United States
UAW and Stellantis set April 5 start date for 12-hour, seven-day schedule for skilled trades at Sterling Heights Assembly Plant
By Shannon Jones, 19 February 2021
The new schedule, based on four rotating crews alternating over two weeks, represents a further major assault on the eight-hour day.
CDC report: Biggest drop in US life expectancy since World War II
By Kate Randall, 19 February 2021
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in the first half of 2020, life expectancy dropped by more than one year as COVID-19 ripped through the population.
NATO summit stresses anti-China strategy as wars in Middle East, Afghanistan continue
By Bill Van Auken, 19 February 2021
The most urgent issue confronting NATO, a May 1 deadline for withdrawing 10,000 troops from the two-decades-old war in Afghanistan, was left undecided.
999 Pennsylvania Educators R&F statement on Philly schools
19 February 2021
999 Kroger closes two more stores over Seattle pandemic pay measure
19 February 2021
Drive to reopen schools deepens across Los Angeles as pandemic continues to rage
By Hong Jian, 19 February 2021
Despite the fact that over the past week Los Angeles County averaged 2,339 new cases and 123.1 new deaths per day, officials throughout the region are pressing to reopen schools.
Storm and blackouts endanger Texas health system
By Benjamin Mateus, 19 February 2021
Winter storm Uri has thrown Texas into a temporary dark age. Health systems are grappling with the loss of power, potable water, and burst water mains. People are crowding warming centers and emergency rooms.
999 Young people turn to the military under pandemic economic crisis
19 February 2021
Millions of Texans without water, hospitals closed as power outages continue
By Chase Lawrence, 19 February 2021
Republican Senator and coup conspirator Ted Cruz, in an act of complete indifference, flew to Cancun, Mexico with his family for a vacation while a disaster unfolded across Texas, leaving dozens dead.
Congressional Democrats present Biden immigration bill
By Kevin Reed, 19 February 2021
Congressional Democrats introduced the Biden administration’s new immigration legislation on Thursday while admitting in advance it has little chance of passing the Senate.
Philadelphia postpones public school reopenings to March 1
By Douglas Lyons, 18 February 2021
The decision to push back reopening is an indication that both the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and the school district recognize they need more time to bring the opposition of teachers under control.
Corporate profit, electricity deregulation and the disaster in Texas
By Patrick Martin, 18 February 2021
Millions have been without power for days in the state that produces more electricity than any other in the United States.
999 Exposure of far right elements in the US military
18 February 2021
999 (2/16) Pseudo-left on CTU sellout in Chicago
18 February 2021
Teachers in US state of Georgia herded back into unsafe classrooms
By Kranti Kumara, 18 February 2021
In spite of four teacher deaths and strident opposition, the state of Georgia is denying educators vaccinations and sending them back to unsafe schools.
Bitcoin over $50,000 as Wall Street surges
By Nick Beams, 18 February 2021
The bitcoin speculation mania is only the most egregious example of what is taking place throughout the financial system.
999 Newsom recall initiative
18 February 2021
Amazon sues New York to claim immunity from state COVID-19 safety regulations
By Tom Carter, 18 February 2021
Amazon filed a lawsuit in federal district court Friday demanding a ruling that it is not required to comply with New York safety laws and regulations, while New York authorities filed a complaint against Amazon on Tuesday that paints a devastating picture of the callous disregard for workers’ lives by the $1.6 trillion global conglomerate throughout the pandemic.
CDC school opening guidelines ignore the critical role of ventilation and infection control in classrooms
By Benjamin Mateus, 17 February 2021
The CDC has downplayed the role of ventilation in making schools safe for reopening. Efficiently operating HVAC systems are an important part of infection control for airborne pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2.
Philadelphia Teachers Union promotes pseudo-science as it prepares deal to open schools
By Douglas Lyons, 17 February 2021
The PFT is hoping to stymie any opposition from educators and parents who have compelled the district to backpedal in reopening several times already.
Los Angeles Police Department officers and employees caught circulating Valentine’s Day image of George Floyd captioned “You take my breath away”
By Shawn Velia and John Andrews, 17 February 2021
The LAPD issued several statements via Twitter confirming that a police officer had filed a personnel complaint regarding a valentine making fun of the 2020 Minneapolis police killing.
999 Jacobin ignores the impeachment
17 February 2021
John Sweeney, AFL-CIO president between 1995 and 2009, dies at 86
By Jerry White, 17 February 2021
Sweeney’s “insurgent” campaign in 1995 was aimed at heading off the collapse of the AFL-CIO after more than a decade during which the US labor federation betrayed strikes and colluded in the destruction of millions of jobs.
Behind GM’s shift to all-electric vehicles by 2035
Part 2
By Marcus Day, 17 February 2021
As with all significant technological advances under capitalism, the shift to EVs is not being directed at the betterment of society or the improvement of working conditions, but rather is being used to intensify the exploitation of the working class.
SUNY colleges face rapid spread of COVID-19 just weeks into semester
By Alex Findijs, 17 February 2021
Just two weeks since in-person instruction began, more than 1,200 students have tested positive for COVID-19. Such rapid transmission is a stark warning of what may come with the spread of more contagious variants of the virus.
Prosecutors announce new charges against Proud Boys in connection with January 6 assault on US Capitol
By Jacob Crosse, 17 February 2021
In the wake of the Senate impeachment trial debacle and continuing revelations of ties between the far-right groups that led the insurrection and Trump’s closest allies, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she would push for the creation of a 9/11 Commission-like bipartisan body to investigate the attempted coup.
Millions remain without power in Texas, as freezing temperatures wreak havoc across the US
By Cordell Gascoigne, 17 February 2021
More than 20 deaths have been linked to Winter Storm Uri, including a woman and her three elementary-school-age grandchildren who died in a house fire around 2:00 a.m. Tuesday in Sugar Land, Texas.
Los Angeles officials press to reopen schools, citing bogus “threshold”
By Tom Hall, 17 February 2021
The campaign to reopen schools in the US reached its next phase Monday night, when Los Angeles County officials declared that the second-largest school district in the country has been “cleared” to reopen.
Millions remain without power in Texas, as freezing temperatures wreak havoc across the US
By Cordell Gascoigne, 17 February 2021
More than 20 deaths have been linked to Winter Storm Uri, including a woman and her three elementary-school-age grandchildren who died in a house fire around 2:00 a.m. Tuesday in Sugar Land, Texas.
Professional football testing and tracing regimens reveal further dangers for in-person teaching
By Bryan Dyne, 17 February 2021
If transmission of the coronavirus can penetrate the National Football League’s extraordinarily well-funded testing and contact tracing program, the vast majority of workers, who do not have access to such resources, stand no chance.
Mobilize educators and workers across Tennessee to stop school reopenings in Memphis!
Tennessee Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, 17 February 2021
We appeal to educators and workers across Tennessee to mount a determined fight against the reopening of schools in Memphis and Shelby County, which are slated to begin on March 1.
Washington’s Wuhan laboratory lie
By Andre Damon, 16 February 2021
In the face of universal scientific consensus on the natural origins of COVID-19, the Biden administration and the US media have doubled down on the lie that the disease was released from a Chinese laboratory.
Time magazine and Ibram X. Kendi promote a race-obsessed, money-hungry “Black Renaissance”
By Niles Niemuth, 16 February 2021
Unlike the Harlem Renaissance, this “Black Renaissance,” organized by the Democratic Party, funded by corporate America, endorsed by Time, the New York Times and the entire establishment media, is pro-capitalist, pro-imperialist and ethno-communalist.
Massachusetts nurses vote overwhelmingly to strike for safe staffing ratios
Workers Struggles: The Americas
16 February 2021
The 800 nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts voted February 10 by an 89 percent margin to strike over unsafe staffing ratios. The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) is seeking to reduce the ratio of nurses to patients from the current one-to-five to a one-to-four ratio.
Business as usual as the US nears a half million deaths from COVID-19
By Benjamin Mateus, 16 February 2021
The United States is approaching a horrific milestone in the course of the pandemic: 500,000 deaths. Yet, the ruling class continues to pursue the policy of herd immunity at any cost.
Oregon and other US states prioritize vaccinating educators in order to boost profits
By David Fitzgerald, 16 February 2021
Numerous US states plan to vaccinate teachers in the first phase of vaccinations as a means to reopen schools, regardless of the extent of community spread.
New York Governor Cuomo embroiled in political crisis over coverup of nursing home deaths
By Josh Varlin, 16 February 2021
The revelation that data on nursing home deaths was withheld from state legislators for months underscores the bipartisan nature of the ruling class response to the pandemic, which prioritizes profit over lives.
Republican state legislators move to ban the New York Times’ 1619 Project from schools
By Dominic Gustavo, 16 February 2021
Republican lawmakers, taking advantage of the racialist falsifications of the 1619 Project, are seeking to promote their own backward and chauvinistic version of US history.
White House condemns WHO findings after scientists debunk ‘Wuhan Lab’ conspiracy theory
By Andre Damon, 16 February 2021
The Biden administration declared, “We have deep concerns about the way in which the early findings of the COVID-19 investigation were communicated and questions about the process used to reach them.”
Behind GM’s shift to all-electric vehicles by 2035
Part 1
By Marcus Day, 16 February 2021
While GM left itself ample wiggle room in its timeline to move away from combustion engines—calling the plan an “aspiration”—the announcement nonetheless reflects tectonic shifts in the global auto industry and world economy.
Hundreds of thousands of renters at risk of losing their homes throughout the US Midwest
By Cole Michaels, 16 February 2021
Such an unprecedented situation is the byproduct of a growing social crisis in which millions have been left without jobs and financial assistance.
Severe winter weather leaves millions without electricity during record cold temperatures across the US
By Alex Findijs, 16 February 2021
Texas, in particular, has faced some of the most severe fallout from the storm. Governor Greg Abbott called the storm “unprecedented” and remarked that snow and ice would make travel in the coming days “virtually impossible.”
999 Sweeney obit
16 February 2021
999 Amanda Gorman and the "New Harlem Renaissance"
15 February 2021
999 Missouri evictions
15 February 2021
Fed policies spark more concerns over market collapse
By Nick Beams, 14 February 2021
According to one investment fund chief, it is not known whether governments can continually bail out financial markets and there are doubts whether the “traditional levers of monetary policy” can “prevent another depression.”
US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 5,333 workers died on the job in 2019, or one every 99 minutes
By Steve Filips, 14 February 2021
The BLS report shows three consecutive years of increasing worker fatality rates in the US, even before the coronavirus pandemic.
CDC’s politically motivated guidelines fuel media campaign to reopen US schools
By Benjamin Mateus, 14 February 2021
The weeks-long propaganda campaign falsely claiming that schools are not vectors for the spread of COVID-19 now has the full imprimatur of the CDC.
Karen Lewis, former president of the Chicago Teachers Union, dies at 67
By Alexander Fangmann, 14 February 2021
Lewis’ death prompted an outpouring of sympathy and praise from the corporate media, fellow union officials and the Democratic Socialists of America, but a closer examination of her record tells a very different story.
Democratic Senators introduce new bill to remove Section 230 internet speech protections
By Kevin Reed, 14 February 2021
There have been more than thirty legislative proposals over the past two years from Democrats and Republicans to abolish the legal framework—known as Section 230—that protects online services such as social media channels from liability for content posted by users on their platforms.
Democrats’ impeachment cover-up leaves coup-plotter Trump emboldened
By Andre Damon, 14 February 2021
The Democrats deliberately protected Trump’s co-conspirators, including the Republican House and Senate members who sought to overturn the election and those forces within the state who worked with Trump to orchestrate a stand-down of federal forces.
“We are being abandoned by our union and being led to the slaughter by our school system”
Teachers from Maryland’s Eastern Shore speak out against school reopenings
By Harvey Simpkins, 14 February 2021
Three teachers from the Eastern Shore of Maryland recently spoke to the World Socialist Web Site Educators Newsletter about the reopening of schools and their reasons for joining the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee. Their names have been changed to protect them from retaliation by both their school system and union.
Democratic cowardice leaves Trump’s Republican conspirators unscathed
Republicans acquit coup plotter Trump after Democrats refuse to call witnesses
By Joseph Kishore, 13 February 2021
Not a single Democrat had the courage to point an accusing finger at the Republican senators and bluntly state: “All of you who condoned and legitimized Trump’s lies, who supported his claim that the election was stolen, functioned as his political accomplices in the preparation of the coup d’état.”
Easy: Human interaction is not …
By Ed Hightower, 13 February 2021
The Netflix series Easy explores relationships among a group of Chicago residents through a series of loosely interwoven vignettes.
Five public Los Angeles vaccination sites forced to close due to lack of doses
By Shawn Velia, 13 February 2021
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced that five vaccination sites must close for at least two days due to an inadequate supply of COVID-19 vaccine, leaving thousands in the lurch.
California nursing home workers strike as state surpasses New York for most COVID deaths
By Kevin Martinez and Norisa Diaz, 13 February 2021
The nursing home has seen 34 patients die from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
California study highlights dangers of COVID-19 pandemic to the working class
By Bryan Dyne, 13 February 2021
Essential workers, whom the research defined as those in the “food/agriculture, transportation/logistics, facilities, and manufacturing sectors,” experienced a 22 percent higher mortality rate than they did in the four years before the pandemic.
No charges for officers who violently shoved 75-year-old protester in Buffalo, New York
By Alex Findijs, 13 February 2021
Martin Gugino’s skull was fractured when he was shoved to the ground by officers at a protest against police violence in June 2020.
Jeep’s Super Bowl ad: “Can’t we all just get along?”
By Zac Thorton, 13 February 2021
The self-serving, vacuous advertisement, rather than helping to overcome the “differences” in America, is instead an expression of the vast gulf that separates the working class from the highest levels of society.
CDC pushes US schools to reopen “at any level of community transmission”
By Evan Blake, 13 February 2021
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released unscientific, politically motivated guidelines intended to justify school reopenings everywhere.
Boston Teachers Union signs sellout “side letter” to force teachers back into unsafe schools
By Andrew Timon, 13 February 2021
The deal sends teachers and students back into schools regardless of the city’s COVID test positivity rate, forcing teachers to choose between teaching in-person or taking a leave of absence.
Wisconsin judge sides with fascists and denies motion for rearrest and bail increase for killer Rittenhouse
By Kevin Reed, 12 February 2021
In a virtual hearing in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Thursday, Judge Bruce Schroeder ruled against the request by prosecutors to issue a warrant for the rearrest of fascist shooter Kyle Rittenhouse after he violated the terms of his bail conditions.
The dominance of the UK variant of the coronavirus threatens a massive surge in cases in the United States
By Benjamin Mateus, 12 February 2021
The UK variant is expected to become the dominant form of coronavirus by mid-March. Epidemiologists are raising the alarm that this new, more contagious form will see cases rapidly rise again, leading to an even more massive surge than last month.
Day 3 of Trump impeachment trial
Democrats conclude case in impeachment trial over January 6 Trump coup attempt
By Jacob Crosse, 12 February 2021
Democratic House managers detailed Trump’s years of inciting and supporting violence, including Charlottesville and Michigan.
Democrats push ahead with school openings in California as state’s death total approaches 50,000
By Melody Isley, 12 February 2021
Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest in the US, San Diego and San Francisco are next to face reopening, requiring opposition by workers and educators.
As Chicago teachers begin return to classrooms, new arenas of struggle emerge
By Kristina Betinis, 12 February 2021
As another wave of students, teachers and staff are returned to buildings in the wake of the union’s betrayal, new arenas of struggle are opening in Chicago and beyond.
999 Section 230 legislation targeting social media
12 February 2021
New York Times science writer Donald McNeil Jr. is latest victim of identity politics frenzy
By Fred Mazelis, 12 February 2021
Times staff are divided over the forced resignation of the well-regarded science and health correspondent.
999 LA to close vaccination sites for two days due to shortage
12 February 2021
999 Boston school reopening update
12 February 2021
Why do US health care workers continue to refuse vaccination against COVID-19?
By Katy Kinner, 12 February 2021
Haunted by the inadequate, criminal, chaotic and disorganized response by the ruling class to the coronavirus pandemic, some health care workers turn away from a safe and efficacious vaccine.
US sees higher than expected number of new weekly jobless claims
By Shannon Jones, 12 February 2021
February marks the 11th consecutive month since the start of the pandemic last March, where new weekly unemployment claims have stood above 700,000, a level without modern historical precedent.
Haiti and the ugly face of Biden’s “human rights” imperialism
By Bill Van Auken, 12 February 2021
While backing a dictatorial regime against mass popular opposition, the Biden administration is deporting planeloads of refugees back to Haiti in the midst of the global pandemic.
999 (2/10) Jeep super bowl ad
12 February 2021
“Our society is sick:” The Lancet condemns American capitalism
By Andre Damon, 11 February 2021
The Lancet, one of the world’s premiere medical journals, argues that the dead from COVID-19 in the US should be added to the toll of “missing Americans” whose deaths were attributable to the rise of social inequality over the past four decades.
Fed data reveals impact of pandemic on lower-paid US workers
By Nick Beams, 11 February 2021
In a speech Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the real level of unemployment in the US was around 10 percent and the loss of jobs for the bottom quarter of workers was a “staggering” 17 percent.
Lessons of the betrayal by the Chicago Teachers Union
By Evan Blake, 11 February 2021
What has unfolded in Chicago over the past month is the most damning exposure of the reactionary character of pseudo-left “social justice unionism.”
Facebook moves forward with “depoliticization” of News Feed
By Kevin Reed, 11 February 2021
Following up on the remarks of CEO Mark Zuckerberg two weeks ago, Facebook has issued an official statement spelling out how it will move forward with plans to reduce political content on its social media platform.
Doctors predict global mental health crisis to persist post-pandemic
By Ben Oliver, 11 February 2021
A survey found that 86 percent of 3,334 doctors from 24 countries believe that the most significant non-virus-related public health issue when the pandemic subsides will be mental health and depression.
Thousands of Philadelphia teachers protest, delaying plans to restart in-person schooling
By Douglas Lyons, 11 February 2021
After educators refused to report to buildings this week, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers intensified its talks with Democratic city officials to reopen schools.
Campus police deployed to UC Berkeley dormitories as administration blames COVID-19 outbreak on students
By George Greene and Gabriel Black, 11 February 2021
Campus administrators seek to divert blame for the latest COVID-19 outbreak onto students and away from themselves.
Black Legion (1937): American fascism, then and now
By Joanne Laurier, 11 February 2021
Black Legion is a 1937 political crime drama, featuring Humphrey Bogart, which deals with a fascist movement active in the 1930s in the industrial Midwest. It has considerable pertinence today.
999 CTU rams through school reopening
11 February 2021
Doctors move on as the Heights Hospital in Houston, Texas remains shuttered indefinitely
By Chase Lawrence, 11 February 2021
The abrupt closure of the hospital was a violation of state law, which states that ceasing the care of a patient with less than a 30-day notice is illegal. In this case, there was no notice.
General Motors reports sharp increase in 2020 profits amid mass deaths from pandemic
By Tom Hall and Tim Rivers, 11 February 2021
GM's billion-dollar windfall is the direct result of the murderous pandemic policy pursued by the entire ruling class, forcing most sections of the economy to remain open so workers can continue pumping out profits to fuel the endlessly rising share values on Wall Street.
999 (2/5) Ford cuts profit sharing checks
11 February 2021
Biden declares US in “extreme competition” with China
By Mike Head, 11 February 2021
Biden’s catch-cry—“America is back”—has the same belligerent content as Trump’s “America First.”
Second day of Trump impeachment trial
Democrats seek to whitewash Republican Party role in January 6 coup
By Patrick Martin, 10 February 2021
While the Senate impeachment trial is providing devastating evidence of Trump’s criminal role in organizing the January 6 political coup, the Democratic Party is seeking to give Trump’s Republican co-conspirators an amnesty.
The Columbia University tuition strike and the fight for socialism
By Elliott Murtagh, 10 February 2021
The tuition strike at Columbia must be broadened and linked up with the struggles facing all sections of the working class.
999 Ecuador election heads to run-off with Correa ally in lead
10 February 2021
Right-wing US Supreme Court majority again exempts large religious gatherings from COVID-19 safety measures
By John Burton, 10 February 2021
For the second time since the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, the court has struck down state measures to control the spread of COVID-19 that limit indoor religious services, reversing rulings earlier in the pandemic.
Four Louisiana State Police officers arrested after multiple incidents of excessive force
By Aaron Murch, 10 February 2021
After a lengthy investigation, four Monroe, Louisiana area state troopers have been charged with simple battery and malfeasance in office.
Educators fight to save lives in Chicago, São Paulo and worldwide
By Evan Blake, 10 February 2021
Educators are now at the forefront of the global working class movement to contain the pandemic and save lives.
Los Angeles County courts hold in-person proceedings despite deaths of three employees from COVID-19 in January
By Shawn Velia, 10 February 2021
Despite more than 340,000 positive COVID-19 cases reported in Los Angeles County in the month of January alone, bringing hospital emergency rooms and intensive care units to the brink of collapse, county courthouses are continuing to hold in-person hearings for traffic court, criminal cases and eviction proceedings.
“When you work for Amazon, you pay for it emotionally, physically and mentally”
Sister denounces Amazon after death of Poushawn Brown, COVID tester at Virginia warehouse
By Patrick Smith and Tom Carter, 10 February 2021
Christina and Poushawn Brown both worked at Amazon’s DDC3 warehouse in Springfield, Virginia, where Poushawn died suddenly on January 8 of unexplained causes after working as a coronavirus tester.
New York City to open middle schools for face-to-face instruction
By Sandy English, 10 February 2021
Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio announced this week that middle schools (grades 6–8) will open on February 25.
Summers op-ed sparks controversy over Biden stimulus package
By Nick Beams, 10 February 2021
The former treasury secretary warned that stimulus measures could set off the kind of inflation not seen for a generation, with serious consequences for the US dollar and the stability of the financial system.
As the new highly contagious COVID-19 variant spreads throughout the region
Media promotes the unsafe reopening of Ann Arbor schools and the University of Michigan
By Jesse Thomas, 10 February 2021
A barrage of articles in the Ann Arbor local news has also recently been published which uncritically echo the false claims promoted in the national media that a return to in-person learning is not only safe, but necessary.
Democrats push for reopening of Detroit schools as auto companies cite worker shortage
By James Vega and Debra Watson, 10 February 2021
The insistent calls by Democratic politicians for the reopening of the City of Detroit schools continue as auto companies complain that worker shortages have been aggravated by school closures.
Vote “No” on the CTU-CPS plan to reopen Chicago schools! Saving lives is non-negotiable!
By Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, 9 February 2021
The tentative deal Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) leaders reached over the weekend with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officials is an abject surrender that must be rejected.
Follow the WSWS