United States
Immigration raids strike Detroit: Dozens rounded up for deportation to Iraq war zone
By Eric London and Niles Niemuth, 13 June 2017
The decision by the Trump administration to deport refugees to Iraq explodes the claims that the US wars in Iraq and Syria are “humanitarian” interventions aimed at protecting the population.
US Senate Republicans moving forward on Obamacare repeal bill
By Kate Randall, 13 June 2017
The Senate bill will retain the majority of the AHCA’s reactionary features, including the gutting of Medicaid and tax breaks for the wealthy.
Special election for House seat in Georgia becomes most expensive in US history
By a reporter, 13 June 2017
More than $40 million has been poured into the race to fill a vacancy in the Sixth Congressional District, covering the northern Atlanta suburbs.
Massive abstention in Puerto Rican statehood referendum
By Rafael Azul, 13 June 2017
The vast majority of Puerto Rican voters failed to participate in Sunday’s plebiscite on the island’s political status.
Palace coup or class struggle: The political crisis in Washington and the strategy of the working class
By Joseph Kishore and David North on behalf of the Socialist Equality Party Political Committee, 13 June 2017
The working class cannot remain a bystander in the fight between Trump and the Democrats. Rather, it must develop its struggle against Trump under its own banner and with its own program.
Hey Bernie! Welcome to the millionaire’s club!
By Tom Hall, 13 June 2017
The self-proclaimed leader of a “political revolution” pocketed more than $1 million last year as payment for services rendered.
The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!
By Patrick Martin, 12 June 2017
Thursday’s appearance by fired FBI Director James Comey before the Senate Intelligence Committee has raised the anti-Russian hysteria in the US media to a new level.
Illinois unions endorse billionaire J.B. Pritzker for governor
By Kristina Betinis and Alexander Fangmann, 12 June 2017
Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, has been enlisted by the Democratic Party to take on Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, another billionaire, whom the Democrats are attacking as “bad for business.”
At “People’s Summit,” Sanders backs Democrats’ anti-Russian warmongering
By Jerry White, 12 June 2017
Sanders lent his support to the anti-Russian campaign of the Democrats while saying nothing about the danger of a military confrontation with the world’s second largest nuclear power.
Demoralization and opportunism reign at annual Left Forum in New York City
By Fred Mazelis, 12 June 2017
The layers that predominate at the forum are in the orbit of the Democratic Party and quite close to the trade union apparatus, and are for that reason very far from the masses of working people.
Drug crisis pushes up mortality rate for Americans in their prime
By Shelley Connor, 10 June 2017
Amid a continuing economic downturn, mortality rates have risen for Americans between the ages of 25 and 45, with a surging opioid crisis claiming lives daily.
Pregnancy-linked death rate in Texas is highest among industrialized nations
By Trévon Austin, 10 June 2017
According to the research directed by the University of Maryland in 2016, pregnancy-related deaths in Texas nearly doubled within two years, rising from 72 in 2010 to 142 in 2012.
Political warfare in Washington intensifies
Trump accuses fired FBI director of lying to Congress
By Barry Grey, 10 June 2017
Comey speaks for factions within the state seeking to reassert the Obama administration policy of escalating economic, diplomatic and military confrontation with Moscow.
Alabama executes Robert Melson, on death row for 21 years
By Niles Niemuth, 10 June 2017
The details of Melson’s case point to the state sanctioned murder of an innocent man on the basis of a police frame-up.
US surpasses most of the world in health care inequality
By Kate Randall, 9 June 2017
While poor and working-class Americans have access to substandard care, if they can get health care at all, a growing number of health care companies are catering to the rich.
Comey statement ignites new media firestorm against Trump
By Patrick Martin, 8 June 2017
The fired FBI director describes extensive efforts by the US president to block the investigation into alleged connections between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 elections.
State official resigns after using racial slur, expressing contempt for Flint and Detroit workers
By Shannon Jones, 8 June 2017
In the audio recording, Stair rants at length against working class residents of Flint, black and white, whom he calls “f**kin’ deadbeats.”
Congressional Republicans seek to obliterate record of CIA torture
By Tom Carter, 8 June 2017
The fate of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report, which exposed the most sadistic and depraved crimes perpetrated by the Central Intelligence Agency, is a milestone in the collapse of the rule of law and the emergence of a police state.
Deaths from drug overdoses see largest increase in US history
By Genevieve Leigh, 7 June 2017
New data analyzed by the New York Times reveals that the number of people killed by drug overdoses increased by 19 percent in 2016, largely due to the growing opioid epidemic.
US study shows one-third of adults suffer severe income fluctuations
By Josh Varlin, 7 June 2017
A recent Federal Reserve study found that almost a third of adults have a variable income from month to month, which makes financial planning nearly impossible.
US-backed forces enter Syrian city of Raqqa
By Bill Van Auken, 7 June 2017
The offensive against the ISIS-controlled city has been accompanied by an escalating US military presence in Syria and renewed clashes with government-backed forces.
NSA contractor charged with leaking report on alleged Russian election hacking
By Patrick Martin, 7 June 2017
The circumstances of the leaked document to the Intercept and the leaker being arrested on the day of publication are extremely murky, even suspicious.
Fired worker, an army veteran, kills five in workplace rampage in Orlando, Florida
By Kate Randall, 7 June 2017
Monday’s deadly attack came a week before the city marks one year since the Pulse nightclub massacre, when a lone gunman shot and killed 49 people and wounded 53 others.
Lead-tainted drinking water found throughout San Diego schools
By Jake Dean, 7 June 2017
A majority of schools examined so far have tested positive for elevated levels of lead in drinking water.
After UAW claimed there was no money to end two-tier wages
John Deere plans $5.2 billion takeover of German road construction company
By George Gallanis, 7 June 2017
The vast cash hoard of the farm machinery maker explodes the myth that it could not afford to improve the pay and benefits of its 11,200 hourly workers in 2015.
Airgas workers in New England walk out over health care and pensions
By John Marion, 7 June 2017
Truck drivers and gas cylinder workers in Rhode Island are striking at the largest US distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases.
US, Australian officials warn China over North Korea, South China Sea
By Peter Symonds, 6 June 2017
The comments were directed not only at China but also Asian nations such as the Philippines that have tilted toward Beijing in a bid to boost economic relations.
Trump, the coal miners and the environment
By Jerry White, 6 June 2017
Stripped of the demagogy and lies, the line of the Trump administration amounts to the proposition that miners must place their full trust and confidence in the benevolence of the coal bosses.
Statement of Mitch Abrams, International Youth and Students for Social Equality representative on the EMU student government
Defend the Eastern Michigan University part-time lecturers!
5 June 2017
The IYSSE calls on students to fight to mobilize the working class to defend part-time lecturers and the social right to high-quality public education.
Trump administration announces US withdrawal from Paris climate agreement
By Daniel de Vries, 2 June 2017
The move, which repudiates even the most modest targets for greenhouse gas emissions reductions, takes place amidst growing conflicts between the major powers and a raging political crisis within the US.
Comey to testify before Congress as Trump-Russia investigation continues
By Josh Varlin, 2 June 2017
Comey’s testimony and new allegations of private meetings between Trump aides and Russian officials occur in the context of a vicious fight in the American ruling class.
US Supreme Court sides with police who broke into home and shot sleeping couple
By Shelley Connor, 2 June 2017
The court sided with police in a case of illegal search and entry that resulted in Angel Mendez and his pregnant wife being shot 15 times by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies.
San Diego children left to fend for themselves after immigrant parents arrested by US Border Patrol
By Kevin Martinez, 2 June 2017
Francisco Duarte and Rosenda Pérez were detained last week after living in the US for more than two decades, leaving their 19-year-old son to take care of his three younger siblings.
Trump budget proposal signals new attacks, with devastating impact on New York City
By Philip Guelpa, 2 June 2017
Cuts to social programs will severely affect the living conditions of workers who already suffer from poverty and a lack of affordable housing.
After years of neglect, New York City faces transit crisis this summer
By Alan Whyte, 2 June 2017
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has warned Amtrak’s emergency repair work at Pennsylvania Station will “create a summer of hell” in the city.
Illinois’ largest hospital system plans $200 million in cuts
By Benjamin Mateus and Marcus Day, 2 June 2017
The cuts at Advocate will mean further restriction of patients’ access to health services and an escalation of the attack on the jobs and working conditions of employees.
Prices of US branded prescription drugs rose 13 percent in 2016
By Brad Dixon, 2 June 2017
The rise in drug prices is 318 percent higher than the rise in the costs of goods due to inflation, according to a report by health care technology company Truveris.
The Great Unraveling: The crisis of the post-war geopolitical order
By Alex Lantier, 2 June 2017
The rapid shifts in international politics since President Trump’s visit to Europe point to the disintegration of institutions that have shaped global politics for decades.
Oregon Republican appeals to far-right militias
Accused Portland killer Jeremy Christian makes first court appearance
By Toby Reese, 1 June 2017
Jeremy Joseph Christian was arrested for stabbing three individuals with a knife, killing two, after the victims intervened to defend two girls targeted by Christian's anti-Muslim tirade.
Almost 10,000 Detroit households face water shutoff
By James Brewer, 1 June 2017
Some 400 households had their water service disconnected in the one-week period following the city’s resumption of water shutoffs earlier this spring.
Senator McCain solicits support in Australia for Trump’s removal
By Andre Damon and David North, 1 June 2017
Speaking in Australia before high-ranking state and military officials, Senator John McCain delivered a damming indictment of Donald Trump and called upon the Australian government to defy his administration.
Investigation of White House-Russia ties expands to Trump’s personal lawyer
By Barry Grey, 31 May 2017
The Democratic Party has completely aligned itself with the most rabidly anti-Russian factions of the state and made this question of imperialist policy the basis of its opposition to Trump.
Manuel Noriega and US militarism
By Bill Van Auken, 31 May 2017
The December 1989 US invasion of Panama and toppling of Noriega set the pattern for the escalating series of US wars and interventions that were to follow.
As US-German rift widens
Left Party campaigns for German imperialism
By Johannes Stern, 31 May 2017
Leading Left Party representatives have praised the speech given by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Bavaria Sunday, which called Germany’s alliance with the US into question.
Why did the New York Times hire neoconservative columnist Bret Stephens?
By Tom Hall, 31 May 2017
The Times’ hiring of a rabidly pro-war Republican critic of Donald Trump demonstrates the reactionary character of the “liberal” Democratic Party milieu for which it speaks.
German Social Democrats, Left Party back Merkel’s anti-US stance
By Peter Schwarz, 30 May 2017
The political and media establishment in Germany is exploiting outrage at US President Trump’s arrogant behaviour to mobilise support behind an independent great power policy.
ICE arrested 190 immigrants in Southern California “public safety” operation
By Genevieve Leigh, 30 May 2017
The portrayal of the ongoing crackdown on immigrants as a “public safety” operation is a campaign of fear-mongering that lacks any factual basis.
Texas state representative calls ICE on pro-immigrant protesters
By Genevieve Leigh, 30 May 2017
The Texas Representative called officers on protesters who had gathered to oppose the Senate Bill 4, which was signed into law this month by Republican Governor Greg Abbott.
Zbigniew Brzezinski, architect of the catastrophe in Afghanistan, dead at 89
By Bill Van Auken, 29 May 2017
“What is most important to the history of the world? The Taliban or the collapse of the Soviet empire? Some stirred-up Moslems or the liberation of Central Europe?” the former national security adviser said of the CIA alliance with Al Qaeda.
After 34 years on death row, eight execution warrants
Thomas Arthur dies by lethal injection in Alabama
By Kate Randall, 27 May 2017
Thomas Arthur, 74, had spent 34 years on death row and had seven previous death warrants served against him. The US Supreme Court denied his petition for a stay of execution.
Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes’s Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign
The Democratic Convention, anti-Russian hysteria, and Clinton’s concession
Part Two
By Eric London, 27 May 2017
A new book provides insight into how the Democratic Party attempted to manipulate popular opposition to war and inequality to advance the interests of the American financial aristocracy.
Republican health plan would leave 23 million uninsured, budget office says
By Kate Randall, 26 May 2017
The AHCA would leave 23 million fewer insured by 2026, slashing $824 billion from Medicaid and driving up premiums for older Americans and those with preexisting conditions.
Trump’s budget proposal to slash $192 billion from food assistance programs
By Nick Barrickman, 26 May 2017
The cuts would be phased in over a period of 10 years and are of a piece with the broader budget, which would inflict an unprecedented $3.6 trillion in austerity.
US CEO compensation rose by 8.5 percent in 2016
By Shelley Connor, 26 May 2017
On May 23, research group Equilar revealed that CEO compensation rose by 8.5 percent in 2016, at more than twice the rate of workers’ pay in the same period
“The jobs don’t pay enough to get out of poverty”
Waynesburg, Pennsylvania: Poverty in the coal fields
By Samuel Davidson and Evan Winters, 26 May 2017
The WSWS recently interviewed workers and unemployed people in southwestern Pennsylvania, a former coal mining region.
ICE agents raid immigrant kitchen staff after dining at Ann Arbor, Michigan restaurant
By Shannon Jones, 26 May 2017
All those arrested had legal, permanent resident status, but were nonetheless detained.
Auto parts workers fired after “Day Without Immigrants” protest
By Nick Rodriguez, 26 May 2017
Over 20 immigrant workers have filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board against their former employer, EZ Industrial Solutions, after being fired for participating in the protest on February 16.
Rampant safety hazards, wage theft on Nashville construction sites
By Warren Duzak, 26 May 2017
In a survey of 1,435 construction workers in six major southern US cities, Nashville ranked number one in the frequency of injuries.
Conflict between Europe and America dominates NATO summit
By Johannes Stern, 26 May 2017
The first trip by US President Donald Trump to Europe has exposed the deep rift in the transatlantic alliance.
Fifty years after racist anti-miscegenation laws struck down
American public overwhelmingly accepting of interracial marriage
By Niles Niemuth, 26 May 2017
Contrary to the racialist narrative depicting a country hopelessly riven by racial division, the number of interracial marriages and popular approval are at an all-time high in the United States.
Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes’s Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign
An inside look at Bernie Sanders’s role in the Democratic Party primaries
Part One
By Eric London, 26 May 2017
A new book provides insight into how the Democratic Party attempted to manipulate popular opposition to war and inequality to advance the interests of the American financial aristocracy.
$1.4 trillion in cuts to health program for the poor
Trump budget aims to fatally cripple Medicaid
By Patrick Martin, 25 May 2017
The measures proposed by the White House would cut off tens of millions of people from access to health care, dramatically increasing disease, suffering and death.
Half of US Fortune 500 companies pay next to nothing in state taxes
By John Marion, 25 May 2017
A new report documents that among the Fortune 500 companies which were profitable in 2014, the average effective tax rate levied by all 50 states was only three percent.
Trump’s scorched-earth budget: $1.7 trillion in cuts to vital social programs
By Kate Randall, 24 May 2017
Trump’s fiscal year 2018 budget, titled “A New Foundation for American Greatness,” is a 52-page declaration of war against the working class.
Ex-CIA director’s testimony fuels new round of anti-Russian agitation
By Patrick Martin, 24 May 2017
John Brennan testified Tuesday before an open session of the House Intelligence Committee and later behind closed doors.
US launches raid in Yemen as Trump concludes Middle East trip
By Bill Van Auken, 24 May 2017
The US special forces raid on Yemen followed Trump’s massive arms deals with Saudi Arabia, which that will fuel the kingdom’s savage war against a population on the brink of starvation.
Supreme Court strikes down North Carolina redistricting
By our reporter, 24 May 2017
The court ruling deals a blow to efforts by the Republican Party to draw electoral boundaries that would pack black voters into a small number of districts.
32-year-old worker dies at Detroit area US Steel mill
By our reporter, 24 May 2017
The death of a contractor at the Great Lakes Steel Facility in Ecorse is the latest in a series of fatalities at US Steel, which has implemented deep cost-cutting measures.
Caterpillar, Butterball to close factories in Montgomery, Illinois, laying off 1,400 workers
By Marcus Day and George Marlowe, 24 May 2017
The dual factory closures in the far western suburbs of Chicago take place in an area already hard hit by decades of deindustrialization.
Planned Parenthood to close 10 clinics in Iowa and the mountain West
By Gary Joad, 24 May 2017
Wyoming will become the second US state without any Planned Parenthood facility, joining North Dakota.
Chicago police keep nearly 400,000 on a secret watch list
By George Marlowe, 24 May 2017
Far exceeding previous claims, the Chicago police secretly maintain a vast surveillance net covering nearly 15 percent of the city’s population.
New South Korean government pushes sham “chaebol” reform
By Ben McGrath, 24 May 2017
The Moon administration speaks for weaker layers of big business that are unable to compete with the major conglomerates.
Former Trump national security adviser invokes Fifth Amendment
By Patrick Martin, 23 May 2017
Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said he would not comply with a subpoena for documents by the Senate Intelligence Committee, citing his right not to incriminate himself.
Notre Dame graduates walk out to protest Vice President Pence’s graduation speech
By Shelley Connor, 23 May 2017
The protest centered on the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies as well as anti-gay marriage measures enacted by Pence as governor of Indiana.
Wall Street engineers ouster of top Ford executives
By Jerry White, 23 May 2017
The management reshuffling at the number two US automaker, described in industry circles as a “coup,” underscores the complete domination of the banks and financial speculators.
Trump calls for $1.7 trillion in social cuts
By Kate Randall, 23 May 2017
The budget proposal marks a new stage in the bipartisan assault on what remains of programs to fight poverty and hunger and provide health care for millions of workers.
International Youth and Students for Social Equality member wins student senate seat at New York University
By our reporters, 23 May 2017
Isaac Oseas, a member of the IYSSE, has won the position of student senator for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at NYU, which includes 4,000 graduate students at the university.
Washington Post and New York Times urge pullback on calls for Trump impeachment
By Patrick Martin, 22 May 2017
The two newspapers have served as the main mouthpieces for opposition to Trump within the military-intelligence apparatus.
Vulture capitalists fight over pickings from bankrupt Puerto Rico
By Rafael Azul, 22 May 2017
The country is already one of the most socially unequal US territories, with half the population under the poverty line and the official rate of unemployment at 11.5 percent.
Productivity figures and job cuts expose Trump’s growth fraud
By Nick Beams, 19 May 2017
US productivity growth is running at around one third its level before the global financial crisis of 2008.
Trump lashes out at investigation of alleged Russia ties
By Patrick Martin, 19 May 2017
On Twitter, and at a press conference, the US president denounced the investigation conducted by his own Department of Justice as a “witch hunt.”
Tulsa, Oklahoma police officer acquitted in 2016 killing of Terence Crutcher
By Nick Barrickman, 19 May 2017
Betty Jo Shelby was found not guilty of first degree manslaughter in the shooting of the 40-year-old unarmed father of four last year.
Trump administration education budget proposes $10.6 billion in cuts
By Shelley Connor, 19 May 2017
The budget would eliminate student loan forgiveness programs while simultaneously allocating millions of dollars to student debt collection and charter schools.
Obama presidential center in Chicago could cost $1.5 billion
By George Marlowe, 19 May 2017
The Obamas are building their shrine to themselves in a highly impoverished area of the city of Chicago as part of their post-presidential mythmaking efforts.
Democrats appeal to military in campaign against Trump
By Andre Damon, 19 May 2017
Amid the deepening factional struggle gripping Washington, sections of the political establishment are calling for the military to step in.
“We’re being punished for not being able to pay the city for the poison”
Flint residents speak out on water crisis
By Jerry White, 19 May 2017
With popular anger reaching a boiling point, city officials passed a temporary moratorium of foreclosure threats against residents not paying for the poisoned water.
Justice Department appoints special counsel to investigate Trump-Russia claims
By Andre Damon, 18 May 2017
The appointment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller to investigate Trump’s alleged ties to Russia marks a new stage in the factional battle raging in Washington.
Flint workers denounce foreclosure threat over water bills
By Jerry White, 18 May 2017
Angry workers on Wednesday confronted the Flint City Council, which voted to temporarily halt plans to put tax liens on homes with unpaid water bills.
US autoworkers discuss Ford job cuts, Washington political crisis
By Shannon Jones, 18 May 2017
The cutbacks are a further indication that the boom in auto sales is coming to an end.
More than 10,000 immigrants detained each year in California are parents of US citizens
By Genevieve Leigh, 18 May 2017
A new report by Human Rights Watch reviewed nearly 300,000 federal detentions of immigrants in facilities in California from 2011 to 2015.
Chelsea Manning released amid growing attacks on democratic rights in the US
By Bill Van Auken, 18 May 2017
Manning’s seven-year imprisonment at the hands of the US military was the most draconian sentence ever served for leaking classified documents.
Trump White House in disarray amidst charges it sought to block FBI investigation into Flynn
By Patrick Martin, 17 May 2017
The New York Times report which broke the allegation is based on material supplied by high-ranking FBI officials.
Whistleblower Chelsea Manning to be released from prison today
By Genevieve Leigh, 17 May 2017
Manning has served seven years in prison, frequently under brutal conditions, for leaking evidence to WikiLeaks exposing US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Los Angeles International Airport launches private terminal for the ultra-wealthy
By Marc Wells, 17 May 2017
The $22-million facility resembles a heavily guarded fortress and provides members’ with a private, highly secured and paparazzi-free environment where a team of eight people caters to their every need.
Georgia carries out its first execution of 2017
By Kate Randall, 17 May 2017
J.W. Ledford Jr.’s lethal injection began at 1:17 a.m. Wednesday after the US Supreme Court denied a stay of execution.
Fund managers earned billions in 2016 even as hedge funds underperformed
By Shelley Connor, 17 May 2017
The wealthiest 25 managers earned $11 billion last year while hedge funds yielded meager returns for investors.
The working class must intervene with its own program in the political crisis in Washington
By Joseph Kishore, 17 May 2017
A conflict is unfolding across the United States of a very different character than the crisis gripping Washington—a conflict between the working class and the capitalist class.
Water bill deadline looms for 8,000 Flint households
By James Brewer, 17 May 2017
Despite the fact that the water is still not safe to drink three years after the city began pumping foul, improperly treated water from the Flint River into homes, authorities are forcing residents to pay up or face eviction.
The global ransomware attack and the crimes of the US spy agencies
By Andre Damon, 16 May 2017
The cyberweapons created by the NSA are aimed not only against the geopolitical targets of US imperialism, but the populations of the United States and the entire world.
Media claims Trump revealed classified information to Russian visitors
By Patrick Martin, 16 May 2017
The Washington Post report sparked a round of media claims that Trump was sharing “state secrets” with Moscow.
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