(2023-04-17). Oxfam shows US billionaires almost a third richer today than when covid hit. nationofchange.org "At a time when the ultrawealthy are amassing historic and dangerous levels of wealth, a federal wealth tax offers a vital and necessary tool for directly redressing extreme wealth inequality."
(2023-04-16). When The Meeting Is "Upgraded". smoothiex12.blogspot.com 
In international relations the equality of the rank is observed rigorously unless both sides agree on "upgrade". E.g. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met last time he was in Moscow not only with his same rank–Sergei Lavrov–but he was also invited to Kremlin and met Vladimir Putin. But this is normal. By far the more interesting "upgrade" is this:
(2023-04-17). Congressional Republican leaders defend union-busters. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Maybe it shouldn't be any great surprise, but the two top congressional Republicans dealing with labor legislation are defending union-busters. No, we're not kidding. Union-busters attracted positive attention from House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.—who once told Carolina media she doubted unions should legally exist—and Sen. William Cassidy, R-La., top Republican …
(2023-04-17). Minnesotans protest war spending on Tax Day. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On April 15, 70 protesters gathered in the cold spring rain to protest the U.S. federal government's use of their tax dollars to fund war instead of programs that would benefit people like education, environmental protection and healthcare. The protest was initiated by the MN Peace Action Coalition. | Sarah Martin, a longtime member of Women Against Military Madness, was one of the protest emcees and started off the protest explaining the sizable Pentagon budget, "It is very important that we're here to send an anti-war message on Tax Day. This past year the Pentagon and the U.S. military spent…
(2023-04-16). Hong Kong holds activities to mark National Security Education Day. ecns.cn China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Saturday held a string of activities to mark the annual National Security Education Day under the theme of "National Security, Foundation of Stability and Prosperity".
(2023-04-17). Who Is Jack Teixeira, the Man Arrested over Pentagon Files Leak? transcend.org 13 Apr 2023 – Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old air national guardsman suspect in the leak of classified intelligence documents is youthful looking, like his teenage friends in the online group where the documents were leaked. Today the FBI arrested Teixeira and were searching his home.
(2023-04-17). Oxfam shows US billionaires almost a third richer today than when covid hit. nationofchange.org "At a time when the ultrawealthy are amassing historic and dangerous levels of wealth, a federal wealth tax offers a vital and necessary tool for directly redressing extreme wealth inequality."
(2023-04-16). When The Meeting Is "Upgraded". smoothiex12.blogspot.com In international relations the equality of the rank is observed rigorously unless both sides agree on "upgrade". E.g. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met last time he was in Moscow not only with his same rank–Sergei Lavrov–but he was also invited to Kremlin and met Vladimir Putin. But this is normal. By far the more interesting "upgrade" is this:
(2023-04-17). Congressional Republican leaders defend union-busters. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Maybe it shouldn't be any great surprise, but the two top congressional Republicans dealing with labor legislation are defending union-busters. No, we're not kidding. Union-busters attracted positive attention from House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.—who once told Carolina media she doubted unions should legally exist—and Sen. William Cassidy, R-La., top Republican …
(2023-04-17). Minnesotans protest war spending on Tax Day. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On April 15, 70 protesters gathered in the cold spring rain to protest the U.S. federal government's use of their tax dollars to fund war instead of programs that would benefit people like education, environmental protection and healthcare. The protest was initiated by the MN Peace Action Coalition. | Sarah Martin, a longtime member of Women Against Military Madness, was one of the protest emcees and started off the protest explaining the sizable Pentagon budget, "It is very important that we're here to send an anti-war message on Tax Day. This past year the Pentagon and the U.S. military spent…
(2023-04-16). Hong Kong holds activities to mark National Security Education Day. ecns.cn China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Saturday held a string of activities to mark the annual National Security Education Day under the theme of "National Security, Foundation of Stability and Prosperity".
(2023-04-17). Who Is Jack Teixeira, the Man Arrested over Pentagon Files Leak? transcend.org 13 Apr 2023 – Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old air national guardsman suspect in the leak of classified intelligence documents is youthful looking, like his teenage friends in the online group where the documents were leaked. Today the FBI arrested Teixeira and were searching his home.
(2023-04-17). Saturday 5/20: CA NOW Conference: Bridging the Gap for a Feminist Future. indybay.org Online / virtual – join from anywhere | In-person: West Hollywood Park ARC, 647 N San Vicente, | West Hollywood Blvd, CA 90069…
(2023-04-17). India: Freak weather, heat waves and coming monsoons: Climate change. mronline.org 
SUMMER has well and truly set in all over India. Monthly average temperatures in February have been the hottest since 1901.
(2023-04-17). Saturday 4/15: Call to Action: Protect Medication Abortion Access – Virtual Rally & Teach-In. indybay.org Online protest rally & teach-in. | Join from anywhere and take action!
(2023-04-16). Turkish-Made Cobra II Armored Vehicles Spotted En Route To Ukraine (Videos). southfront.org 
File image. | Kiev forces are reportedly about to receive several dozens of Turkish-made Cobra II infantry mobility vehicles via Romania. | On April 13, video footage surfaced online showing 20 to 30 Cobra II vehicles moving by rails in northeastern Romania in the direction of Ukraine. The Romanian Armed Forces are not known to operate this type of vehicles, which indicates that they were directly supplied by Turkey. | The Cobra II is a 4×4 wheeled armored infantry mobility vehicle that is made…
(2023-04-16). The First International issue of Wenhua Zongheng is a landmark event for the Global Left. mronline.org 
Wenhua Zongheng is a newly launched international publication bringing together articles originally produced in the Mainland China magazine of the same name in Chinese. It is jointly published in English, Spanish and Portuguese, by Wenhua Zongheng, the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research, and Dongsheng—which produces the newsletter News on China.
(2023-04-16). Kenya's civil servants threaten strike over wage delay as economic crisis deepens. wsws.org Last Friday, health workers of eight unions declared a strike in 12 of Kenya's 47 counties starting this Wednesday. They would join doctors and nurses in Nandi County already on strike over three months' salary arrears.
(2023-04-17). Imagining A World Beyond Capitalism, with David Cobb. mintpressnews.com In this hour-long interview, former Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb discusses radical politics, community organizing, sustainable development, climate change, racial justice, the protests in France, indigenous sovereignty, and building power to confront the ruling class.
(2023-04-16). University of California Workers Center Disability Justice in Union Organizing. truthout.org As President Joe Biden moves to end the public health emergency with insufficient public objection, it may appear that U.S. residents also are no longer concerned about the pandemic, nor about the lives of 4 in 10 people who are high-risk for adverse impacts, disablement or death from COVID. Our labor organizing experience at the University of California (UC) indicates otherwise: People will take… |
(2023-04-16). In Chicago the Left Embraces Democrats and Celebrates Brandon Johnson's Victory. orinocotribune.com By Stansfield Smith — Apr 14, 2023 | Brandon Johnson, a progressive black community activist, union organizer, and former teacher, won the Chicago mayoral election against Paul Vallas, the corporate Democrat opponent. Johnson's victory expressed popular rejection of neoliberal privatization and respect for progressive unions, in particular the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU). Johnson was outspent two to one, but not out-organized, winning 52-48%. The election displayed once again the power and organizing skills of the CTU, and showed that people, when they are involved, can upend election predictions. | His cam…
(2023-04-17). Thanks to China and Brazil, U.S. dollar's power over world economy weakens. peoplesworld.org 
The United States proclaimed the Monroe Doctrine 200 years ago and ever since has arranged Latin American and Caribbean affairs to its advantage. Nevertheless, struggles for national and regional independence did continue, and the poor and marginalized classes did resist. Eventually there would be indigenous movements, labor mobilizations, and progressive and socialist-inclined governments. Cuba's revolutionary …
(2023-04-17). Enslavement of African migrants 'big business' in Libya thanks to EU funding — UN. thegrayzone.com An investigation by the United Nations has concluded that money provided by the European Union to state entities in Libya has facilitated an array of crimes against humanity ranging from forced labor and sexual slavery to torture. Through its financial support of the Libyan Coast Guard and the Libyan Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM), the European Union has aided and abetted crimes against humanity, according to a recent UN report. On March 27, 2023, the United Nations released the …
(2023-04-17). Shenzhen forum attracts overseas professionals. ecns.cn More than 7,600 middle- to high-end jobs were on offer at the 21st Conference on International Exchange of Professionals held in Shenzhen, Guangdong province over the weekend, an event that also emphasized scientific exchange and international collaboration.
(2023-04-17). Report: Salaries for new recruits rise, but slower. ecns.cn The average monthly salary for new recruits in 38 major cities including Beijing and Shanghai saw a slight rise in the first quarter of this year as employers remain cautious about labor costs due to the current status of the economy.
(2023-04-17). Entregan Réplica del Machete Mambí del Generalísimo Máximo Gómez a intelectuales y artistas cubanos. cubadebate.cu Este domingo fue entregada la Réplica del Machete Mambí del Generalísimo Máximo Gómez a un grupo de escritores, artistas, periodistas e instituciones culturales e informativas, ejemplos del quehacer intelectual cubano. En la ceremonia militar, en la que recibieron el galardón cinco instituciones y 12 personalidades de la cultura, en reconocimiento a su labor profesional.
(2023-04-17). Protest in Taiwan Against Tsai's Meeting With US Congressman McCarthy. orinocotribune.com More than 50 political parties in the island of Taiwan staged a protest outside Taoyuan Airport in Taipei on Friday against regional leader Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. | The Friday activity, themed "Anti-Taiwan independence, anti-interference" started around 7: 30 pm and lasted for more than an hour. More than 200 people from over 50 political parties — including the Labor Party of Taiwan, the Reunification Alliance Party, the Chinese Unification Promotion Party, and the New Party — gathered outside the airport, calling for reunification and waving banners with slogans su…
(2023-04-17). Wednesday 5/3: On World Press Freedom Day: A Day Of Action To Free Assange/ Mumia & Against Censorship. indybay.org KQED Television | 2601 Mariposa St. | San Francisco…
(2023-04-17). Australian "foreign interference" arrest of businessman linked to China. wsws.org This arrest—with video footage splashed all over the media—occurred amid escalating moves by the Biden administration, backed by the Australian Labor government, to militarily and economically confront China.
(2023-04-17). Will Lehman responds to Department of Labor decision denying access to former UAW President Ray Curry's election protest. wsws.org On Saturday, rank-and-file candidate for UAW president Will Lehman wrote to Thomas Murray, Detroit-Milwaukee District Director of the Department of Labor's Office for Labor-Management Standards, objecting to the withholding of Curry's election protest.
(2023-04-16). Bus cancellations spark new calls to end privatisation. greenleft.org.au In opposition, NSW Labor campaigned against bus privatisation. But, the new minister now says "the options available are limited". Jim McIlroy reports.
(2023-04-16). Robot Police Dogs + Fake Crime Waves. dissidentvoice.org NYPD Adds 'Spot,' the Robot Dog, to Force NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell assured the public "that the use of this technology will be transparent, consistent, and always done in collaboration with the people who we serve." [emphasis added] Whole Foods closes San Francisco flagship store after one year, citing worker safety "Incidents of theft in …
(2023-04-16). Presidente chileno promulga jornada laboral de 40 horas. telesurtv.net El mandatario chileno confesó que la comunidad política a la que pertenece intentó durante mucho tiempo llevar adelante esta iniciativa.
(2023-04-16). AFT and U-M partner to increase profits at Michigan Medicine and suppress workers' opposition. wsws.org Behind the university's endorsement of the formation of an AFT-affiliated union of diagnostic technicians at Michigan Medicine stands the collaboration of the official labor organizations with the corporate and financial interests that are profiting from increasingly intolerable conditions for health care workers and working class patients.
(2023-04-17). Human Trafficking or a Guest Worker Program? H-2A's Systemic Issues Result in Catastrophic Violations. latinorebels.com In May 2018, Diego and Mario, two farmworkers who had entered the U.S. with H-2A visas, escaped their employer. Read why in the first of a two-part series by Futuro Investigates titled 'Head Down.'
(2023-04-17). Saunders: AFSCME working its way back from COVID's impact. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The State, County and Municipal Employees union is working its way back from the huge cuts in local and state jobs the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic imposed, union President Lee Saunders says. And, he adds, the governors, mayors and county officials he regularly talks with and works with desperately seek workers to fill thousands of vacancies. …
(2023-04-17). Friday 4/14: After winning our election to join IBU-ILWU, Alcatraz workers are fighting for a contract. indybay.org Pier 33, San Francisco…
(2023-04-17). Stop union sellout of University of Sydney workers! Form a rank-and-file committee to fight for job security, workload reduction and real pay increases! wsws.org The protracted struggle at USYD is now in great danger, precisely at the point where it has the potential to become a spearhead for a broader fight against the intensifying real pay-cutting and cost-of-living crisis.
(2023-04-16). In The Philippines, Repression And US Trade Policy Go Hand-In-hand. popularresistance.org For call center workers in the Philippines, attempts to unionize the workplace don't just entail confrontations with local management—but overseas US-based multinationals and the US federal government's foreign policy agenda as well. Since 2022, the Biden administration has promoted a new economic initiative known as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). Touted as a vehicle for "writing the new rules of the 21st century economy," the IPEF links 14 nations across the Pacific Rim into an emergent bloc that has been compared to the defunct Trans-Pacific Partnership. Like the TPP before it,…
(2023-04-16). French Workers Take The Streets As Pension Reform Becomes Law. popularresistance.org Spontaneous protests broke out in France on April 14, Friday, after the country's Constitutional Council ratified the increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64, the most controversial aspect of the pension reforms pushed by the Emmanuel Macron-led government. Macron signed the bill into law early on Saturday. | Even though the Council struck down certain provisions of the bill, it also rejected the first version of the Referendum of Shared Initiative (RIP) on the implementation of the reforms. The proposal for the referendum was submitted by the MPs from the left-wing New Ecologic and Social Peoples Union's (N…
(2023-04-16). Unions betray 9,000 Rutgers academic workers by suspending strike without a tentative agreement. wsws.org Rank-and-file workers at Rutgers must organize immediately to prepare a struggle against the sellout of the strike, break through the isolation imposed by the union leadership, and reach out to other workers across state and national lines.
(2023-04-17). Presidente Petro llega a EE.UU. para reunirse con Joe Biden. telesurtv.net Gustavo Petro y Joe Biden conversaran sobre la política de droga y de paz total, la migración, las oportunidades de inversión y el cambio climático.
(2023-04-17). How the Sri Lankan working class must fight IMF austerity and defend democratic rights. wsws.org Sri Lankan unions have refused to call any industrial action to fight IMF austerity and President Wickremsinghe's repressive Anti-Terrorism Bill.
(2023-04-17). As Teamsters and UPS begin negotiations, union president O'Brien claims that Biden "did not intercede" to ban rail strike. wsws.org O'Brien's whopper, delivered at a rally in Los Angeles on Saturday, is the surest sign that the Teamsters bureaucracy is colluding with the White House to block strike action at UPS, just like it did with the railroads last year.
(2023-04-17). Death toll rises to 97 as fighting rages in Sudan. ecns.cn Clashes in Sudan's capital Khartoum raged for a third day, raising the death toll to 97, said a Sudanese doctors' union in a statement early Monday.
(2023-04-16). After Feared Global Food Shortage, Rift in EU Emerges Over Grain Glut. news.antiwar.com Poland and Hungary will pause imports of Ukrainian grain. The European Union's agricultural policies in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine have caused a glut of wheat in Central Europe, harming the region's farmers. On Saturday, Hungarian agriculture minister István Nagy announced Budapest would temporarily block imports of Ukrainian wheat and oilseeds until July …
(2023-04-16). U.S. Act of War against the European Union: President Biden Ordered the Terror Attack against Nord Stream. High Treason against the People of Europe. globalresearch.ca In international law, "Territorial Integrity" extends to "properties" located within the territorial waters of the Nation State. The deliberate destruction of said "properties" within a country's territorial waters by or on behalf of a foreign state actor constitutes an act of war.
(2023-04-16). Disidencias FARC-EP anuncia reunión con el gobierno de Gustavo Petro. cubadebate.cu El llamado Estado Mayor Central (EMC) del exgrupo Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP), grupo armado conocido disidente de FARC, propuso al Gobierno colombiano instalar una mesa de diálogo en Noruega.
(2023-04-16). Unión Eléctrica prevé afectaciones por déficit de generación de 222 MW, solo en pico nocturno. cubadebate.cu Con este pronóstico, se estima para la hora pico una disponibilidad de 2548 MW y una demanda máxima de 2700 MW, para un déficit de 152 MW, por lo que de mantenerse las condiciones previstas se pronostica una afectación de 222 MW en este horario.
(2023-04-16). ONU y UA unirán esfuerzos para desescalar crisis en Sudán. telesurtv.net El secretario general de la ONU y el presidente de la Comisión de la Unión Africana sostuvieron conversaciones al respecto.
(2023-04-16). The significance of the repeal of Michigan's right-to-work law. wsws.org The main impact of repealing the right-to-work law is to funnel millions of dollars in dues into the treasuries of the unions.
(2023-04-17). Palestinian Prisoners Day 2023. bdsmovement.net 
(2023-04-17). Consumer Health: Parkinson's disease — are you at risk? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org April is Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to learn about the causes and risk factors of Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. People with Parkinson's disease can experience tremors, slowed movement, rigid muscles, loss of automatic movements, speech and writing changes, and impaired posture and balance. An estimated 1 million people in the U.S. and more than 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson's…
(2023-04-17). Ansarullah, Saudi-Backed Presidential Council Complete Yemen Prisoner Swap. orinocotribune.com Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement and the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) have freed scores of prisoners on the last of a three-day exchange of nearly 900 detainees, raising prospects for nationwide peace in a country embroiled in a devastating Saudi-led war. | The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which is managing the prisoner exchange, said on Sunday that planes carrying released detainees took off at the same time from the capital city of Sana'a and the energy-rich northern city of Ma'rib. | "The first flight from Ma'rib and the first flight from Sana'a have left," ICRC…
(2023-04-16). Israeli Army, Police Foil Attempt To Smuggle Weapons From Jordan. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image. Source: the Israeli Defense Forces. | On April 16, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Police foiled an attempt to smuggle 15 handguns from Jordan into Israel. | The IDF said in a statement that soldiers monitoring surveillance cameras spotted two vehicles and suspicious movement near the town of Neve Ur on the border with Jordan. Army troops and police officers were quickly dispatched to the scene, where they catched one of the cars. | Three men were…
(2023-04-16). French fascism and the revolt against Macron. greenleft.org.au Continuing his analysis of the social explosion continuing in France, John Mullen looks at the far right and how it has reacted to the movement against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms.
(2023-04-16). Heavy Fighting Breaks out in Sudanese Capital, Imperiling Revolution. juancole.com 
( Middle East Monitor ) — Clashes erupted Saturday between the conventional Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), formerly known as the Janjaweed militias, in the capital Khartoum. The RSF had been deployed in 2019 by the military junta against the civilian revolutionary movement that overthrew dictator and war criminal Omar …
(2023-04-17). Court ruling shines light on 'WeChat overtime'. ecns.cn A recent lawsuit related to working overtime through the use of WeChat has aroused heated discussion, prompting legal professionals to call on people to increase their awareness and learn to protect their interests in this fast-changing era.
(2023-04-17). Russia's investigations about US biolabs concluded. infobrics.org According to Russia's parliamentary investigative committee, Washington would be working to create an "universal' genetically engineered bioweapon".
(2023-04-17). A new heart and a renewed zest for life. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Whether it was working around the home or out hiking the trails, Steven Fietek says he has always been active. But when Steven turned 52, he started to notice shortness of breath. "Slowly but surely, I got to the point where the fatigue and the shortness of breath was troublesome." Steven says he was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. "Which I keep telling people, it's a big, big word for weak heart muscle." A few years…