NLRB says Amazon firing of workers illegal retaliation
The workers are demanding better climate, labor policies. “It’s clear that Amazon has been violating the law when it tries to silence workers who speak out,” said Christy Hofmann, general secretary of UNI Global Union. by…
Renewable energy smashes records in 2020
‘A Remarkable Story of Resilience and Hope “There is a huge amount to be done… The international community must look to this trend as a source of inspiration to go further.” by Kenny Stancil, staff writer…
The Two Hospitals Have Similar Infant Death Rates — Until You Look at Extremely Premature Babies
Lax state oversight leaves unanswered questions about the deaths of extremely preterm babies at Albuquerque’s Lovelace Women’s Hospital, which markets itself as a state-of-the-art newborn facility. Experts say transparency could save lives. by Bryant Furlow, New…
How Black poets and writers gave a voice to ‘Affrilachia’
by Amy M. Alvarez, West Virginia University and Jameka Hartley, University of Alabama April 4, 2021 ‘Untitled’ from the series ‘Imaging/Imagining.’, Photo by Raymond Thompson, Jr . Appalachia, in the popular imagination, stubbornly remains poor…
Haaland announces new Missing and Murdered Indigenous Unit at Interior
The department said the new unit will “put the full weight of the federal government into investigating these cases and marshal law enforcement resources across federal agencies and throughout Indian country.” by Brett Wilkins, staff writer…
How to file your state and federal taxes for free in 2021
by Kristen Doerer for ProPublica, Justin Elliott and Karim Doumar The ProPublica Free Tax Guide Free, Fact-Checked Tax Information. That’s All. Most Americans are eligible for free tax-preparation services, but the truly free options can…
Georgia GOP transforms 2-page bill Into 93-page assault on Voting Rights
‘Hijacking of Democracy in Plain Sight’ “Surprising advocates, legislators, and voters with a nearly 100-page bill is undemocratic and unacceptable.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Thursday, March 18, 2021 Democratic lawmakers and civil rights groups…
Biden endorses return to talking filibuster, Sinema mum
‘Democracy Is Having a Hard Time Functioning’ “That’s what it was supposed to be.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Wednesday, March 17, 2021 President Joe Biden for the first time on Tuesday endorsed significantly overhauling…
Restoring voting rights to former felons
by Wade Rathke March 17, 2021 New Orleans In these times when a number of states are trying to curtail voting rights for their citizens, the governor of Virginia made some news by speeding…
America’s drinking water is surprisingly easy to poison
The cyberbreach at a plant in Oldsmar, Florida, which could have resulted in a mass poisoning, was a reminder of a disturbing reality: Despite a decade of warnings, thousands of water systems around the country are…
Critics say ‘scorched earth’ threat over Filibuster shows McConnell ‘getting scared’
“McConnell is clearly getting desperate as momentum grows to eliminate the filibuster as a weapon he can use to maintain power from the minority.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Tuesday, March 16, 2021 Minority Leader Mitch…
Weak cybersecurity puts all at risk
by Wade Rathke March 16, 2021 New Orleans If you are lucky, maybe you have a bit of savings for your retirement, like a 401(k) plan. Maybe if you are really lucky, you worked for…
Clogged pipeline for minority and women-owned businesses
by Wade Rathke March 15, 2021 Pearl River If the Jeffersonian story of America was the small yeoman farmer, the contemporary story of America is often of small businesses. These are the main streets…
Progressive takeover of Nevada Democratic Party sparks ‘mass exodus’ of staff, consultants
“What they just didn’t expect is that we got better and better at organizing and out-organizing them at every turn,” said Judith Whitmer, newly elected chair of the Nevada Democratic Party. by Jake Johnson, staff writer…
‘They run on shrinking the vote’: Tens of millions threatened by GOP attack on voting
Democrats can eliminate the filibuster to pass legislation to stop voter suppression, said journalist Ari Berman, “or they can allow [the] GOP to undermine democracy for the next decade.” by Kenny Stancil, staff…
6 Questions officials still haven’t answered after weeks of hearings on the Capitol attack
More than 15 hours of testimony failed to answer fundamental questions about the Capitol attack. Among them: Why national security officials responded differently to BLM protesters than to Trump supporters. by Joaquin Sapien and Joshua…
President Biden signs sweeping $1.9 trillion Covid relief package into law
“This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country and giving people in this nation—working people, middle-class folks, people who built the country—a fighting chance.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Thursday, March 11, 2021…
Stop Stacey: We don’t think so
by Abby Zimet, Further columnist March 9, 2021 Almost 60 years later, the fight goes on. Georgia’s ” horror” of a new voter suppression law, dubbed “Jim Crow 2.0” and passed the day after Bloody Sunday,…
3/11 Pandemic Anniversary
by Wade Rathke March 11, 2021 New Orleans 9/11 has been a date fixed on the mental calendar of Americans for what will be twenty years this September of 2021. It is worth wondering whether…
Grand Old Party (GOP) vs. Party of Trump (POT)
by Wade Rathke March 10, 2021 New Orleans No matter what, it seems that when we are talking about Trump, it’s all about the money. In the latest stop on his revenge tour, his lawyers…
‘Don’t patronize me’: Katie Porter tears Into oil exec for claiming his industry doesn’t get special tax breaks
“The wonderful Rep. Katie Porter provides a signal moment in congressional history. And it’s a sign of the weakening position of the oil industry—no deference to these liars any longer.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Wednesday,…
House Passage of Historic Union Rights Bill Intensifies Pressure on Dem Senators to ‘Stop Hiding Behind’ Filibuster
“Once again, the key obstacle in the way of passing this legislation is the Jim Crow filibuster.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Wednesday, March 10, 2021 With the support of just five Republicans, the House…
No energy regulation equals rip-offs
by Wade Rathke March 9, 2021 New Orleans Picture this, if you will. The crippled power grid in Texas triggered by the polar vortex bringing freezing temperatures and snow, left millions without power and others…
Schumer vows to push through ‘Republican obstruction’ and confirm Deb Haaland as Interior Secretary
The Senate majority leader said he “just filed cloture to move ahead” with the New Mexico congresswoman’s nomination. by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Tuesday, March 9, 2021 As Republican U.S. senators continued attempts to obstruct Rep….