US Politics
Conflicts within US ruling class intensify following Flynn guilty plea
By Andre Damon, 7 December 2017
While making no effort to oppose the Trump administration’s offensive on the working class, the Democrats are seeking to lay the groundwork for Trump’s removal over foreign policy differences.
John Conyers forced to resign from Congress as sex witch-hunt escalates
By a reporter, 6 December 2017
The Detroit Democrat is the most prominent congressional victim of the media campaign over charges of sexual misconduct.
In wake of Flynn guilty plea, anti-Russia campaign intensifies against Trump
By Patrick Martin, 4 December 2017
A significant section of the political establishment is seeking to use the Mueller investigation to target Trump’s own family and, if possible, force Trump to resign.
Bernie Sanders promotes illusions in the Democrats in speaking tour of Midwest
By Tom Hall, 4 December 2017
Sanders’ denunciations of the Republican tax plan entirely covered up the role of the Democrats, which support the bill’s basic aims.
The US Senate tax bill: The financial oligarchy on the rampage
By Patrick Martin, 2 December 2017
There is an element of desperation in the frenzy in Washington to engineer one more transfusion of financial resources from working people into the sclerotic veins of the Wall Street addicts.
Guilty plea by Trump’s former national security adviser Flynn intensifies US political crisis
By Bill Van Auken, 2 December 2017
There are powerful sections of the ruling class that want to push Trump out, and with Flynn they appear to have obtained plenty of ammunition.
Senate races to pass Trump tax cut for corporate America
By Barry Grey, 1 December 2017
A measure that will further restructure American society to benefit the ruling oligarchy at the expense of the mass of the population is being rushed through Congress without so much as a public hearing.
Graduate students protest Republican tax bill
By our reporters, 1 December 2017
Demonstrations took place at more than 40 universities over plans to treat tuition waivers as income and compel students to pay taxes on them.
Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi demands Representative John Conyers resign over harassment claims
By Andre Damon, 1 December 2017
Conyers, the longest serving member of the House of Representatives, has been targeted in an expanding purge of Congress carried out on the pretext of fighting "sexual misconduct."
Trump retweets fascist anti-Muslim videos from Britain
By Fred Mazelis, 30 November 2017
The White House is doubling down in its appeals to its fanatical ultra-right base and laying the groundwork for a mass fascist movement.
US sexual witch-hunt
NBC’s “Today” co-anchor Matt Lauer and “Prairie Home Companion” creator Garrison Keillor latest to be purged
By David Walsh, 30 November 2017
The spinelessness and contempt for democracy within the media and political establishment seems almost universal and unlimited.
Democratic Party-aligned groups organize protests at University of Michigan against fascist Richard Spencer
By Genevieve Leigh, 30 November 2017
The groups organizing the protests, including the Campus Antifascist Network and the Democratic Socialists of America, are working to block a political movement that can oppose the rise of the far right.
US Senate committee passes tax windfall for the rich
By Barry Grey, 29 November 2017
Congress, backed by the Trump White House, is hurtling toward the implementation of the most brazen and far-reaching corporate raid on the federal Treasury in US history.
The New York Times promotes an American Nazi
By Patrick Martin, 29 November 2017
A lengthy Times profile published Saturday gave a flattering portrayal of a white racist activist as the “boy next door.”
Democrats posture as opponents of Wall Street in CFPB dispute
By Patrick Martin, 28 November 2017
The conflict between Trump and the Democrats over control of the Consumer Financial Protection Board is being conducted with utter cynicism on both sides.
Trump, Congress move to finalize tax cuts for big business
By Patrick Martin, 27 November 2017
A meeting of leading Republicans and Democrats Tuesday begins the last-minute deals to provide $1.5 trillion for the wealthy at the expense of working people.
Net neutrality and the drive to censor the internet
By Andre Damon, 25 November 2017
The move by the Trump administration to end net neutrality marks a milestone in the offensive by the US government and major corporations to put an end to the free and open internet.
FCC plan to repeal “net neutrality” gives telecom giants control of public access to Internet
By Kevin Reed, 23 November 2017
The anti-democratic plan to deregulate the US Internet infrastructure will enable privately-owned US broadband providers to control public access to online content.
US sanctions against North Korea target China
By Peter Symonds, 23 November 2017
Washington is determined to exploit the confrontation with Pyongyang to undermine China economically and strategically.
Senate tax plan will raise taxes for half of Americans
By Trévon Austin, 23 November 2017
According to a study conducted by the Tax Policy Center the Senate Republican Party tax plan will increase taxes on 50 percent of Americans by 2027.
CBS fires Charlie Rose, Oliver Stone accused
Latest in sexual misconduct purge: Ultra-rightist “tips off” media about Rep. John Conyers
By David Walsh, 22 November 2017
In the latest chapter of the ongoing sex scandal, the media reported on Monday that Democratic Congressman John Conyers of Michigan settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015 with a former employee.
White House demands budget cuts to pay for US hurricane relief
By Patrick Martin, 21 November 2017
The letter to Congress from Budget Director Mick Mulvaney is an ultimatum that the working class pay for the hurricane devastation in Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas through cuts in an array of domestic social programs.
“Sexual harassment” witch-hunt claims Jeffrey Tambor, Charlie Rose as latest victims
By Barry Grey, 21 November 2017
Allegations are followed by immediate dismissal and removal from shows.
First round of trials begin for 194 charged in anti-Trump inauguration day protests
By E.P. Milligan, 20 November 2017
The character of the J20 trials so far and the severity of the charges make clear that the entire case is a frame-up aimed at intimidating protesters and silencing dissent.
Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House
An insider’s view of the crisis-ridden Democratic Party
By Andre Damon, 20 November 2017
Donna Brazile’s new book provides a glimpse of the divisions and factional struggles gripping the Democratic Party.
The US tax bill: A massive handout to the financial elite
By Andre Damon, 18 November 2017
The tax bill passed by the US House of Representatives Thursday marks a new milestone in the transformation of the United States into an oligarchy.
Amanda Hess and Manohla Dargis on the Weinstein-Spacey-Louis C.K. affairs
Viciousness and ignorance: New York Times columnists on the rampage
By David Walsh, 18 November 2017
The newspaper has been at the forefront of the scandal over sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry, which has now been extended into the political arena.
US House passes multitrillion-dollar tax break for corporations and the wealthy
By Barry Grey, 17 November 2017
It is already becoming clear that the tax overhaul is a prelude to a frontal attack on Medicare and Social Security.
Political hysteria over alleged sexual abuse ensnares congressional Democrats
By Patrick Martin, 17 November 2017
Charges of sexual misconduct, in some cases dating back decades, are now embroiling the political establishment as well as Hollywood.
Democrats’ neo-McCarthyism echoes red-baiting attacks on civil rights movement of the 1950s
By Fred Mazelis, 17 November 2017
The language of Democratic politicians today recalls that of the Wisconsin Republican senator whose name has become synonymous with attacks on democratic rights.
US Senate hearing exposes danger of nuclear war
By Andre Damon, 16 November 2017
Tuesday’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the use of nuclear weapons highlighted the acute danger of the eruption of a war that could kill hundreds of millions of people.
The legacy of Obamacare: A five percent increase in heart patient deaths
By Kate Randall, 15 November 2017
Research published in JAMA Cardiology shows that an initiative introduced five years ago under Obamacare to reduce Medicare readmissions for heart patients has resulted in a significant increase in mortality rates.
Senate hearing considers threat of an unprovoked US nuclear war
By Bill Van Auken, 15 November 2017
The hearing heard the former head of the US Strategic Command raise the prospect of the military refusing a first strike order, creating what he called an “interesting constitutional situation.”
New York Times outlines Democrats’ “compromise” tax windfall for the rich
By Barry Grey, 15 November 2017
What is presented by the corporate media as a fierce conflict between the Republicans and Democrats is in reality a bipartisan conspiracy to increase the already stratospheric levels of social inequality in the United States.
Democrat Mark Warner auditions for the role of grand inquisitor in the anti-Russia campaign
By Harvey Simpkins, 14 November 2017
Senator Warner of Virginia has taken the most aggressive posture in favor of Internet censorship and other attacks on democratic rights.
How not to fight Judge Roy Moore
By Patrick Martin, 14 November 2017
The campaign to destroy the candidacy of the far-right demagogue Roy Moore through media accusations of long-past sexual misconduct is fundamentally antidemocratic and can only fuel political reaction.
US brands RT a “foreign agent:” A chilling move against free speech
By Andre Damon, 11 November 2017
The Justice Department’s demand that RT register as a “foreign agent” is aimed at delegitimizing it as a news source, intimidating its contributors and guests, and setting a precedent for branding news outlets as treasonous.
White House, congressional Republicans accelerate drive for corporate tax cut worth trillions
By Barry Grey, 11 November 2017
The tax plans are designed to widen the gap between the very rich and everybody else.
Trump sets out economic war in address to Asia-Pacific summit
By Nick Beams, 11 November 2017
In his diatribe, the US president cast aside the multilateral framework put in place by the United States itself in the aftermath of World War II.
House to vote on giving Amazon $53 billion deal to become main Pentagon supplier
By Evan Blake, 11 November 2017
If the bill becomes law, Amazon will be providing hundreds of thousands of CIA agents, military personnel, prosecutors, and immigration agents with their pencils, desks, and chairs.
Recall election fails to oust Flint, Michigan mayor
By Sheila Brehm, 11 November 2017
Last Tuesday’s mayoral election in Flint was marked by mass abstention after three-and-a-half years of an ongoing lead water crisis.
“Time is quickly running out”
Trump threatens China over North Korea and trade
By James Cogan, 10 November 2017
Three aircraft carrier battlegroups are positioned off the coast of the Korean Peninsula and will rehearse for war this weekend.
US Justice Department forces RT America to register as “foreign agent”
By Trévon Austin, 10 November 2017
The move is a product of the ongoing anti-Russia witch hunt led by the Democratic Party, together with the US intelligence agencies, aimed at delegitimizing and outlawing domestic political opposition.
Trump administration encourages states to gut Medicaid, impose work requirements
By Zaida Green, 10 November 2017
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will actively “partner” with states to impose premiums, punitive work requirements and other restrictions on Medicaid.
In wake of Brazile revelations, Sanders intensifies call for reviving the Democratic Party
By Patrick Martin, 10 November 2017
In his first major response to the exposure of unprecedented collusion between the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign, Sanders renewed his pledge to revitalize the Democratic Party.
Anti-Trump voters propel Democrats to victory in state and local elections
By Barry Grey, 9 November 2017
The outcome was not a vote of confidence in the Democratic Party. Rather, it was a repudiation of the politics of Trump and the far-right.
The colossal cost of Washington’s unending wars
By Bill Van Auken, 9 November 2017
According to Brown University’s latest “Costs of War” report, the Pentagon has squandered nearly $6 trillion over the past 16 years of US invasions, occupations and military interventions.
Socialist Alternative loses close Minneapolis city council race
By Anthony Bertolt, 9 November 2017
Jentzen garnered wide support by calling herself a socialist, but her platform called for an alliance with the Democratic Party
US Supreme Court upholds execution of Alabama prisoner who cannot remember his crime
By Kate Randall, 8 November 2017
The high court reversed a federal appeals court ruling that struck down the death sentence of Vernon Madison, 67, who suffers from dementia and memory impairment.
Trump administration moves toward deportation of Central American immigrants
By Bill Van Auken, 8 November 2017
Monday’s decision ends Temporary Protected Status for up to 5,000 Nicaraguans and could be the prelude to the mass deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants.
One year since the election of Donald Trump
By Patrick Martin, 8 November 2017
Trump is not an aberration, but the malignant product of the long-term decay of American capitalism and its two-party system.
Former DNC head Donna Brazile raises new questions over killing of Seth Rich, says she feared for her life
By Andre Damon, 8 November 2017
Statements by former DNC interim chairperson Donna Brazile indicate that some within the Democratic National Committee saw the murder of Rich as more than a botched burglary.
Democratic Party faction calls 2016 election “train wreck,” proposes relationship with pseudo-left
By Eric London, 8 November 2017
The “Democratic Autopsy” report is an attempt to save the party from a collapse of historic proportions.
Twenty-six dead in Texas church massacre: A society ravaged by pathological violence
By Kate Randall, 7 November 2017
Although the perpetrators of mass shootings are invariably deranged individuals, there are always deeper societal issues at work.
Kentucky authorities considering stiffer charges in assault on US Senator Rand Paul
By Barry Grey, 7 November 2017
The news of the attack on a sitting US senator was initially downplayed by the major newspapers.
Corporate interests, racial politics dominate Detroit mayoral election
By Tyler Van Dyke, 7 November 2017
With the backing of the city’s major corporations and the Democratic political establishment, incumbent Mayor Mike Duggan is expected to be reelected in today’s mayoral election.
One hundred years after the October Revolution
Majority of young Americans prefer socialism or communism to capitalism
By Niles Niemuth, 7 November 2017
The report from the right-wing Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation points to the widespread hostility to capitalism, which finds no expression within official politics.
Democratic Party crisis explodes in wake of Brazile revelations
By Patrick Martin, 6 November 2017
Appearing on national television, Donna Brazile, the former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, told Clinton loyalists who denounced her revelations to “Go to hell.”
Trump in Asia: On the eve of war
By James Cogan, 6 November 2017
Trump personifies the decay of American imperialism and the calculation of its strategists that it can arrest its decline by military means.
Guantanamo Bay military judge arrests military defense lawyer
By Alan Gilman, 6 November 2017
The al-Nashiri case underscores the mockery being made of the Bill of Rights through the Military Commissions hearings at Guantanamo Bay.
Trump begins 12-day visit to Asia to build war coalition against North Korea
By James Cogan, 4 November 2017
The visit symbolically began with a visit by the president to the Pearl Habor naval base, where war between the US and Japan for dominance over Asia began in December 1941.
Former Democratic chairman reveals Clinton rigging of 2016 nomination campaign
By Patrick Martin, 4 November 2017
A new book by Donna Brazile confirms charges by supporters of Bernie Sanders that the Democratic National Committee took sides against him in the primaries.
In part due to Trump sabotage
Obamacare premiums to soar in 2018
By Kate Randall, 4 November 2017
The most vulnerable population group will be households—as many as 2 million people—that are ineligible for subsidies.
“The sad thing is that there are so many people like me in that system”
Davino Watson, US citizen falsely imprisoned by ICE agents, speaks out
By Nick Barrickman, 4 November 2017
Watson has been denied the right to sue for damages incurred while he was illegally imprisoned by ICE for over three years.
Republicans unveil multitrillion-dollar tax cut for corporations and the rich
By Barry Grey, 3 November 2017
As always, the Republicans establish the right-wing framework for new attacks on the working class and the Democrats mount a cynical show of opposition, while ensuring that the Republican proposals are enacted virtually intact.
Trump nominates Jerome Powell as new Federal Reserve chief
By Nick Beams, 3 November 2017
Wall Street welcomed the selection of Powell, who will be the richest man to occupy the post.
The Democrats’ McCarthyite witch hunt
By Andre Damon, 3 November 2017
This week’s congressional hearings on “extremist content” mark a new stage in the campaign by congressional Democrats, working with the intelligence agencies and leading media outlets, to legitimize censorship and criminalize dissent.
Anti-Russia hearings in the US:
Lawmakers demand tech companies censor journalists and conduct mass surveillance
By Andre Damon, 2 November 2017
Wednesday's testimony made clear the social media giants are being required to act as a proxy of the US government, to muzzle its critics and political opponents.
General lets slip US escalation in Syria
By Bill Van Auken, 2 November 2017
The general’s “slip of the tongue” served only to further expose the military escalation being carried out behind the backs of the American people.
White House chief of staff blames Civil War on failure to “compromise”
By Tom Mackaman, 2 November 2017
Retired Marine General John Kelly’s comments resuscitate a reactionary interpretation that denies the Civil War’s historical necessity.
US Congressional hearing:
Former FBI agent says tech companies must “silence” sources of “rebellion”
By Andre Damon, 1 November 2017
Advocating stepped-up censorship of the Internet, Clint Watts, a former US Army officer and FBI agent, declared, “Civil wars don’t start with gunshots, they start with words.”
Bernie Sanders tries to quell anger in Puerto Rico
By Rafael Azul, 1 November 2017
With anger against the Trump administration reaching a breaking point, Sanders urged Puerto Ricans to keep their faith in the US government.
Congressional Republicans open investigation into Clinton role in Russian acquisition of US uranium mines
By Niles Niemuth, 1 November 2017
The Uranium One affair demonstrates that the Democrats no less than the Republicans have corrupt ties with business interests all over the world, including in Russia.
The Trump campaign indictments and the political crisis in America
By Barry Grey, 1 November 2017
The claim of Russian meddling has taken on the character of a neo-McCarthyite witch hunt, in which social and political opposition to the policies of the ruling class is attributed to the malign intervention of the Kremlin.
Three former Trump aides indicted as Washington political warfare intensifies
By Patrick Martin, 31 October 2017
The indictment of three Trump election campaign aides, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, marks a new stage in the political warfare in Washington.
Mattis, Tillerson testify before Senate committee
Bipartisan push for new US force resolution to rubber-stamp expanded war
By Tom Hall, 31 October 2017
The principal focus of the hearing was how to provide a pseudo-democratic fig leaf for the launching of new wars.
CVS and Aetna reportedly in talks for $60 billion merger
By Tom Hall, 31 October 2017
The merger between the CVS pharmacy chain and the insurance giant is reportedly in response to Amazon’s imminent entry into the prescription drug business.
First indictment reported in Mueller probe of alleged Russian interference in 2016 election
By Patrick Martin, 30 October 2017
Press reports claim the indictment will be made public as soon as Monday, with a possible arrest.
The US media and the Kennedy assassination documents: “Move along, nothing to see here”
By Bill Van Auken, 30 October 2017
The nervousness of the US corporate media over the Kennedy papers is bound up with the light they shed on the continuing and even greater criminality of the US government today.
America’s oligarchy: No money for opioid crisis, endless funds for corporate tax cuts
By Andre Damon, 28 October 2017
On the same day that Congress moved forward on nearly $6 trillion in tax cuts to the super-rich, the Trump administration declined to allocate any funds to address the opioid crisis.
Newly released documents point to state cover-up and complicity in assassination of John F. Kennedy
By Barry Grey, 28 October 2017
The documents released on Thursday make clear that both the FBI and the CIA were well aware of Oswald’s activities and were closely tracking him in the period leading up to the assassination.
Trump administration’s CMS head leads assault on Medicaid
By Kate Randall, 28 October 2017
Seema Verma sees the expansion of Medicaid under Obamacare as having extended coverage to millions of low-income Americans who should not be getting government-sponsored health insurance.
UN Ambassador Haley visits Africa amid US military escalation, social catastrophe
By Eddie Haywood, 28 October 2017
The tour happened against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s expansion of US military operations on the continent.
Tillerson delivers stern warning to Pakistan
By Sampath Perera, 28 October 2017
In a visit of just four hours, Tillerson spelled out Washington’s demand Pakistan join the US in dramatically escalating Afghan war violence or brace itself for reprisals.
Trump administration silences government environmental scientists
By Daniel de Vries, 27 October 2017
The EPA ordered three agency scientists to cancel long planned talks this week which were related to climate change.
The crisis in the Republican Party and the fracturing of the American two-party system
By Joseph Kishore, 26 October 2017
The political conflicts within the United States mirror global processes. In country after country, far-right movements have exploited the political vacuum created by the rightward lurch of the social democratic and labor parties.
New York Times and Wall Street Journal demand censorship of YouTube
By Andre Damon, 26 October 2017
In two articles appearing Tuesday on the front pages of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, the newspapers laid out justifications for censoring the online streaming service YouTube.
US Senate votes to protect financial giants from consumer lawsuits
By Patrick Martin, 26 October 2017
The measure will benefit companies like Wells Fargo and Equifax, as well as banks and credit card companies more generally.
US Republican senator calls Trump “dangerous to a democracy”
By Andre Damon, 25 October 2017
The speech by Senator Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican, marks an intensification of divisions within the state that have developed throughout the Trump administration.
The American oligarchy prepares a new tax windfall for the rich
By Barry Grey, 25 October 2017
Trump’s tax plan raises to a new level the plundering of society’s resources by the ruling class that has been underway for nearly four decades.
New reports document declining life expectancy and worsening health of US workers
By Jerry White, 24 October 2017
Middle-age workers are being forced to retire later, even as they confront poorer health and a lower life expectancy than their older peers.
The six-day rise and fall of “democratic socialist” Ramirez-Rosa for Illinois lieutenant governor
By Kristina Betinis, 24 October 2017
Ramirez-Rosa’s stint as running-mate for Democratic candidate Daniel Biss exposes both the character of the Democrats and the role of the Democratic Socialists of America in providing them with political cover.
Bannon attacks Bush and McCain, highlighting crisis within Republican Party
By Eric London, 23 October 2017
Republicans booed Bush and McCain and applauded Bannon’s attack at a party gathering in California, signaling growing divisions that threaten to tear apart the Republican Party.
Democrats signal shift to the right for 2018 campaign
By Patrick Martin, 23 October 2017
DNC Chairman Tom Perez nominated a slate of candidates for top party committees that excluded several longtime activists who backed Bernie Sanders against Hillary Clinton.
The US lurches toward military dictatorship
By Andre Damon, 23 October 2017
Gen. John Kelly’s militarist diatribe at a White House press briefing laid bare an open secret of American politics: behind the façade of democratic rule, the United States increasingly resembles a military dictatorship.
Senate passes resolution setting stage for $1.5 trillion in tax cuts for the rich
By Gabriel Black, 21 October 2017
The resolution helps procedurally prepare for the passage of a dramatic cut in taxes for business and for the financial elite.
Pompeo vows that the CIA will become a “much more vicious agency”
By Isaac Finn, 21 October 2017
Pompeo’s statements reflect the sentiments of a large section of the political establishment and intelligence communities.
White supremacist met by mass protest at University of Florida
By Fred Mazelis, 21 October 2017
Richard Spencer shut down his program 30 minutes ahead of schedule after confronting opponents who vastly outnumbered neo-fascists in the audience.
US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin to Congress: Pass tax cuts or markets will tank
By Nick Beams, 21 October 2017
Mnuchin’s Politico interview is an unwitting admission that the world’s largest economy is dominated by financial parasitism.
Gen. Kelly’s tirade and the threat of dictatorship
By Bill Van Auken, 21 October 2017
The callous and reactionary response of the Trump White House to the anguish of the family of a US soldier killed in Niger is of a piece with the deep-going militarization of the US government.
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