United States
Buffalo, New York mayor protects police in attack on 75-year-old
By Jacob Crosse, 8 June 2020
The Democratic mayor’s comments follow another week of vicious police assaults against peaceful protesters across the country.
Bolsonaro government attempted to censor Brazil’s coronavirus case count and death toll
By Bryan Dyne, 8 June 2020
There are now more than 7 million officially confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide, an increase of one million cases in nine days, and more than 400,000 dead.
“The cops have no concern for the people they’re shooting at”
Amazon workers declare support for mass protests as management imposes pay cut
By Tom Carter, 8 June 2020
Amazon workers expressed solidarity with the protests, even as the company, which provides facial recognition software to police departments, feigned concern over racism and inequality.
Reopening of New York City threatens a new surge in transit worker deaths
By Sam Dalton and Daniel de Vries, 8 June 2020
Transit workers fear that 130 deaths in their ranks is just the beginning
New Jersey health department whistleblowers’ letter highlights criminality of state’s pandemic response
By Erik Schreiber, 8 June 2020
A letter by anonymous officials makes clear that thousands of deaths were the result of deliberate policy decisions.
Trump confers with Modi over explosive India-China border dispute
By Shuvu Batta and Keith Jones, 8 June 2020
Intensifying the US strategic offensive against China, the Trump administration has publicly sided with India, and is goading New Delhi on in its border standoff with Beijing.
Encouraged by Trump, police rampage leaves protesters dead and wounded across the US
By Jacob Crosse, 6 June 2020
Demonstrators have been teargassed, pepper sprayed, shot with rubber bullets and beanbags, and beaten by rampaging police.
“He is trying to be a dictator and he can’t be allowed to be one”
US autoworkers denounce police violence, Trump’s moves to impose military dictatorship
By Jessica Goldstein, 6 June 2020
The multi-ethnic, multi-racial protests against the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis have evoked widespread sympathy among autoworkers.
“I didn’t receive one warning”
Protester explains how he was brutally assaulted by Secret Service officials in Washington, D.C.
By Nick Barrickman, 6 June 2020
The demonstrator explained how federal officials provoked and then assaulted peaceful demonstrators outside the White House last weekend as protests against police brutality swept the country.
Police kill unarmed 22-year-old man in Vallejo, California
By Meenakshi Jagadeesan, 6 June 2020
Sean Monterrosa was on his knees with his hands held up when police officers shot five bullets into him through the windshield of their unmarked cruiser.
Four Tacoma, Washington police officers put on administrative leave three months after killing Manuel Ellis
By Julio Patron, 6 June 2020
Ellis, a father of two, could be heard on dispatcher radio calling out “I can’t breathe” after being brutally detained and handcuffed by the police.
Workers in Detroit and across Michigan support anti-police violence protests
By Stephen Fuller and Kevin Reed, 6 June 2020
Michigan workers, including 200 health care workers from Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield, demonstrated against police violence this week.
Trump hails dubious May jobless report to boost stock market, back-to-work drive
By Shannon Jones, 6 June 2020
An unexpected decline in the unemployment rate in May is being used by the White House to declare the pandemic-fueled economic crisis over.
US colleges and universities continue jobs bloodbath as they press to open in the fall
By Alexander Fangmann, 6 June 2020
Colleges and universities are responding to severe budget shortfalls with mass layoffs, furloughs and pay cuts.
Plummeting vaccinations in the US and globally put millions of children at risk
By Katy Kinner, 6 June 2020
WHO experts warn that at least 80 million of the world’s children under the age of one are at risk of diseases such as diphtheria, measles and polio due to a massive decrease in routine immunizations.
The police murder of George Floyd sparks mass protests throughout the world
By Thomas Scripps, 6 June 2020
Hundreds of thousands of people have joined demonstrations in Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.
New York Times in crisis over op-ed backing military takeover
By Patrick Martin, 6 June 2020
In publishing a fascistic diatribe by Senator Tom Cotton, headlined, “Send in the troops,” the Times editorial page tacitly sided with a military takeover of the United States.
Ten thousand people have been arrested across the US as protests against police violence continue to expand
By Kevin Reed, 5 June 2020
Protests have taken place in more than 500 cities and towns across the US over the past ten days in the face of the deployment of riot police, the National Guard and Trump's threat of military intervention.
Trump administration deploys unmarked paramilitary units in Washington, D.C.
By Zac Thorton, 5 June 2020
The appearance of largely unmarked paramilitary units in Washington, D.C., has underscored the growing threat of a military takeover in the United States.
Inmate dies after being pepper sprayed by guards at Brooklyn federal detention center
By Sam Dalton, 5 June 2020
Jamel Floyd was declared dead shortly after guards responded to an incident in his cell and subdued him with a noxious chemical agent.
New details emerge in hearing for three charged in murder of Ahmaud Arbery
By Matthew MacEgan, 5 June 2020
The judge in the Arbery case found probable cause against all three defendants and declared that all of their cases would move forward to trial.
New US weekly unemployment claims near 2 million as foreclosures, hunger loom
By Shannon Jones, 5 June 2020
The economic meltdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is evolving into a deep and long economic slump.
Trump intensifies campaign to brand domestic opposition as terrorism
By Patrick Martin, 5 June 2020
The White House’s planned use of anti-terrorism units to apprehend “agitators” is aimed at criminalizing opposition to police violence and the policies of the oligarchy.
US colleges prepare full opening of campuses in the name of football
By Andy Thompson, 5 June 2020
Over the past several decades college sports has become a multibillion-dollar industry and has made athletics the center of revenue and funding plans in most major US universities.
Zambia’s bid for IMF rescue deal thwarted by Washington’s anti-China campaign
By Jean Shaoul and Stephan McCoy, 5 June 2020
Zambia has been caught in the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump’s reckless campaign to undermine China, which he views as a threat to US global dominance.
Austin, Texas police critically injure young protesters with “less lethal” beanbag rounds
By Matthew Taylor, 5 June 2020
College student Justin Howell was hospitalized on Sunday with a fractured skull and brain damage after being shot in the head while participating in a demonstration against police violence.
999 Identity politicians criticize multi-racial protests
5 June 2020
UAW withholds information six days after Louisville Ford worker tests positive for COVID-19
By Steve Filips, 4 June 2020
Workers were outraged at the United Auto Workers union for concealing information about the spread of the deadly disease at the Kentucky Truck Plant.
After more than a week of nationwide protests, new charges announced against George Floyd’s murderers
By Jacob Crosse, 4 June 2020
Attorney General Keith Ellison tempered any expectations of justice as thousands continued to defy police and military repression in marches across the country
“The rich are concerned with keeping their power and keeping the race thing going”
American workers voice support for mass protests against police brutality
By Evan Blake, 4 June 2020
The WSWS spoke with a cross-section of American workers, all of whom voiced immense support for the protests, while denouncing the criminal response of the Trump administration.
Anger over US police assault on Australian journalists in Washington DC
By Oscar Grenfell, 4 June 2020
Had the attack occurred in a country such as China or Iran, the muted response from the Australian political establishment would undoubtedly have been very different.
European media outlets fear bitter class struggles in the US
By Peter Schwarz, 4 June 2020
The European press and ruling elite are not especially troubled by Trump’s plan to erect a presidential dictatorship. Rather, they fear the president could provoke class struggles that would endanger the capitalist system and spread to Europe.
Canadian establishment shrugs off Trump’s authoritarian power grab, voices “horror” over mass protests
By Roger Jordan and Keith Jones, 4 June 2020
The Canadian elite, like the US Democratic Party, fears a mass upsurge of the working class against Trump far more than it does his bid to establish a presidential dictatorship.
Use of tear gas by US police may exacerbate COVID-19 pandemic
By Meenakshi Jagadeesan, 4 June 2020
Tear gas directly attacks the lungs, and its corrosive effects could make people far more susceptible to respiratory illnesses like COVID-19.
White supremacist congressman Steve King defeated in Republican primary
By Patrick Martin, 4 June 2020
Steve King fell out of favor with his party by saying too blatantly what Trump and his cronies really think.
Anger grows over refusal to bring charges in killing at Omaha protest
By Kristina Betinis, 4 June 2020
The Douglas County attorney reversed himself Wednesday to call for a grand jury investigation into the murder of James Scurlock by a bar owner during a demonstration this weekend.
Georgia police officers charged after brutal assault on college students returning from protest
By Dan Conway, 4 June 2020
The students were viciously assaulted returning from protests against the murder of George Floyd on Saturday night despite doing nothing to provoke the officers or arouse suspicion.
US Federal Bureau of Prisons implements full lockdown amid mass protests across the country
By Sam Dalton, 4 June 2020
Amidst a worsening COVID-19 outbreak and protests over police violence, fears of brewing rebellions lead to the rapid lockdown of federal prisons this week.
Disgraced former UAW President Gary Jones pleads guilty to corruption charges
By Tom Hall, 4 June 2020
Jones’ guilty plea brings the UAW corruption scandal to a new stage.
US nurses speak on dangers of COVID-19 exposure at their workplaces
By Katy Kinner, 4 June 2020
WSWS reporters spoke to nurses across the US who shared their anger and frustration over governmental and employer neglect throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
As protests grow, corporate CEOs hypocritically declare opposition to “racism and injustice”
By Jerry White, 4 June 2020
Tech billionaires, Wall Street bankers and auto executives all issued statements this week in hopes of shoring up the battered image of American capitalism.
Protesters defy Trump’s threats, expand nationwide movement against police killings
By Jacob Crosse, 3 June 2020
Curfews, mass arrests and police terror have not quelled the powerful movement of youth and workers of all races and ethnicities in response to the police murder of George Floyd.
Democratic Governor Whitmer lifts major COVID-19 restrictions in Michigan
By Kevin Reed, 3 June 2020
The announcement rescinds the stay-at-home order, along with a series of other restrictions even though most of the state remains in the “flattening” phase of the pandemic.
Microsoft to replace MSN news production workers with artificial intelligence
By Mike Ingram, 3 June 2020
Dozens of workers will be replaced with artificial intelligence software that will automatically select content and manage news production.
Democrats cover for Trump’s coup d’état
By Andre Damon, 3 June 2020
In contrast to the heroism of the demonstrators, the Democrats have responded to Trump’s dictatorial measures with their typical display of fecklessness, cowardice and complicity.
999 CDC report on nurses impacted by the pandemic
3 June 2020
999 US worker repsonse to corporate hypocrisy over police protests
3 June 2020
Trump administration deploys military to the capital as nationwide protests continue
By Jacob Crosse, 2 June 2020
Trump’s dictatorial moves to quash protests against the police murder of George Floyd signal an escalation of state violence.
Nurses at HCA Healthcare across the US protest job cuts and lack of PPE
By Alex Johnson, 2 June 2020
Nurses protests are erupting under conditions where hospitals across the country are denying access to personal protective equipment in the pandemic and have already laid off thousands of health care workers.
COVID-19 outbreaks continue surge in meatpacking plants following forced reopenings
By Christopher Davion, 2 June 2020
Meatpacking plants continue to be a major source of COVID-19 transmission in US Midwestern states.
Nearly half of all teachers in Brookline, Massachusetts receive pink slips
By Will McCalliss, 2 June 2020
With a maximum $6.3 million deficit looming, Brookline lays off $20 million’s worth of teachers in the name of “flexibility.”
Flooding in central Michigan exposes decades of Dow Chemical’s environmental crimes
By Luke Galvin and Lily Zhao, 2 June 2020
A major health crisis threatens residents of central Michigan after last week’s flooding that displaced more than 10,000 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
Washington, DC area begins reopening as coronavirus infections top 100,000
By Nick Barrickman, 2 June 2020
Public officials throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area are rushing to reopen the region’s businesses, even as medical experts warn of the dangers of resuming normal economic activity.
Tennessee government to stop sharing information on known COVID-19 infections
By Warren Duzak, 2 June 2020
The Republican governor Bill Lee’s decision will place first responders such as paramedics, police and social workers at risk of catching the deadly infection.
Coup d’état in Washington: Trump declares war on the Constitution
By Statement of the Socialist Equality Party (US), 2 June 2020
In a series of politically criminal acts, Trump is establishing a presidential dictatorship based on the military and police.
SpaceX launch of astronauts marks new stage of the privatization of space exploration
By Bryan Dyne, 2 June 2020
The fact that the event was so heavily promoted by SpaceX founder and billionaire Elon Musk, the American media and President Donald Trump should give the excitement around the launch pause.
Thousands of retail jobs eliminated in Sprint and T-Mobile telecom merger
By Kevin Reed, 2 June 2020
The merger of the wireless carriers Sprint and T-Mobile has already resulted in the loss of 6,000 retail jobs as the combined firm is moving aggressively to close down as many as 2,000 Metro prepaid phone stores across the country.
Protests in Louisville continue day after local restaurant owner killed
By Jerry White, 2 June 2020
Claims that David McAtee was killed after police and National Guard troops “returned fire” from protesters fell apart after the Louisville mayor declared there was no body camera footage of the incident.
Video: Police on nationwide rampage
1 June 2020
Throughout the country, police attacked nonviolent protestors and journalists with batons, tear gas, rubber bullets, and even vehicles.
Nationwide protests continue over police murder as state violence mounts
By Jacob Crosse, 1 June 2020
In scenes repeated across the country, youth and workers were clubbed, gassed and attacked with rubber bullets by police.
“They are willing to trade lives for auto parts”
As full operations resume, North American auto companies keep silent on spreading COVID-19 cases
By Shannon Jones, 1 June 2020
Full production resumed Monday at many auto plants even as major companies seek to suppress information on the spread of COVID-19 in the plants.
“The system is suffocating the life out of the working class”
Autoworkers denounce police murder of George Floyd, express support for protesters
By our reporters, 1 June 2020
Autoworkers rejected efforts to brand the protesters as “violent” and said the real violence was being perpetrated by police and National Guard troops.
US universities and colleges appeal for legal immunity from coronavirus lawsuits as campuses plan to reopen in fall
By Anthony del Olmo, 1 June 2020
The American Council on Education appealed to Congress to grant colleges and universities immunity from lawsuits from students and faculty that may contract COVID-19.
Workers sickened after Amazon sprays industrial strength chemicals to disinfect warehouse
By Samuel Davidson, 1 June 2020
At least three Amazon workers in Ohio fell sick after management sprayed industrial strength chemicals while workers were still inside.
US telecoms see opportunity to cut jobs, boost profits in pandemic
By Mark Witkowski, 1 June 2020
Telecoms are directing employees to work from home during the pandemic as they seek ways to impose job cuts and cost savings.
Major League Baseball plans to open season in midst of pandemic
By Alan Gilman, 1 June 2020
As baseball finalizes its reopening plan, the monetary interests of the owners continue to supersede the health and welfare of the players, their families and their communities.
Trump incites violent police rampage against protesters
By Statement of the Political Committee of the Socialist Equality Party (US), 1 June 2020
Trump’s calls for police violence and repression have been a common theme throughout his administration. Trump views the police as a potential power base for a dictatorial and fascistic regime.
The History Channel’s Grant
By Tom Mackaman, 1 June 2020
Grant was motivated, in the Civil War and the period of Reconstruction that followed, by his belief in the democratic ideal of human equality proclaimed by the American Revolution.
999 JK statement on protests
1 June 2020
999 Sunkara backs Biden in NYT op-ed
1 June 2020
999 Tennessee giving away useless masks
1 June 2020
Mass protests voice outrage over police murder of George Floyd
By Patrick Martin, 30 May 2020
Thousands defied a curfew in the Twin Cities while large protests took place in New York City, Atlanta, Washington, Los Angeles and dozens of other US cities.
Protests against police killing of frontline worker Breonna Taylor escalate in Louisville, Kentucky
By Dominic Gustavo, 30 May 2020
Hundreds protested in Louisville on Thursday demanding the arrest and prosecution of police who killed Breonna Taylor during a “no knock” raid on her residence in March.
Trump escalates anti-China campaign
By Peter Symonds, 30 May 2020
US President Trump dramatically escalated his reckless anti-China campaign yesterday, making clear that a dangerous confrontation between the two countries is all but inevitable.
Coronavirus cases surpass six million globally
By Bryan Dyne, 30 May 2020
New epicenters in Eastern Europe, South America, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent are rapidly causing massive public health crises.
Detroit autoworkers report unexplained illness at Jefferson North Assembly as COVID cases mount
By Shannon Jones, 30 May 2020
Several B Crew workers at Fiat Chrysler Jefferson North Assembly in Detroit fell ill from unknown causes during work on Thursday.
US Justice Department drops insider trading investigation of three senators
By Jacob Crosse, 30 May 2020
The three senators, along with a fourth who remains under investigation, dumped large stock holdings based on classified briefings in January about the impending coronavirus disaster.
“When push comes to shove to make cuts, education is on the cut list.”
Massachusetts school district gets rid of art, music and PE teachers for coming school year
By Will McCalliss, 30 May 2020
The drastic cuts at Randolph and Brookline schools are a foretaste of what will befall many districts, teachers and students across the US.
Trinity Health to terminate psychiatric beds in Massachusetts in midst of pandemic
By Ben Oliver, 30 May 2020
If approved by the state, the closure will eliminate 74 beds for adults, the elderly, and children, along with 202 jobs.
Hundreds of thousands stage multiracial demonstrations against police violence in a powerful show of working-class unity
By Statement of the Socialist Equality Party (US), 30 May 2020
Mass demonstrations of workers and youth of all races, triggered by the brutal murder of George Floyd, are an expression of tremendous social solidarity. It is not a question of black against white, but the working class against the rich.
Mass anger erupts throughout the US in protests against police murder of George Floyd
By Anthony Bertolt, 29 May 2020
The police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis has set off a wave of social anger, sparking demonstrations in Kentucky, Colorado, California, Ohio and other states throughout the country.
Mass anger erupts throughout the US in protests against police murder of George Floyd
By Anthony Bertolt, 29 May 2020
The police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis has set off a wave of social anger, sparking demonstrations in Kentucky, Colorado, California, Ohio and other states throughout the country.
Cop who killed George Floyd in Minneapolis had record of brutality
By Kristina Betinis, 29 May 2020
Local station KARE 11 reports 13 complaints since 2003 were closed without discipline. Chauvin was awarded a departmental medal of valor in 2009.
Police attack on unarmed woman in Ypsilanti, Michigan sparks three days of protests
By James Brookfield, 29 May 2020
Workers and youth gathered in Washtenaw County, Michigan for a third consecutive day on Thursday to protest the brutal police attack on Sha’Teina Grady El that occurred in the early morning hours Tuesday.
Attorney Lee Merritt speaks on conspiracy to cover-up Ahmaud Arbery’s murder
By Matthew MacEgan, 29 May 2020
Merritt spoke to the WSWS Wednesday about developments in the Arbery case and what has been exposed about the efforts of the police and prosecutors to whitewash the killing.
White House considers expelling Chinese graduate students and researchers
By Shuvu Batta, 29 May 2020
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to expel some three to five thousand Chinese graduate students and researchers.
Local television stations broadcast fake news stories scripted by Amazon
By Douglas Lyons and Nick Barrickman, 29 May 2020
Reporters at nearly a dozen local news stations in the US dutifully read from scripts prepared by Amazon while broadcasting public relations videos prepared and edited by the company.
California Governor Gavin Newsom ramps up reopening despite serious public health threats
By Norissa Santa Cruz and Meenakshi Jagadeesan, 29 May 2020
The Democratic governor is accelerating the re-opening of the state, allowing resumption of business for shopping malls, dine-in restaurants, and large gatherings, despite the enormous dangers of COVID-19.
New York governor exempts nursing home operators from criminal liability after taking millions from the industry
By Philip Guelpa, 29 May 2020
Governor Andrew Cuomo took millions in donations from hospital and nursing home executives and then protected them from responsibility for deadly criminal actions regarding COVID-19.
Nursing union NYSNA provides cover for Cuomo’s push to reopen the economy
By Ali Elhassan, 29 May 2020
The New York State Nurses Association is promoting the illusion that the political establishment responsible for jeopardizing the health of the population and frontline health care workers can be pressured into adopting socially responsible policies.
Child poverty and hunger set to spike in Puerto Rico
By Alberto Escalera, 29 May 2020
Even before the pandemic, the island was reeling from a decade-long economic recession, chronically low labor force participation rates and a public debt crisis that served as a pretext for years of severe austerity policies.
With support from the teacher unions, Trump demands the unsafe reopening of schools “ASAP”
By Nancy Hanover, 29 May 2020
As COVID-19 cases continue to climb in 24 states, Trump is recklessly demanding the immediate reopening of schools, while the American Federation of Teachers has pledged its full support.
Letter from an American teacher: “In a pandemic, no one is safe unless we are all safe.”
29 May 2020
The WSWS Teacher Newsletter has received this letter from a high school AP Biology teacher in the Bay Area, California for publication.
City University of New York to lay off thousands of adjunct faculty amid financial crisis
By Elliott Murtagh, 29 May 2020
The City University of New York system is beginning to implement sweeping budget cuts triggered by New York state’s estimated $13.3 billion loss in tax revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Howie Hawkins and the Green Party: Capitalist politics in the guise of “ecosocialism”
By Evan Blake, 29 May 2020
Following Bernie Sanders’s endorsement of Biden, the Green Party and its presumptive presidential nominee Hawkins are presenting themselves as the continuation of Sanders’s “political revolution.”
Over 62,300 US health workers infected and 291 dead from COVID-19
By Katy Kinner, 28 May 2020
Widespread employer and governmental neglect of basic safety protections are to blame for the massive increase in infection rates and deaths among health care workers.
Thousands continue to protest in Minneapolis over the brutal police murder of George Floyd
By Anthony Bertolt, 28 May 2020
Surveillance video footage shows that Floyd was being compliant moments before he was pinned to the ground and choked to death by a Minneapolis police officer.
Trump threatens to close social media platforms after Twitter puts fact-check warnings on his tweets
By Kevin Reed, 28 May 2020
President Trump issued a threat to shut down social media companies on Wednesday after Twitter placed a fact-checking label on two of his tweets making unsubstantiated claims about mail-in ballots.
US sets stage for anti-China sanctions over Hong Kong
By Peter Symonds, 28 May 2020
The determination by the US secretary of state that Hong Kong is not autonomous from Beijing is a further step in the Trump administration’s accelerating anti-China campaign.
With US states facing a $230 billion loss in education funding, Betsy DeVos channels public assets to private schools
By Evan Blake, 28 May 2020
Facing an unprecedented budget crisis in every state, the ruling class is working to impose the full burden of the pandemic on the working class through massive austerity, including an evisceration of K-12 public education.
Follow the WSWS