United States
Trump escalates economic confrontation with China
By Andre Damon, 24 August 2019
Trump’s “order” for American companies to leave China marks a milestone in the global descent into economic nationalism and preparations for military conflict.
Wall Street falls as US-China trade conflict intensifies
By Nick Beams, 24 August 2019
Tweets by Trump in response to tariff measures by Beijing were his most belligerent to date, taking aim not only against China, but US corporations and the Federal Reserve.
Strike votes continue as autoworkers gear up for contract fight against GM, Ford, and Chrysler
By our reporters, 24 August 2019
The balloting is taking place under conditions in which the union has been widely discredited by its role in forcing through decades of sellout contracts and an expanding corruption scandal.
Texas prisoner executed despite debunked forensic evidence pointing to his innocence
By Kate Randall, 24 August 2019
The US Supreme Court denied Larry Swearingen’s appeal for a stay, clearing the way for his execution.
Machinists on strike at Berkshire Hathaway-owned Special Metals in New Hartford, New York
By Steve Filips, 24 August 2019
More than 200 workers at Special Metals rejected the company’s last contract proposal and have been on strike since last Saturday.
Hundreds of workers laid off, have healthcare eliminated as Philadelphia refinery closes
By Samuel Davidson, 24 August 2019
Workers at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery, which is being shut down after a major explosion in June, will receive no severance pay and have had their healthcare coverage terminated.
Michigan: Two million gallons of untreated sewage spill into Flint River
By Mitch Marcus, 24 August 2019
Exposure to or ingestion of raw or partially treated sewage, as the city maintains is the case here, can cause immediate harmful effects.
Dear White People Volume 3 and the weaponization of identity politics
By Nick Barrickman, 24 August 2019
In the third season of Justin Simien’s series, events culminate in a #MeToo-style attack on a popular professor.
“We are ready to stay out as long as it takes”
Workers at GM, Ford, and Chrysler ready to strike in contract fight
By Jerry White, 23 August 2019
In front of the factory gates Thursday, Fiat Chrysler workers explained what the most critical issues they want addressed in new labor agreements.
US escalates preparations for nuclear war with Russia and China
By Andre Damon, 23 August 2019
After withdrawing from the INF treaty, the US is accelerating its preparations to fight a nuclear war with China or Russia by testing and stockpiling dangerous new weapons in a nuclear arms race.
Democrats enforce crackdown on vehicular homelessness in Los Angeles
By Rafael Azul, 23 August 2019
Nearly 10,000 people are forced by high rents and stagnant wages to live in their vehicles on the streets of the second largest city in the United States.
Why is the New York Times still trying to sweep the Epstein case under the rug?
By Patrick Martin, 23 August 2019
Amid reports of “stunning” violations of protocol by prison officials in the death of America’s most famous prisoner, the Times claims that questions regarding the well-connected sex trafficker are “conspiracy theories.”
Harlan County, Kentucky workers support coal miners’ blockade
By Samuel Davidson, 23 August 2019
Miners blocking shipments of coal from a bankrupt mine have the backing of other workers and residents in eastern Kentucky
Trump orders indefinite jailing of detained immigrant families, attacks birthright citizenship
By Eric London, 22 August 2019
Democrats have largely backed Trump’s attacks on immigrants, with the New York Times describing his concentration camps as “family detention centers.”
“It’s ludicrous the way they treat the temps”
GM autoworker speaks out on UAW corruption, upcoming contract fight
By Debra Watson, 22 August 2019
Workers at the Big Three in the US begin voting today to authorize strike action if no agreement is reached on deal when their contracts expire next month.
US Steel announces up to 200 layoffs at Great Lakes Works in Ecorse, Michigan
By Jessica Goldstein, 22 August 2019
The recent layoffs in suburban Detroit serve to shatter any illusion that workers' jobs and living standards can be protected through trade war measures.
Voices from Ferguson, Missouri five years after the police murder of Michael Brown
By Zac Corrigan, 22 August 2019
Residents spoke about life in a country where the police kill with impunity to defend a capitalist social order based on historic levels of inequality.
Ann Arbor forum discusses who was responsible for the Flint water crisis
By James Brookfield, 22 August 2019
A Democratic state senator tried to blame the disaster solely on the Republican state government, although the mayor of Flint and other local officials were Democrats.
Autoworkers determined to fight as UAW contract deadline approaches
By Tom Hall, 21 August 2019
The September 14 contract deadline is fast approaching for more than 150,000 hourly workers at Ford, GM and Chrysler operations in the US.
Joe Ashton, UAW VP named in corruption scandal, had long history of selling out auto workers
By Jerry White, 21 August 2019
A lifelong UAW functionary on the payroll of the union’s International staff for 28 years, Ashton epitomizes the social layer at the head of the so-called “American labor movement.”
UAW corruption scandal: Former union VP Joe Ashton reportedly took $550,000 in illegal kickbacks
By Jerry White, 20 August 2019
Ashton would be the highest-ranking UAW officer implicated in the corruption scandal that has already led to the conviction of UAW Vice President Norwood Jewell and three other top UAW officials on the 2015 UAW-Chrysler Bargaining Committee.
Detroit to serve as a cheap labor platform
Behind Fiat Chrysler’s $4.5 billion investment in the Motor City
By Kevin Reed, 20 August 2019
The investment of $4.5 billion by FCA in automotive manufacturing in Detroit is part of a global strategy predicated on further dramatic reductions in labor costs.
New York Police Department fires cop who killed Eric Garner
By Sandy English, 20 August 2019
The NYPD fired officer Daniel Pantaleo over five years after he choked to death Staten Island resident Eric Garner.
Police violence the sixth leading cause of death for young men in the US
By Gary Joad and Kate Randall, 20 August 2019
There were only 22 days in all of 2018 in which someone was not shot dead by police.
“You can’t trust the government”: Flint, Michigan residents speak out on Newark water crisis
By Sheila Brehm, 20 August 2019
The lead-in-water crisis in Newark, New Jersey is evoking angry responses from Flint residents who have gone through similar experiences over the last five years.
Mass layoffs for workers; millions for GM, Ford and Chrysler CEOs
By Andre Damon, 19 August 2019
CEOs in the United States make in one day what most workers make in a year, according to a new report by the Economic Policy Institute.
American media shuts down the Epstein story
By Patrick Martin, 19 August 2019
Despite many unanswered questions, virtually all reporting on the death of multi-millionaire sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein has halted following the verdict of suicide by the medical examiner.
Trump administration calls for permanent restoration of bulk phone communications surveillance
By Kevin Reed, 19 August 2019
The outgoing director of National Intelligence appealed to Congress for the restoration of the surveillance program that was exposed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
“This is corruption, collusion, conspiracy”
Newark, New Jersey residents denounce Democrats over lead-poisoned water
By our reporters, 19 August 2019
The city began distributing bottled water last week after it was revealed that faucet filters were failing to screen toxic lead from home drinking water.
US farm equipment manufacturer John Deere calls for “organizational efficiency,” threatening jobs
By George Gallanis, 19 August 2019
Amid slumps in sales due to escalating trade tensions and low corn and soybean harvests, Deere is intent on cutting production costs.
ArcelorMittal and state officials hid news of Indiana chemical spill
By Jessica Goldstein, 19 August 2019
Despite the posturing of local politicians, ArcelorMittal will likely receive no more than a slap on the wrist for its reckless polluting of the environment.
Amy Klobuchar: The favorite Democrat of Senate Republicans
By George Gallanis, 19 August 2019
Underneath the banality of Klobuchar’s presidential campaign are pro-war, right-wing politics.
Tlaib agrees to Israeli terms, then reverses herself on West Bank visit
By Barry Grey, 17 August 2019
The events of the past two days have provided a fresh demonstration of the cowardice of the Democratic Party and the absence within it of any principled opposition to Donald Trump’s authoritarian agenda.
Outrage as Colorado police returned to duty after shooting 19-year-old in the back
By Kayla Costa, 17 August 2019
The officers involved in the murder of De’Von Bailey, the 537th person killed by police in the US this year, have already been returned to active duty.
Lawyers raise questions after medical examiner declares Epstein committed suicide
By Jessica Goldstein, 17 August 2019
The New York Times has seized on the terse statement issued by the New York City medical examiner as supposed proof that any suggestion of possible foul play in Epstein’s death is the result of baseless “conspiracy theories.”
“That was our money!” Autoworkers livid over UAW corruption scandal
By Shannon Jones, 17 August 2019
Less than one month remains before the expiration of contracts covering 155,000 US auto workers, and there is growing rank-and-file outrage over rampant union corruption.
Blackwater mercenary Nicholas Slatten sentenced to life in prison for initiating 2007 Nisour Square Massacre
By Jacob Crosse, 17 August 2019
Eight months after being found guilty a third time for first-degree murder, Slatten was sentenced Wednesday for his role in the notorious massacre in Baghdad during the height of the US occupation of Iraq.
US: Homelessness, housing insecurity top list of college student stressors as new year begins
By James Vega and Phyllis Steele, 17 August 2019
A new study on student hunger and homelessness reveals that among US college students, 33 percent reported eating less than they felt necessary because they did not have enough money for food.
The newest #MeToo atrocity: Opera singer Plácido Domingo comes under attack
By David Walsh, 17 August 2019
On August 13, the Associated Press posted an article by Jocelyn Gecker alleging that Spanish opera singer Plácido Domingo had sexually harassed a number of women over a period of several decades.
Facial recognition technology and identity politics
By Kevin Reed, 17 August 2019
The Democrats are seeking to channel mass opposition to the wholesale invasion of privacy into a campaign to regulate and “equalize” facial recognition technology.
UAW official indicted for taking millions in bribes as scandal spreads to GM
By Tom Hall, 16 August 2019
Michael Grimes took nearly $2 million in kickbacks for himself and fellow bureaucrats, according to federal investigators.
Protesters pepper-sprayed outside Rhode Island ICE facility after officer drives truck into crowd
By Trévon Austin, 16 August 2019
At least one demonstrator was seriously injured in the attack, suffering a broken leg, internal bleeding, and a back injury.
Lead contamination crisis grows
Newark, New Jersey suspends distribution of bottled water over expiration concerns
By Shuvu Batta, 16 August 2019
City officials were forced to stop distributions Tuesday in response to concerns over cases of bottled water that were labeled as expired.
Autopsy indicates death of Jeffrey Epstein likely due to strangulation
By Matthew Taylor, 16 August 2019
The report based on the autopsy explodes the ongoing efforts by the media, led by the New York Times, to dismiss all questions about the death of Epstein as “conspiracy theories.”
US Kaiser Permanente workers vote overwhelmingly in favor of strike
By Dan Conway, 16 August 2019
The 98 percent strike vote is a powerful expression of opposition to decades of attacks on workers by the multi-trillion dollar US health care industry.
“It’s not just miners, but all blue-collar workers, like the teachers, who have been mistreated too”
Blackjewel miners in Kentucky vow to continue fight against coal operator
By a WSWS reporting team, 16 August 2019
Two miners who have played a prominent role in the blockade of the coal train in Cumberland, Kentucky, spoke to the WSWS about their struggle to obtain back pay from the bankrupt coal company.
Wall Street plunges on fears of global recession
By Nick Beams, 15 August 2019
Amid growing concerns that low interest rates and “quantitative easing” will not be enough to stave off a new global downturn, there is a deep fear in ruling circles of mounting opposition in the working class.
Taliban claim breakthrough in Afghanistan talks, US commander says operations continue
By Bill Van Auken, 15 August 2019
Trump is reportedly pushing for a withdrawal of US troops before the 2020 election, while leading Republicans are pressing for a “residual force” of special forces and CIA.
Still no explanation for death of Epstein in prison
By a reporter, 15 August 2019
No information has been made public to explain who made the decisions that left the multi-millionaire alleged sex-trafficker alone in his cell the day he died.
Trade war, falling sales take center stage at Michigan auto industry conference
By Tom Hall, 15 August 2019
The discussions at the Management Briefing Seminar exposed the financial pressures on the auto industry that are driving demands for ever greater attacks on workers.
DSA candidate concedes Queens District Attorney race
By Josh Varlin, 15 August 2019
Despite the rhetoric of Democratic Socialists of America member Tiffany Cabán, the Queens election was a conflict between two factions of the right-wing Democratic Party.
Trump administration sabotages Endangered Species Act
By Kevin Martinez, 15 August 2019
The White House is seeking to reduce environmental regulations aimed at preserving plants and animals from extinction.
One month before the expiration of auto contracts
US autoworkers on collision course with the companies
By Jerry White, 15 August 2019
While the transnational corporations have made record profits since the 2008 financial crash, autoworkers have suffered a decade of falling real wages. They are determined to win substantial gains.
Trump again “jokes” about extending his presidency
By Patrick Martin, 15 August 2019
There is nothing funny about an American president publicly mulling over the prospects for becoming dictator-for-life.
San Francisco school board proposes “compromise” in move to suppress historic Depression-era murals
By Toby Reese, 15 August 2019
School board officials in San Francisco continue their attempt to censor the left-wing murals painted by Victor Arnautoff at George Washington High School despite broad popular opposition.
Comments from August 13 SFUSD school board meeting
Supporters of the “Life of Washington” mural in San Francisco speak their minds
By Toby Reese, 15 August 2019
At Tuesday’s meeting of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD Board of Education), numerous speakers eloquently addressed the issues involved in the censorship of Victor Arnautoff’s “Life of Washington” mural.
Bottled water distributions begin as lead water poisoning crisis erupts in Newark, New Jersey
By Daniel de Vries, 14 August 2019
After three years of cover-up, city and state officials were forced to begin distributing bottled water to residents on Monday.
Autoworkers react to slap-on-the wrist sentencing of former UAW VP
By Shannon Jones, 14 August 2019
Workers contrasted the lenient treatment handed out to Norwood Jewell with the brutal conditions they face every day in the factories compounded by the ever-present threat of layoffs.
Chicago school district and union officials prepare to sell austerity contract to teachers
By Kristina Betinis, 14 August 2019
The Democratic Party “fact-finder” has come down on the side of the district’s demands for a virtual wage freeze and further inroads on teachers’ health care benefits.
US media continues to downplay suspicions about Jeffrey Epstein’s death
By David Walsh, 14 August 2019
After days of breathless coverage, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal both removed the Epstein story from the front pages of their print editions on Tuesday.
“Some kids are hiding in their house, Anne Frank-style”
Residents compare trauma of Mississippi ICE Raid to Hurricane Katrina
By Norisa Diaz, 13 August 2019
Children are afraid to attend school or leave their parents’ side. Families are hiding in their homes.
“We can come together as a force:” Nashville resident who saw neighbors stop ICE speaks out
By our reporters, 13 August 2019
Rosheda Martin lives in the Hermitage neighborhood, where residents physically prevented ICE from snatching their neighbors.
American horror story
Elderly husband kills wife, then himself, in desperation over skyrocketing healthcare costs
By Eric London, 12 August 2019
Brian Jones left a note Wednesday morning explaining that he could not afford to pay for his wife’s Alzheimer’s treatment.
Fire at Erie, Pennsylvania day care center leaves five children dead
By Nick Barrickman, 12 August 2019
The tragedy has once again exposed the harsh reality for millions of working people across the US.
FBI presses for social media surveillance “early alerting tool” in aftermath of mass shootings
By Kevin Reed, 12 August 2019
The FBI is stepping up its campaign for a real-time social media alert tool to allow continuous surveillance of all social media activity across platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Who wanted Jeffrey Epstein dead?
By Patrick Martin, 12 August 2019
The circumstances of Jeffrey Epstein’s death fully justify the widespread suspicions that he was murdered.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand: #MeToo, McCarthyism and machine politics
By Josh Varlin, 12 August 2019
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s campaign, combining feminism and anti-Russia witch-hunting, has yet to mobilize significant support.
Five years after police murder of Michael Brown
Police have killed 5,000 Americans since Ferguson protests
By Niles Niemuth, 10 August 2019
Despite popular protests and increased scrutiny in the aftermath of Michael Brown’s killing, US police officers have continued to kill at a rate of more than 1,000 people per year.
“I begged them! I said ‘Please, I’ve never seen this country!’”
Detroit man dies after ICE deports him to Iraq
By Zac Corrigan, 10 August 2019
Jimmy Aldaoud was born in Greece to Iraqi refugee parents and arrived in the US as an infant in 1979. He was deported to Iraq in June and died this week.
Following AUSMIN talks, Australian politician compares China to Nazi Germany
By James Cogan, 10 August 2019
Andrew Hastie falsely compared the purported failure of Australia to respond to the threat posed by China with France’s lack of response to the “German advance in 1940.”
New York judge orders Fordham University to recognize Students for Justice in Palestine club
By Fred Mazelis, 10 August 2019
The decision is a small but significant blow against the campaign to equate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism.
Study finds workplace injuries increase risk of death by suicide, drug overdose
By Jessica Goldstein, 10 August 2019
A recent study found a relationship between work-related injuries and the rapid growth of deaths caused by suicide and drug overdose among workers in New Mexico, one of the poorest states in the US.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Wall Street financial vultures: Please be nice to Puerto Rico
By Genevieve Leigh, 10 August 2019
Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has intervened to attempt to contain growing social unrest and anger.
Book Review: Red State Revolt – Part II
The Democratic Socialists of America shows its hostility to socialism
By Nancy Hanover, 10 August 2019
Part II of the review of a new book by Eric Blanc of the DSA. See Part I
The Mississippi raid: Trump’s attack on immigrants and his Democratic enablers
By Patrick Martin, 9 August 2019
Hundreds of children have been traumatized by having their parents ripped away from them and, in many cases, shipped to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement prison 150 miles away.
Chelsea Manning faces $441,000 in fines and another year in jail for refusing to testify against WikiLeaks
By Niles Niemuth, 9 August 2019
A federal judge rejected Manning’s motion to reconsider daily fines, which will bankrupt her as she refuses to testify before a grand jury impaneled to bring frame-up charges against WikiLeaks founder and publisher Julian Assange.
“You work so hard and you can barely make ends meet”
Hundreds of Detroit workers line up to apply for new Fiat Chrysler jobs
By Jerry White, 9 August 2019
Fiat Chrysler is expanding operations in Detroit, exploiting the sharp fall in wages and huge tax cuts.
New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority approves plan to cut 2,700 jobs
By Isaac Finn, 9 August 2019
On July 24, the transportation authority board approved the “MTA Transformation Plan,” which includes the possible layoff of 2,700 workers and the use of contractors to replace retiring workers.
Capital One hack compromises personal data of 106 million credit card applicants
By Kevin Reed, 9 August 2019
The hack of customer information at Capital One revealed on July 29 has exposed millions to identity theft and added a further pretext for corporate and state attacks on democratic rights under the guise of fighting cyber-crime.
Jacksonville, Florida officials move forward with electrical utility privatization plan
By Matthew Taylor, 9 August 2019
The Jacksonville Electrical Authority board has laid the groundwork for the approval of the sale of the largest public utility in the state through months of crisis mongering.
While Trump cries crocodile tears over massacre victims
ICE rounds up nearly 700 immigrants in sweep through Mississippi poultry plants
By Norisa Diaz and Patrick Martin, 8 August 2019
The Trump administration has given its real response to the fascist massacre in El Paso, Texas by carrying out the largest immigration raid since Trump entered the White House.
Another governor ousted in Puerto Rico as protests continue
By Andrea Lobo, 8 August 2019
Thousands took to the streets around the governor’s mansion to celebrate Pierluisi’s ouster.
Lowe’s lays off thousands of workers as “retail apocalypse” continues
By Trévon Austin, 8 August 2019
The recent string of store closures and layoffs is part of a broader trend since the Great Recession.
US military testing domestic wide-area surveillance with high-altitude balloons
By Kevin Reed, 8 August 2019
The balloons also have high-resolution cameras capable of recording panoramic images that are then stitched together to provide a wide-area view of entire cities.
Michigan road workers strike major regional contractor
By Tim Rivers, 8 August 2019
Michigan road workers have been on strike since July 31 to fight for back pay and job protections.
Trump in El Paso: The culprit returns to the scene of the crime
By Eric London, 8 August 2019
The trip to Texas and Ohio was a dishonest attempt to evade responsibility for the fact that Trump instigated and bears principal political responsibility for what took place.
Currency war: A new stage in capitalist breakdown
By Nick Beams, 8 August 2019
A global currency conflict will take the economic warfare being waged by the US against “strategic competitors” such as China as well as its nominal allies to a new level.
Book Review: Red State Revolt – Part I
The DSA’s dishonest and self-serving account of the US teachers’ strikes
By Nancy Hanover, 8 August 2019
A new book by Democratic Socialists of America member Eric Blanc reviewing the role of the DSA during the teacher strikes in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona aims to boost the credibility of the unions and the Democratic Party.
In wake of El Paso slaughter, Mexican government continues to do Trump’s bidding
By Don Knowland, 7 August 2019
The Mexican president said on Sunday, “We don’t want to interfere in the affairs of other countries; we’re going to continue sticking to the principles of non-intervention.”
Washington orders international embargo on Venezuela, threatens invasion
By Andrea Lobo, 7 August 2019
US envoy Elliott Abrams declared: “If you told George Bush Sr. in 1988 that he would invade Panama, he would have called it madness. But two or three years later, it happened.”
Bowing to House Democratic leadership, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez purges staff
By Genevieve Leigh, 7 August 2019
The purge came after staff members criticized Democratic Party leaders over the passage of a bill funding Trump’s war on immigrants.
Kentucky coal miners continue protest as Blackjewel assets auction proceeds
By Naomi Spencer, 7 August 2019
The determined resistance of the miners in Harlan County, Kentucky, has demonstrated once again that the dividing line in America is class, not race or ethnicity.
Large turnout to view George Washington murals slated for destruction by San Francisco school board
By Toby Reese, 7 August 2019
The George Washington High School was opened for two hours for a viewing of the 13-panel mural by left-wing Depression Era muralist Victor Arnautoff depicting the “Life of Washington.”
Fascist violence and the politics of race and racism
By Joseph Kishore, 6 August 2019
Evading the political causes of the reemergence of fascist violence, the New York Times promotes a racialist narrative of American society, centered on “whiteness,” that legitimizes the reactionary claims of the extreme right.
US-China trade conflict escalates to currency war
By Nick Beams, 6 August 2019
Stock markets fell sharply around the world yesterday, amid fears of a currency war, after China allowed its currency, the renminbi, to pass through the benchmark of 7 to the US dollar.
Puerto Rican authorities scramble to provide democratic cover for installation of Wall Street’s governor
By Andrea Lobo, 6 August 2019
The attempt to install Pedro Pierluisi, lawyer for the US financial Junta, as Puerto Rico’s new governor has further deepened the political crisis and mass social opposition.
US Secretary of State demands greater Australian involvement in war drive against China
By Oscar Grenfell, 6 August 2019
The support for Pompeo’s aggressive remarks in Canberra is a warning that behind its back, the Australian population has been placed on the frontline of a confrontation with China that threatens a catastrophic nuclear war.
Judge lets bribe-taking UAW bureaucrat Norwood Jewell off with a slap on the wrist
By Shannon Jones, 6 August 2019
The former head of the union’s Fiat Chrysler department was sentenced to 15 months in a minimum-security prison for his role in the illegal bribery scheme.
US House retirements signal deepening crisis for Republican Party
By Tom Carter, 6 August 2019
Kenny Marchant of Texas is the twelfth on the “casualty list” of Republicans leaving office this term and the fourth from Texas to announce his retirement in recent weeks.
The Democratic presidential candidates: A socialist assessment
Beto O’Rourke: The incredible shrinking empty suit
By Ed Hightower, 6 August 2019
After rocketing into prominence in a failed 2018 campaign for US Senate, the former Texas congressman has plummeted from “co-frontrunner” status to near-invisibility.
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