History

Published on Wednesday, September 30, 2020

"If you believe in democracy, if you believe in the Constitution and in the rule of law, Trump has got to go."

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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. on September 24, 2020. (Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)

Sen. Bernie Sanders said following Tuesday night's 2020 debate that President Donald Trump's performance—including his refusal to condemn armed white supremacists, attack on the legitimacy of the election, and rejection of science—showcased why he is "the most dangerous president in the history of the United States of America" and must be defeated in November.

"This is a guy who continues to say he may not lose office," the Vermont senator said in an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" late Tuesday. "You wanna be shocked, Jimmy? What about learning that you got a guy in office now who says, 'Well, maybe I will lose the election. So what? That doesn't mean to say I'm gonna leave office because, as you know, everything is fraudulent. If I lose, by definition the election is rigged.' Think about that."

Sanders was referencing Trump's false claim—which he has made numerous times in recent weeks, including during the Republican National Convention—that the election is "rigged" against him due to the increase in mail-in voting driven by the coronavirus pandemic.

"If you believe in democracy," Sanders continued, "if you believe in the Constitution and in the rule of law, Trump has got to go."

Watch:

While Sanders didn't shy away from his disagreements with Democratic nominee Joe Biden on the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and other progressive policy goals, the Vermont senator said the differences between the former vice president and Trump on climate, healthcare, and other crucial issues are stark and were on full display Tuesday night.

"I happen to think, and I think people saw this tonight, that in Donald Trump, we have the most dangerous president in the history of this country, somebody who not only lies all of the time, Jimmy, but really doesn't believe in science," Sanders said.

"We have a president who continues to reject science. That's true for the coronavirus, that is true for climate change as well," the senator continued. "What we need, and I think Biden will give us, is a government that at least listens to science and develops legislation based on science... He understands that climate change is an existential threat to the planet."

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Posted at 08:55 AM in Bernie Sanders, Common Dreams, Joe Biden, Trump | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 28, 2020

'The American People Should Be Pissed Off': Critics Say Trump Tax Dodging Exposes System Rotten to the Core

Published on Monday, September 28, 2020

"The American people should be angry about President Trump's tax evasion, but that's not all. They should be much more angry about how much of what Trump did is legal."

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People take part in a protest against the Republican tax bill in Los Angeles, California on December 4, 2017. (Photo: Ronen Tivony/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

While President Donald Trump's long-running effort to game the U.S. tax code for his own financial benefit was the central focus of explosive new reporting on the billionaire's tax returns by the New York Times, progressive observers and lawmakers were quick to note that the behaviors revealed by the documents are commonplace among America's wealthy elite—a fact they said is cause for widespread outrage and a renewed push in Congress for transformational change to a system that is fundamentally rotten.

"Donald Trump is a liar, a cheater, and a crooked businessman, yes. But he's also taking advantage of a broken, corrupt, and unequal system that's built for people like him to do what he did."
—Sen. Elizabeth Warren

"The American people should be angry about President Trump's tax evasion, but that's not all. They should be much more angry about how much of what Trump did is legal," Morris Pearl, the chair of advocacy group Patriotic Millionaires, said in a statement Monday. "The American people should be more angry about how many other millionaires and billionaires are able to avoid supporting the country that made them rich in the first place."

"Most of all," Pearl added, "the American people should be pissed off about the fact that instead of offering them healthcare, or affordable childcare, or financial support during a pandemic, their government instead prioritizes protecting the wealth of the rich, powerful, and selfish."

Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, said he hopes the new reporting provides "a wake-up call to Congress."

"If we are going to create an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top," said Clemente, "we need to create a fair share tax system that closes loopholes, cracks down on tax cheats, and prevents any unscrupulous tycoon—sadly, including the president of the United States—from dodging their tax obligations for decades on end."

Based on more than two decades of tax records the president has long fought to conceal from the public and Congress, the Times report details how Trump has repeatedly exploited gaping loopholes and business-friendly provisions in the U.S. tax code to massively reduce his federal income tax bill. The result of Trump's maneuvering, according to the Times, was that the billionaire paid just $750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017 and not a dime in 10 of the 15 years before his White House victory.

"Trump's tax returns tell us that he's either a very bad businessman or a tax cheat—likely both," tweeted Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), alluding to Trump's use of major business losses to dodge income taxes.

"But more importantly," Sanders added, "it shows how the wealthy, unlike most Americans, are able to avoid paying taxes. The top 1% is responsible for 70% of unpaid taxes. It's time to tax the rich."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) echoed Sanders, arguing that the revelations in the Times reporting are "about more than one man's personal tax scams."

"Donald Trump is a liar, a cheater, and a crooked businessman, yes," said Warren. "But he's also taking advantage of a broken, corrupt, and unequal system that's built for people like him to do what he did."

Since taking office in 2017, Trump has worked with his Republican allies in Congress to make the U.S. tax system even friendlier to the wealthy and large corporations while leaving working- and middle-class families in the dust.

Steve Wamhoff, federal policy director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, noted in a statement that the Times reporting does "not include Trump's tax returns for 2018 and 2019, the first two years after the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act went into effect. The law opened new tax avoidance opportunities for wealthy business owners."

"There are two tax systems: one that most of us follow and another far more generous one for the very rich. While it is common for the wealthy to use the tax code this way, Trump is in a league of his own."
—Steve Wamhoff, Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

"There are two tax systems: one that most of us follow and another far more generous one for the very rich," said Wamhoff. "While it is common for the wealthy to use the tax code this way, Trump is in a league of his own. His losses seem to be, in many cases, more than just paper losses. Anything he is personally involved in tends to lose money. And it is possible that his various maneuvers do, in fact, exceed what is allowed by the law."

In addition to hiking income taxes on the rich and imposing a wealth tax, analysts said in response to the Times reporting that congressional Democrats must also prioritize enforcement of the nation's tax laws by adequately funding the IRS, which has been crippled in recent years by Republican budget cuts.

"Right now the IRS is fighting with paper swords," tweeted Binyamin Appelbaum, economics writer for the Times Editorial Board. "Making rich people follow the law is a matter of justice and oh, by the way, it would also be hugely profitable for the government. Every time a billionaire cheats on their taxes, that's less money for roads, schools, etc."

Pearl of the Patriotic Millionaires said that "it seems obvious that Trump has committed some amount of criminal tax evasion, but that's not the biggest issue here."

"The real problem is a system that provides such absurd loopholes to the ultra-wealthy in the first place, and a deliberately underfunded IRS that lacks the capacity to properly prosecute rich people's criminal tax evasion," said Pearl. "Trump's case may be particularly egregious, but he's far from unique."

In July, as Common Dreams reported, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the amount of unpaid taxes between 2011 to 2013 averaged just over $380 billion per year—a figure Sanders decried at the time as "an absolute outrage."

"Congress is leaving hundreds of billions of dollars in taxes uncollected from the wealthy," Sanders added. "Make no mistake: the primary beneficiaries of IRS funding cuts are wealthy tax cheats and large corporations. Do not think for one second that the wealthiest country on Earth is unable to make critical investments to meet people's basic needs in terms of healthcare, food security, education, and unemployment."

Writing for the Discourse Blog on Monday, journalist Paul Blest argued that the U.S. tax system in its present form "invites manipulation by anyone rich enough to do it." But, Blest added, the tax code's current construction is the result of deliberate policy decisions and thus—with adequate political will—reversable.

"It really doesn't have to be like this; the government can act to heavily tax the rich and powerful and use the money to fund public services and has in the past," wrote Blest. "And if people want to reduce the power, influence, and mythos surrounding obscenely wealthy people like Donald Trump, there are far worse places they could start than the U.S. tax code."

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Posted at 12:15 PM in Common Dreams, Tax Havens, Tax the Rich, Taxes, Trump | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 24, 2020

'Clarion Call to All Progressive Environmentalists': To Defeat Trump's Planetary Destruction, Climate Heavyweights Endorse Biden

Published on Thursday, September 24, 2020

"After four years of chaos, tragedy, and absolute corruption, the choice we face in November could not be any clearer or more important."

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A political poster favoring U.S. presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) is placed on a front lawn September 11, 2020 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. (Photo: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)

Condemning President Donald Trump's demonstrated hostility toward environmental protections and agenda actively exacerbating the climate emergency, the political action arms of both 350 and Friends of the Earth on Thursday endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

"The stakes are clear and present. The planet cannot withstand four more years of Trump."
—Tamara Toles O'Laughlin, 350 Action

Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), "are running on the strongest climate platform of any presidential ticket, ever," 350 Action North America director Tamara Toles O'Laughlin said in a statement. "We are confident that they will meet the scale of the climate crisis, and respond to the compounding crises of Covid-19, a failed economy, and systemic racism."

"The stakes are clear and present. The planet cannot withstand four more years of Trump," declared Toles O'Laughlin. "For the sake of our democracy, we must seize this moment to make every vote count and elect leaders who will rebuild a framework that is accountable to science and justice."

Friends of the Earth Action president Erich Pica recognized in a statement Thursday that his group declined to fully endorse former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee in 2016. "We underestimated Donald Trump's ability to win the electoral college," he explained. "We will not make this mistake again."

"After four years of chaos, tragedy, and absolute corruption, the choice we face in November could not be any clearer or more important," Pica said. "That is why Friends of the Earth Action is endorsing Vice President Biden for President. We must elect him in November, and we need every progressive voter to join us."

While the climate groups know full well that a Biden-Harris administration will need to be aggressively challenged to go further on the issue once in office, they say grassroots pressure at least has a chance of moving them toward the kind of solutions scientists say are necessary.

"In the primaries, we pushed the Biden campaign hard for people and the planet. And with time and relentless pressure, we have seen the campaign take up the demands of our movement," said Toles O'Laughlin. "The fingerprints of long standing environmental justice, community leaders, energy justice advocates, and youth pushing for change are all over Biden's climate plan."

"Together we will continue to demand a swift end to fossil fuel subsidies; hold fossil fuel companies accountable; transition to a 100% clean energy economy, and achieve real gains on net zero emissions by 2035," she added.

Pica specifically pointed to the $2 trillion green energy and environmental justice proposal that Biden unveiled in July as evidence that he "clearly listened to community members, activists, and scientific experts and adjusted his plan so it more closely matches the scale of the crisis we face."

"While there is no doubt that we will continue to have deep disagreements with Vice President Biden over policy, personnel, and ambition, he has already shown willingness to shift his approach," Pica said. "He heeded progressive calls to center environmental justice and overhauled his climate and energy plans to match the scale of the crisis we face."

Friends of the Earth Action's endorsement "is a clarion call to all progressive environmentalists," he added, including those who supported Biden's progressive primary rivals, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)—who both now back the nominee—as well as those who may not have voted in 2016, or those who voted third party.

As early in-person and absentee voting has kicked off in some states this month, the Biden-Harris ticket has continued to stack up support from climate experts and advocates who believe, as the editors of Scientific American put it in their historic endorsement of the former vice president last week, "the 2020 election is literally a matter of life and death."

350 Action executive director May Boeve echoed that message Thursday, emphasizing the importance of electing political leaders who are willing to "show up on the international stage to tackle the climate breakdown we face, and seize opportunities to build a world rooted in just recovery and real action."

"We are faced with the election of our lifetime and the outcome will have considerable impacts for the United States and the world," Boeve said. "With scientists saying we have eight years to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis, we are endorsing Biden and Harris because they are best positioned to make the United States a global leader on climate action."

"In the last four years, we've seen the intensification of climate impacts across the U.S., including devastating wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and droughts," she noted. "This crisis has been further exacerbated by four years of federal climate rollbacks that have set us back significantly. Biden and Harris must reverse the current administration's dismantling of climate policies and set in place a robust climate agenda that phases us off fossil fuels."

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Posted at 01:08 PM in Common Dreams, Climate Change, Global Warming, Joe Biden | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 22, 2020

Highlighting 'Extreme Carbon Inequality,' Oxfam Study Shows World's Richest 1% Emit More Than Twice as Much CO2 as Poorest 50%

Published on Monday, September 21, 2020

by Brett Wilkins, staff writer

"The over-consumption of a wealthy minority is fueling the climate crisis, yet it is poor communities and young people who are paying the price," said study author Tim Gore.

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Newly-published research from Oxfam International reveals that the wealthiest 1% of the world's population is responsible for more than twice as much CO2 pollution as the bottom half of humanity. (Photo:isciencetimes.com)

A new study from the NGO Oxfam International found that the world's richest 1% are responsible for more than twice as much CO2 pollution as the poorest half of humanity. (Photo: isciencetimes.com)

The wealthiest 1% of the world's population is responsible for emitting more than twice as much carbon dioxide as the poorest 50% of humanity, according to new research published Monday by Oxfam International.

The study (pdf), which was conducted in partnership with the Stockholm Environmental Institute, analyzed data collected in the years 1990 to 2015, a period during which emissions doubled worldwide. It found that the world's richest 63 million people were responsible for 15% of global CO2 emissions, while the poorest half of the world's people emitted just 7%.

LATEST: The carbon emissions of the richest 1% of the world are more than *double* the emissions of the poorest half of humanity.

Over-consumption of the elites is fueling #ClimateCrisis yet it's poor communities & young people who pay the price.

👉🏾 https://t.co/15GwT9zlBf pic.twitter.com/f4cNGkMJQE
— Oxfam International (@Oxfam) September 21, 2020

The researchers reported that air and automobile travel were two of the main emission sources among the world's wealthiest people. The study revealed that during the 15-year period, the richest 10% blew out one-third of the world's remaining "carbon budget"—the amount of carbon dioxide that can be added to the atmosphere without causing global temperatures to rise above 1.5°C—as set under the Paris Agreement. It also found that annual emissions grew by 60% between 1990 and 2015, with the richest 5% responsible for 37% of this growth.

According to the study, "the per capita footprint of the richest 10% is more than 10 times the 1.5°C-consistent target for 2030, and more than 30 times higher than the poorest 50%."

The researchers noted a sharp drop in CO2 emissions during the coronavirus pandemic. However, they said that "emissions are likely to rapidly rebound as governments ease Covid-related lockdowns."

In 2020, climate change has fueled deadly cyclones in India and Bangladesh, massive locust swarms that have devastated crops throughout Africa, and intense heatwaves and wildfires in Australia and western North America, among many other events.

Oxfam is calling for more taxes on high-carbon luxuries, including a frequent-flier tax, in order to invest in lower-emission alternatives and improve the lives of the world's poorest people, who are the least responsible for—but most affected by—the disasters and harm unleashed by global CO2 emissions.

"The over-consumption of a wealthy minority is fueling the climate crisis, yet it is poor communities and young people who are paying the price," wrote study author Tim Gore, Oxfam's head of climate policy. "Such extreme carbon inequality is a direct consequence of our governments decades-long pursuit of grossly unequal and carbon intensive economic growth."

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Posted at 07:18 AM in Common Dreams, John Lawrence, Carbon Dioxide, Climate Change, Fossil Fuels, Global Warming, The 1% | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 18, 2020

As Advocates Demand Media 'Cover the Crisis,' Poll Shows Voters Want Comprehensive Reporting on Climate Crisis

Published on Friday, September 18, 2020

"To give voters the information they need to make political decisions in an increasingly chaotic world, the media must cover the climate crisis with the accuracy and urgency it deserves."

by Lisa Newcomb, staff writer

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Sunrise L.A. Youth, a hub of the national Sunrise Movement, marched and protested outside CNN's Los Angeles offices Thursday to demand the outlet "Cover the Crisis" of climate change more thoroughly. (Photo: Sunrise L.A. Youth/Twitter)

As wildfires continue to rage across the western United States and hurricanes barrel towards the East Coast, a new report out Thursday says voters want the media to do a better job at covering the climate crisis and connecting the dots between extreme weather events and climate change.

"The media has a responsibility to inform viewers of the connections between climate change and the increasingly unstable world around them," wrote Dr. Genevieve Gunther, Danielle Deiseroth, and Marcela Mulholland in a summary of the research conducted by Data for Progress and End Climate Silence. "It's not just climate activists and policy wonks that want to see this kind of coverage; our polling shows that a broad-base of voters do too."

While plenty of coverage of extreme weather events such as hurricanes exists, what does not is the connection to the climate crisis in the same reporting, the authors wrote. For example, ABC, CBS, and NBC aired a combined 50 segments on Hurricane Laura, yet not one connected the storm to climate change.

"Media coverage is critical in determining how the public perceives climate change," they continued. "To give voters the information they need to make political decisions in an increasingly chaotic world, the media must cover the climate crisis with the accuracy and urgency it deserves."

According to the report, a Data for Progress poll found that more than seven in 10 Americans (72%) say that if there is a connection between an extreme weather event and climate change, they want to hear about it in the news. This includes 85% of Democrats, 59% of independents, and 62% of Republicans surveyed. Additionally, poll results showed 75% of Americans think it's important for news coverage of extreme weather to explain its connections to climate change.

"The science and reality couldn't be clearer—climate-fueled planetary emergency is the context in which all issues now exist," the report's authors wrote. "Journalists would be wise to frame their reporting with this in mind. They can feel confident that it is not only the right thing to do, but also what voters want."

The poll results came as climate activists from the Sunrise Movement protested outside CNN's Los Angeles offices to demand they "Cover the Crisis" of climate change.

"We're here to hold the journalists at CNN to a higher standard and demand that they address the climate crisis with the urgency that is necessary to ensure a livable future for young people," Claire Donahue, a 17-year-old activist, said according to a statement from Sunrise L.A. Youth. "We've seen the course of history changed when journalists have the courage to call out injustice which is why we are demanding that CNN take bold, transformative action to address the climate crisis."

Sunrise Movement tweeted about the Data for Progress study on Thursday and called for moderators of presidential debates to press candidates on the issue.

During a CNN town hall Thursday night, Anderson Cooper pressed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on fracking—a practice linked to methane spikes in the earth's atmosphere which the former vice president has said he will not ban.

"You said you won't ban fracking but that you wanted to gradually move away from it, ultimately," Cooper said to Biden. "It sounds like, to some, you are trying to have it both ways. Politically, it's understandable why you might say that, but if fracking contributes to climate change and climate change is an existential threat, why should it, fracking, continue at all?"

Biden responded that fracking "has to continue because we need a transition."

"We're going to get to net-zero emissions by 2050, and we'll get to net-zero power emissions by 2035," the candidate said. "But there is no rationale to eliminate, right now, fracking."

On Monday, during a speech about the wildfires on the West Coast, Biden called climate-change denier President Donald Trump a "climate arsonist."

In an op-ed last week in The Boston Globe, End Climate Silence director Gunther wrote that because Republican lawmakers have attacked existing climate science, broadcast news outlets may fear retribution if they cover extreme weather in the context of the crisis.

"The first job of a free press is not to be intimidated by governmental threats meant to suppress the truths discovered by science—or any other truths, for that matter," she wrote. "And it's not to be manipulated into silence by special interests when news consumers want to understand the links between the disasters they fear and the climate change that's fueling them."

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Posted at 11:03 AM in Common Dreams, Climate Change, Global Warming | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 09, 2020

'Entire Western US on Fire' as Region Faces Deadly Flames Compounded by Heatwave, Blackouts, and Coronavirus

Published on Wednesday, September 09, 2020

Seventy wildfires raged across California, Oregon, Washington, and other western states on Wednesday.

A law enforcement officer watches flames launch into the air as fire continues to spread at the Bear fire in Oroville, California on September 9, 2020. (Photo: Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)

A record-shattering heatwave, continuing wildfires, power blackouts, and the coronavirus pandemic in California have combined to put the health and safety of residents across the state in danger this week, as other western states face dozens of blazes as well.

More than 720,000 people in California were told Tuesday to prepare for power shutoffs by Pacific Gas & Electric and other utilities—part of what has been called the "new normal" to minimize wildfire damage as two dozen major fires rage throughout the state.

"Yesterday, 330,000 acres burned in WA. That's more than 12 of the last 18 entire fire seasons.
—Gov. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.)

As Common Dreams reported Tuesday, this year's first round of preventative shutoffs began Monday, affecting 172,000 households.

Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric were also considering shutting off power for more than 71,000 homes combined on Tuesday.

The shutoffs are being planned as the state faces historic heatwaves; officials in Los Angeles County recorded a record high of 121º Fahrenheit over the weekend, while the temperature in San Francisco rose to 100º on Sunday.

The National Weather Service issued a warning as temperatures dropped that the widespread power shutoffs could create health risks for vulnerable Californians, as many may need to use their air conditioners to stay cool.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that the state had financially prepared for preventative power shutoffs after PG&E was criticized for its handling of the protocols last year, facing accusations that the utility didn't give customers enough warning as it initiated a widespread planned power outage for the first time as the state dealt with wildfires.

The state has put in place "protocols and partnerships with the counties on making sure those that are impacted have support" and is "making sure [community resource] centers are up and operational to protect those most vulnerable," Newsom told the press.

The centers will retain power so residents can use them—but as The Guardian reported, "some residents may avoid them because of coronavirus infection risks," as people have been advised not to gather in large groups.

Officials also released an air quality advisory, warning that smoke buildup across huge swaths of the state is making the air "unhealthy for sensitive groups"—many of whom are already at heightened risk for complications if they contract Covid-19.

Maps of the American West showed that California is far from alone in facing dozens of wildfires, even as the region is just now entering the time of year when fires are typically a concern.

More than 70 wildfires were recorded in western states including Washington and Oregon on Wednesday. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a vocal proponent of far-reaching climate action legislation and a transition away from the burning of fossil fuels to renewable energy, tweeted that a record-breaking 330,000 acres of land were burned in a single day in his state.

"That's more than 12 of the last 18 entire fire seasons," Inslee wrote.

The Oregon Climate Office reported that for the first time, the National Weather Service placed parts of the state under an extreme fire advisory. On social media, viral images of the city of Stayton, located 16 miles from Salem, Oregon, showed a bright red sky over the downtown area in the middle of the day Tuesday.

Malden, Washington—a town of about 200 people not far from Spokane—faced the destruction of its post office, city hall, and about 80% of its homes.

"The scale of this disaster really can't be expressed in words," Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers told CBS News. "The fire will be extinguished, but a community has been changed for a lifetime."

Beth Doglio, a progressive candidate running to represent Washington's 10th district, reiterated her campaign message pushing for a "clean energy future" and a rapid transition away from planet-heating fossil fuel extraction.

"We are experiencing the effects of climate change now as Western Washington faces multiple burning fires and poor air quality," Doglio tweeted. "We have to transition away [from] burning fossil fuels. We need climate leadership in Congress."

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Posted at 11:05 AM in Common Dreams, California, Fires, Global Warming | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 05, 2020

Can the Democratic Party Landslide the Criminal Tyrant Trump?

Published on Saturday, September 05, 2020

Why has the Democratic Party been losing again and again at the federal and state level to the worst, cruelest, soft on corporate corruption, war-mongering, anti-worker Republican Party in history?

by Ralph Nader

20 Comments

Former vice-president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden (L) and Senator from California and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris greet supporters outside the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware, at the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention, held virtually amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, on August 20, 2020. (Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Why can't the Democratic Party landslide the serial corporate criminal and government outlaw Donald Trump? He is a servant of Wall Street and, by his deeds favoring the powerful, a proven "enemy of the people."

Why has the Democratic Party been losing again and again at the federal and state level to the worst, cruelest, soft on corporate corruption, war-mongering, anti-worker Republican Party in history?

"Biden should be thirty points ahead in the polls against the delusional, falsifying, lawless, selected occupant of the White House who spends most of his time tweeting insults, lies, and fictional accusations when he isn't watching the Fox News adoring bloviators. Instead, Biden's lead is in single digits."

The answers are many. The Democratic Party is indentured to monied interests and is incapable of taking responsibility for its losses and mistakes. Democratic operatives resist organized grassroots pressure and the party excludes/punishes any dissent inside its ranks. The shrinking trade unions that have historically pushed the Democratic Party are increasingly content with crumbs for workers and afraid of union members who have swallowed the Trump lies.

The two-party duopoly and an electoral system that obstructs challengers from smaller parties lets the Democratic Party stagnate. Unfortunately, the fate of the nation and our Constitutional Republic is in its hands. Joe Biden should be thirty points ahead in the polls against the delusional, falsifying, lawless, selected occupant of the White House who spends most of his time tweeting insults, lies, and fictional accusations when he isn't watching the Fox News adoring bloviators. Instead, Biden's lead is in single digits and he is having a hard time getting the offensive Trump on the defense. Here are some suggestions for the Democratic Party's quivering leaders:

Organize a mass demand for Trump/Pence to Step Aside and let experienced pandemic scientists and managers run the federal response to Covid-19, saving tens of thousands of lives and allowing the economy to recover. Trump's Virus, spreading daily owing to Trump's bungling, fabricating, quackering, chaos, denials, and grinding government scientists through his ignorant, ego-obsessed shredders, requires such a demand. It will encourage more people and state and local governments to be more assertive and insist on professional management and critical coordination by Washington.
There are many Republicans in Congress who privately dread how the daily Trump Virus Show is diminishing their own electoral poll numbers.
Stop Coddling, Aiding, and Abetting Corporate Crooks who are cheating and endangering the health/safety of red state and blue state Americans alike. Demand Law and Order enforcement and greater funding for the corporate crime police. By massively dismantling government law enforcement, Trump is intensifying the corporate crime wave with subsidies, handouts, bailouts, and huge tax escapes. How's that for putting Big Business over Main Street? Let them steal, let them pollute, let them park their profits in tax havens abroad are elements of the Trumpian mantra which he brazenly applies to his own business interests.
Stop Trump from committing big-time violations of our Constitution and our federal laws in order to deepen his dictatorial regime. Trump illegally uses federal employees and property to promote his political campaign – a federal crime under the Hatch Act. He seizes the "power of the purse" from Congress, spending money for unauthorized domestic and foreign objectives thereby violating the criminal statute known as the Anti-Deficiency Act. He fires prosecutors and Inspectors General closing in on his and his crony's crimes and egregious misdeeds.
Take on Trump when he declares phony national emergencies to grab more dictatorial powers making him the largest national emergency of them all. Trump makes it easy for the Democrats when he declares "I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president."Nixon was about to be impeached and convicted in 1974, before he resigned, for a tiny fraction of what the Democrats are letting Trump get away with.
Announce it is time to Vote Trump Out and Vote in the long-overdue Pay Raise. Ending the freeze on the $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage and raising some 25 million workers' wages to $15 per hour would answer the question: "Whose Side are You On?" The House of Representatives has passed a $15 an hour minimum wage bill, though with a long implementation schedule. The Republican Senate, however, blocks passage and it has blocked the $600 a week relief payment to many millions of Americans without jobs due to Trump's Virus.

Shouldn't the Democrats make these contrasting, notorious corporate-driven cruelties more vivid, and more front and center? Repetition is what reaches people who are numb to years of empty rhetoric and who want authenticity. Comparing Walmart's CEO making $12,000 an hour while many of his workers languish well under $15 per hour sharpens what should be the authentic contrast between the Republicans and Democrats.
Make Mitch McConnell, the self-styled "Grim Reaper" toady of big business, who buries scores of good bills passed by the House, the number two Ogre in the campaign. The evil McConnell is the worst suffocator of necessities for the American people, their children, and retirees in American congressional history. The Democrats have listed scores of bills under McConnell's chokehold – such as protections for poor children, fragile worker and retiree pensions (including those for coal miners in his state of Kentucky), lowering drug prices and expanding health care coverage, controlling climate disasters – to name a few. Yet, once again, they have not made "Moscow Mitch's" record (including blocking safeguards for election security and voter's rights) vocal, vivid, and front of center. The Democrats certainly have the campaign money to do so.
The arrogant McConnell is up for re-election against a hyper-cautious conservative Democratic opponent. Democrats should take McConnell's pompous boast "The one thing I get to do that the other 99 /Senators/ don't get to do, is decide what we're going to do." and flood Kentucky with the truth about this malicious, destructive tyrant of the Senate and his 200 confirmed right-wing and corporate judges. McConnell's lapdog delivery of the Senate has made possible Trump's monarchical drive to repeal the American Revolution against Kings and for "a new birth of freedom."
Last November, 61% of women in a national CNN poll wanted Trump impeached and convicted. Certainly on their minds was Trump's long history of being a publicly bragging sexual predator and a terrible example for boys and young men. Over twenty brave women have come forward with credible accusations of sexual assaults by lying Donald. Why aren't the Democrats making this a campaign issue and making Trump pay a political price for such disgusting outrages? Democrats can turn the Republican Party's campaigns on "values" against Trump and his apologists.
The Democratic Party must choose to stand with the people by presenting a solemn covenant that improves all the livelihoods of all Americans and addresses the widespread anxiety, dread, and fear where they live, work, and raise their families. Help make people's dreams of a secure, fulfilling future a reality. This specific covenant would show that the Democratic Party stands for much more specific changes than not being Trump. Make it vivid and memorable, including empowering the people in distinct ways.

If you like these suggestions, add some of your own, and call or email Democratic National Chairman Tom Perez, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the House Democratic Caucus leader Hakeem Jeffries.

To Contact Chairman Tom Perez
Visit: https://democrats.org/contact-us/
or call (202) 863-8000

To Contact Members of Congress, call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121

Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate and the author, most recently, of The Seventeen Solutions: Bold Ideas for Our American Future. His new book, Wrecking America: How Trump’s Lies and Lawbreaking Betray All, co-authored with Mark Green, is out next month.

Posted at 10:14 AM in Common Dreams, Democrats, Elections, Joe Biden | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 26, 2020

Jacob Blake's Father Says His Son Is Paralyzed Below Waist After Being Shot From Behind by Kenosha Police

Published on Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Marches and demonstrations have been held nationwide demanding justice for the 29-year-old father of six, who is Black.

39 Comments

A boy sits on his father's shoulders while holding a sign on August 24, 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man whom police shot in the back multiple times in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday, is now paralyzed from the waist down and doctors do not yet know if the injury is permanent, his father told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday.

"Those police officers that shot my son like a dog in the street are responsible for everything that has happened in the city of Kenosha."
—Jacob Blake's father

The younger Blake, a father of six, was reportedly trying to break up a fight before officers followed him to his vehicle and fired several shots at point-blank range as Blake opened the driver-side door. Blake's partner, Laquisha Booker, told a local television station that the couple's three children were in the back seat "screaming" when police shot him.

A video of the police shooting began circulating on social media Sunday, sparking protests in the Wisconsin city and other communities across the country. The incident came nearly three months after footage of Minneapolis police killing George Floyd led to nationwide demonstrations.

The Sun-Times reported that Blake's father is driving from Charlotte, North Carolina to be with his hospitalized son, who now has "eight holes" in his body. The 29-year-old grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina before moving to Evanston, Illinois during middle school. He has been living in Kenosha for about three years.

"I want to put my hand on my son's cheek and kiss him on his forehead, and then I'll be OK," said the elder Jacob Blake. "I'll kiss him with my mask. The first thing I want to do is touch my son."

Blake's father also addressed the protests and unrest in Kenosha, where vehicles and dozens of buildings were set on fire overnight, according to Newsweek.

"Those police officers that shot my son like a dog in the street are responsible for everything that has happened in the city of Kenosha," his father said. "My son is not responsible for it. My son didn't have a weapon. He didn't have a gun."

As ABC News reported:

The man who said he made the cellphone video, 22-year-old Raysean White, said he saw Blake scuffling with three officers and heard them yell, "Drop the knife! Drop the knife!" before the gunfire erupted. He said he didn't see a knife in Blake's hands.

The governor said he had seen no information to suggest Blake had a knife or other weapon, but that the case is still being investigated by the state Justice Department.

The officers were placed on administrative leave, which is standard practice in a shooting by police. Authorities released no details about the officers and did not immediately respond to requests for their service records.

Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers activated 125 members of the National Guard for the Monday night demonstrations in Kenosha, where county officials imposed an 8:00 pm curfew.

Newsweek reported that "hundreds of people remained outside the Kenosha County Courthouse in the city after the curfew took effect, prompting police to fire the first of several rounds of tear gas at around 8:30 pm in a bid to disperse them."

Evers also said after the shooting that although all the details aren't yet known, "what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country."

Blake's family is being represented by civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump, the lawyer confirmed in a statement Monday. Crump is also representing the families of Floyd and Breonna Taylor, who was killed by Louisville police in March.

"We all watched the horrific video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back several times by Kenosha police. Even worse, his three sons witnessed their father collapse after being riddled with bullets," Crump said. "Their irresponsible, reckless, and inhumane actions nearly cost the life of a man who was simply trying to do the right thing by intervening in a domestic incident. It's a miracle he's still alive."

"We will seek justice for Jacob Blake and for his family as we demand answers from the Kenosha Police Department," the attorney vowed. "How many more of these tragic 'while Black' tragedies will it take until the racial profiling and undervaluing of Black lives by the police finally stops?"

Crump, co-counsels Patrick Salvi and B'Ivory LaMarr, and Blake's family will hold a news conference Tuesday at 3:00 pm local time at the Kenosha County Courthouse. According to the attorneys, "The family will address Jacob's current condition and their plans moving forward following the latest occurrence of excessive police force against the young Black man."

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Posted at 10:07 AM in Common Dreams, Black Lives Matter, Racism | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 14, 2020

'Morally Obscene,' Says Sanders as McConnell Adjourns Senate for Month-Long Recess Without Deal on Coronavirus Relief

Published on Friday, August 14, 2020

"During the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans think they can take a long vacation while millions of Americans face hunger and eviction."

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) waits for the Senate subway to leave on June 3, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell adjourned the U.S. Senate for the rest of August on Thursday after failing to come anywhere close to approving another Covid-19 relief package, leaving tens of millions of out-of-work, hungry, and eviction-prone Americans without additional financial aid as the pandemic and economic crisis continue with no end in sight.

"During the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans think they can take a long vacation while millions of Americans face hunger and eviction. That is morally obscene," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in response to McConnell's decision. "It's time for the do-nothing Republican Senate to finally do its damn job."

"Almost 30 million are on unemployment and 160,000 Americans are dead. McConnell just adjourned the Senate for a month. Every time I think Republicans can't run this country any further into the ground, they prove me wrong."
—Sen. Ron Wyden

The departure of the Republican-controlled Senate comes after an attempt to revive Covid-19 relief talks earlier this week quickly failed as Democratic leaders and Trump administration officials remained far apart on key issues, from emergency funding for the U.S. Postal Service to aid to faltering state and local governments. In her weekly press conference Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said White House negotiators refused to budge from their insufficient relief offers.

The Senate is not expected to return until September 8, when economic conditions are likely to be even more dire for the 40 million people at risk of eviction, 30 million facing drastic income cuts due to the lapse in enhanced unemployment benefits, and 14 million households with children that don't have enough to eat.

"This is pathetic and devastating," consumer advocacy group Public Citizen tweeted after McConnell adjourned the upper chamber until after Labor Day. Just before skipping town, the Kentucky Republican advanced five more of President Donald Trump's right-wing judicial nominees.

Senate adjourned until 9/8, but not before @senatemajldr moved forward on 5 more of Trump’s judicial nominees. It’s shameful that McConnell is focused on stacking the courts instead of saving USPS, funding elections, and extending census deadlines. Our democracy deserves better. https://t.co/cR6tr664i5
— Vanita Gupta (@vanitaguptaCR) August 13, 2020

Earlier Thursday, the Labor Department reported (pdf) that 963,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week—a figure that corporate news outlets presented as the first time since March that initial weekly jobless claims dipped below a million.

But Julia Wolfe, state economic analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, wrote in a blog post Thursday that the Labor Department's report downplays the number of workers who filed for unemployment benefits last week. The actual figure, according to Wolfe, is 1.3 million.

"Astonishingly high numbers of workers continue to claim UI, and we are still 12.9 million jobs short of February employment levels," Wolfe wrote. "And yet, Senate Republicans allowed the across-the-board $600 increase in weekly UI benefits—the most effective economic policy crisis response so far—to expire."

"In an unserious move of political theater, the Trump administration has proposed starting up an entirely new system of restoring wages to laid-off workers through executive order (EO)," Wolfe continued. "But even in their EO wishlist, the Trump administration would slash the federal contribution to enhanced unemployment benefits in half, to $300. This inaction and ongoing uncertainty is causing significant economic pain for workers who have lost their job during the pandemic and their families."

With tens of millions of low-income and middle-class Americans facing financial ruin as the White House and congressional Republicans stonewall an additional relief package, the Washington Post's Heather Long reported Thursday that the coronavirus-induced recession "is over for the rich."

"U.S. stocks are hovering near a record high, a stunning comeback since March that underscores the new phase the economy has entered: The wealthy have mostly recovered. The bottom half remain far from it," Long wrote. "This dichotomy is evident in many facets of the economy, especially in employment. Jobs are fully back for the highest wage earners, but fewer than half the jobs lost this spring have returned for those making less than $20 an hour."

NEW: The recession is largely over for the rich. The working class remain in deep pain.

-Stocks r near record highs
-Home values at all-time highs
-Jobs r back for affluent

Meanwhile...
-Jobs less than 1/2 recovered for low-wage workers
-$600 UI expired https://t.co/csGZqYefLN pic.twitter.com/c88yBcCeVo
— Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) August 13, 2020

In a statement Thursday, Kyle Herrig, president of advocacy group Accountable.US, slammed the Republican-controlled Senate for opting to "pack up and leave Washington for a month without making a new deal to assist American workers and small business owners."

"The luxuries of paid time off and premium health insurance afforded to senators is of little help to the millions of Americans who lost their jobs during this crisis," said Herrig. "Where is the urgency to get workers and their families the help they need?"

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), one of the architects of the now-expired $600-per-week unemployment insurance boost, tweeted: "Donald Trump is suppressing votes to steal an election. Almost 30 million are on unemployment and 160,000 Americans are dead. McConnell just adjourned the Senate for a month."

"Every time I think Republicans can't run this country any further into the ground," Wyden wrote, "they prove me wrong."

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Posted at 09:00 AM in Common Dreams, Coronavirus, Senate | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 12, 2020

With Biden-Harris Ticket Set, Climate Groups Demand 'Transformative Action From Day One' If Elected

Published on Wednesday, August 12, 2020

"Let's do our part to end this era of chaos and defeat Republicans up and down the ballot. Then, let's turn up to make a Biden-Harris administration lay the groundwork for a Green New Deal."