United States
Obama speech escalates factional warfare against Trump
By Barry Grey, 8 September 2018
The central focus of Obama’s speech was an appeal to disaffected Republicans and conservatives to vote for the Democratic Party in the fall.
UAW silent after Fiat Chrysler worker injured at Kokomo casting plant
By Shannon Jones, 8 September 2018
The injury of a worker this week at the Fiat Chrysler Kokomo Casting Plant underscores the seriousness of workers’ concerns over health and safety conditions.
Thousands of rank-and-file US Steel workers cast unanimous votes to strike
By Jessica Goldstein, 8 September 2018
Workers at US Steel mills in Indiana, Pennsylvania and other states voted unanimously to strike in order to oppose the steelmaker’s demands for historic givebacks.
A warning to the working class
Facebook’s partnership with the Atlantic Council
By Kevin Reed, 8 September 2018
The campaign against “fake news,” “election meddling” and “disinformation” is emerging as the integration of the social media monopolies with the US military-intelligence apparatus.
Fifteen prisoners die in a month in Mississippi
By Aaron Murch, 8 September 2018
The sharp spike in prisoner deaths in Mississippi underscores the brutality and inhumanity of the prison system, which now holds over two million poor and working class people throughout the US.
Reject the sellout in Seattle! For a statewide and national teachers strike!
By WSWS Teacher Newsletter, 8 September 2018
The WSWS Teacher Newsletter urges Seattle teachers meeting today to vote “no” and immediately constitute themselves as an independent rank-and-file committee to plan a serious struggle.
What is the Teamsters for a Democratic Union?
By Tom Mackaman, 8 September 2018
Since 1976 the Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU), long a faction in the union bureaucracy, has been trying to replace IBT officials with those it claims will be more accountable to the rank and file.
CIA out of University of Illinois Chicago!
By IYSSE at University of Illinois at Chicago, 8 September 2018
The CIA partnership is an expression of the militarization of life in the US and internationally that must be opposed by students and young people.
Amazon market capitalization surpasses $1 trillion
By E.P. Milligan, 7 September 2018
Amazon’s soaring profits, like those of Apple, are the direct result of the brutal exploitation of its workforce.
New York Times covers up Google’s censorship
By Andre Damon, 7 September 2018
The Times’ report on allegations that Google is censoring the Internet is a white-wash, echoing the company’s self-serving denials without any serious examination of the facts.
Striking Tacoma, Washington, teachers demand better pay, funding for education
By Kayla Costa, 7 September 2018
On Thursday, teachers in Tacoma joined thousands of striking teachers throughout the state of Washington as the unions work to contain and isolate the struggles in each district.
Trump administration to abandon court settlement prohibiting indefinite detention of immigrant children
By Meenakshi Jagadeesan, 7 September 2018
The decision is a major escalation in the administration’s attack on immigrants.
In wake of credit downgrade huge job cuts looming at Ford
By Shannon Jones, 7 September 2018
The downgrading of Ford credit to near junk status is a shot across the bow by Wall Street to pressure management to intensify its attacks on workers.
Pompeo visits Pakistan to demand “reset” in support for Afghan war
By V. Gnana and Athiyan Silva, 7 September 2018
US Secretary of State Pompeo and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dunford staged a four-hour visit to Pakistan on Wednesday.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announces he will not seek reelection
By Kristina Betinis, 7 September 2018
On the eve of the trial of the Chicago cop who killed Laquan McDonald, the mayor, who oversaw a cover-up of the teen’s murder, announced that he would not seek a third term.
CIA Democrat complains of political spying by Republicans
By Harvey Simpkins, 7 September 2018
Democrat Abigail Spanberger, whose main political “credential” is eight years as an undercover CIA operative, is denouncing the Republican Party for obtaining a copy of her full federal security clearance document.
In Senate hearing, Facebook pledges to replace “bad speech” with “alternative facts”
By Andre Damon in Washington, 6 September 2018
Wednesday’s hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee made one thing clear: there is not an inch of daylight between Facebook and the spy agencies in the drive to censor the internet.
New York Times op-ed by anonymous Trump official gives implicit support for palace coup
By Eric London, 6 September 2018
The official wrote that “we will do what we can to steer the administration in the right direction until—one way or another—it’s over.”
Tacoma teachers strike as walkouts spread across Washington
By Alec Andersen, 6 September 2018
School officials in three districts threatened disciplinary action against striking teachers while educators in Tacoma joined walkouts in 10 other districts Thursday.
Arizona Supreme Court strikes down “Invest in Ed” ballot initiative
By David Moore, 6 September 2018
The court’s removal of the school funding initiative from the November ballot underscores the fact that America’s billionaires and millionaires will not tolerate the slightest encroachment on their personal fortunes.
Ayanna Pressley upsets 10-term Massachusetts congressman in Democratic primary
By Kate Randall, 6 September 2018
Sending the African-American councilwoman to Washington will result in no meaningful shift in the pro-business policies of the Democratic Party or improvement in the conditions of workers in her constituency.
090 Rahm Emanuel not seeking reelection/police killing trial
6 September 2018
Only three percent of students have received Governor Cuomo’s “free tuition” scholarship
By Josh Varlin, 6 September 2018
Despite the fact that the SUNY and CUNY systems are the second and third largest public higher education systems in the United States, with about 700,000 students in all, fewer than 21,000 Excelsior Scholarships were awarded last academic year.
Report by Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media undermines claims of chemical attack in Douma
By Paul Bond, 6 September 2018
In the face of the orchestrated attack on the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media as “Apologists for Assad,” the careful work by Paul McKeigue, Jake Mason, David Miller and Piers Robinson is all the more noteworthy.
Teamsters announces October 5 vote deadline
Vote “no” on the UPS-Teamsters sellout contract! Form rank-and-file committees to organize opposition!
By the WSWS UPS Workers Newsletter, 6 September 2018
On Tuesday, the Teamsters union announced that the contract vote will be counted on October 5, more than two months after the expiration of the current agreement.
BMW auto worker describes conditions at Spartanburg, South Carolina manufacturing plant
By Keisha Gibbs, 6 September 2018
A young worker at the giant BMW sport utility vehicle plant described oppressive conditions, including the widespread use of contract workers and the general neglect of safety.
Tacoma teachers vote to strike Thursday
Walkouts by Washington state educators spread
By Jerry White, 5 September 2018
More than 2,000 teachers in Tacoma voted overwhelmingly to strike as the struggle in Washington escalates, despite union efforts to prevent a statewide walkout.
Washington escalates threats over Syria as Russia bombs Al Qaeda positions
By Bill Van Auken, 5 September 2018
Claims of “humanitarian” concerns and warnings over the use of chemical weapons signal a growing threat of US intervention in defense of the “rebels.”
As Senate Judiciary Committee hearings begin
Democrats posture over Trump Supreme Court nominee
By Patrick Martin, 5 September 2018
Tuesday’s hearing is the beginning of an extended political farce, in which Democrats pretend to oppose the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh while doing nothing to stop it.
Life under capitalism for an American youth
Injured Texas Wal-Mart worker describes how and why she switched to socialism
By Eric London, 5 September 2018
Ashley represents a new wave of workers who are not content with their oppression and are drawing broader political conclusions.
New York police union offers $500 bounty to vigilantes for assisting in arrests
By Leslie Murtagh, 5 September 2018
The union for New York City police sergeants has offered a $500 reward to anyone who assists a cop in making an arrest.
As social opposition mounts, Silicon Valley and Washington step up internet censorship
By Andre Damon, 5 September 2018
As executives from Facebook and Twitter prepare to testify on Capitol Hill, the social media monopolies are scrambling to demonstrate how far they have gone to implement censorship.
Socialist Equality Party candidate Niles Niemuth on ballot for Michigan’s 12th Congressional District
By our reporter, 5 September 2018
Out of all the candidates running for the House in Michigan, Niemuth submitted the most petition signatures, garnering the support of more than 5,800 voters in the district.
Seattle Education Association orders teachers to work without contract vote
By Kayla Costa and Alec Andersen, 4 September 2018
The move comes after teachers in Washington’s largest district voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike last week.
United Steelworkers union extends contract at ArcelorMittal and US Steel
By Jessica Goldstein, 4 September 2018
The USW has called for a strike vote at US Steel to let workers blow off steam while the union works behind the scenes to push through another sellout deal.
US report on Chinese “United Front Work” seeks to whip-up hostility towards China
By Gabriel Black, 4 September 2018
The report contains justifications for mass spying on Chinese nationals and warns against cultural exchange programs that leave Americans with positive views of China
New York University president receives base pay of $1.3 million
By Katy Kinner, 4 September 2018
Andrew Hamilton’s total pay, including compensation and bonuses, would be roughly $2 million, placing him tenth on the list for highest-compensated university administrators.
Millionaire Democrats face off in New York gubernatorial debate
By Philip Guelpa, 4 September 2018
Neither incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo or his “left” challenger Cynthia Nixon offered any policies to meet the needs of working people.
The US media declares war, once again, on comic Louis C.K.
By David Walsh, 4 September 2018
A significant portion of the American media castigated a villainous figure this past weekend, lamenting the fact he had essentially gone unpunished for his crimes. Was it the late Sen. John McCain?
Labor Day 2018: The growth of the class struggle and the case for rank-and-file committees
By Jerry White, 3 September 2018
This year, Labor Day takes place amid a resurgence of class struggle in the US, bringing workers into direct conflict with the corporatist and anti-working class trade unions.
Line-up of reaction and militarism at McCain memorial
By Patrick Martin, 3 September 2018
Assembled in the National Cathedral were a “who’s who” of imperialist war criminals, with a bloody record stretching back more than half a century.
As union seeks to wrap up strikes, Washington teachers rally and call for statewide walkout
By Nancy Hanover, 3 September 2018
Educators demand statewide strike action in Washington state, while the union seeks to quash walkouts and prevent new ones.
Trump hits out at China over North Korea
By Peter Symonds, 3 September 2018
Trump’s criticism of China comes amid growing signs that talks over Pyongyang’s nuclear programs, following his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, have stalled.
“Amazon thinks I’m a piece of trash on the ground and they’ll walk all over me”
Amazon Nightmare: Grandmother injured on the job goes homeless, suffers pneumonia
By Eric London and Zac Corrigan, 3 September 2018
Carol's story exposes the nightmarish conditions and brutal exploitation that has fueled the growth of online retailers like Amazon.
“This is a class issue, and it’s a social issue”
Memorial service held for six of ten children killed in Chicago Little Village house fire
By our reporters, 3 September 2018
About 200 people attended the funeral, with many traveling long distances from throughout Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.
Media smears family of victims of Chicago house fire
By George Marlowe, 3 September 2018
The press continues to demonize the victims of the Chicago house fire in the Little Village neighborhood, deflecting blame from the political establishment.
Father of Mollie Tibbetts tells Trump administration: Stop using my daughter’s death in racist attack on immigrants
By Meenakshi Jagadeesan, 3 September 2018
There have been numerous studies by academics and think tanks in recent years that have clearly shown that there is no correlation between immigration and crime.
Nashville’s shuttering of women’s health clinic leaves only one abortion facility in the city
By Warren Duzak and Keisha Gibbs, 3 September 2018
Despite the billions invested in healthcare, and dozens of Nashville area hospitals, poor and working class women are limited to one small clinic for elective abortions.
Trump administration ends funding for Palestinian refugees
By Jean Shaoul, 3 September 2018
The cutoff of funding is meant to punish Palestinians for protesting Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
US and Japan increase efforts to undercut Chinese influence in Sri Lanka
By Rohantha De Silva, 3 September 2018
The US, Japan and India are continuing to publicly voice their concerns over Colombo’s relations with Beijing.
Seymour Hersh’s Reporter: A life exposing government lies and crimes
By Andre Damon, 3 September 2018
Seymour Hersh, the investigative journalist who played a leading role in exposing the 1968 My Lai massacre in Vietnam and the Bush Administration’s torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, has published a long-awaited autobiography.
Trade tensions increase as US-Canada talks miss deadline
By Nick Beams, 1 September 2018
Trump warned that if Canada did not agree to US terms “the easiest thing we can do is tariff their cars coming in,” a threat which he repeated in remarks yesterday.
Is the Mueller investigation preparing to indict WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange?
By James Cogan, 1 September 2018
The claim that Assange was part of a conspiracy to manipulate the 2016 US presidential election is based on amalgams, distortions and outright lies.
Los Angeles teachers vote 98 percent for strike authorization
By Kimie Saito, 1 September 2018
For the first time in almost 30 years, Los Angeles teachers vote overwhelmingly for strike action.
Teamsters head to UPS workers: Don’t complain, creating new tiers is “what we’ve always done”
By Will Morrow, 1 September 2018
Teamsters lead “negotiator” Denis Taylor gave a full-throated defense of the pro-company contract in an online statement last weekend.
The assault on immigrants becomes the assault on citizens
US citizens along southern border denied passports, accused of fraudulent birth certificates
By Renae Cassimeda, 1 September 2018
American citizens born in the Southwestern border regions are being accused of having fraudulent birth certificates and denied passports.
Trump threatens pay freeze for federal workers
By Harvey Simpkins, 1 September 2018
Trump announced plans to implement a pay freeze on the federal government’s two million employees next year if Congress fail to pass a budget in 2019.
The canonization of John McCain: Media, political establishment turn warmonger into saint
By Joseph Kishore, 1 September 2018
The American media and political establishment are in the middle of a five-day exercise in moral hypocrisy, cant and myth-making surrounding the death of US Senator John McCain.
Elissa Slotkin: A CIA Democrat runs for Congress in Michigan
By Niles Niemuth, 1 September 2018
Slotkin puts herself forward not as a representative of a party, let alone an advocate for any specific program, but as a representative of the military-intelligence apparatus.
As classes begin, Detroit schools shut off drinking water due to high levels of lead and copper
By Eula Holmes and Patrick Martin, 31 August 2018
The pollution of the water supply is particularly devastating for children, whose brains and bodies are especially at risk from toxins.
Immigrant mother sues for $40 million after child dies following ICE detainment
By Kevin Martinez, 31 August 2018
The death of Mariee Juarez is one more casualty in the Trump administration’s brutal war on immigrants.
“We have to stand up and show we are not going to take this anymore”
US Steel workers rally in Pittsburgh area
By our reporting team, 31 August 2018
Steelworkers rallying outside of the Clairton Works spoke to the WSWS about their determination to fight US Steel’s concession demands.
Steelmakers in US demand historic concessions as contracts for 31,000 workers set to expire
By Samuel Davidson, 31 August 2018
With US Steel and Arcelor demanding deep givebacks, the United Steelworkers union has made it clear it is opposed to any strike.
“Everything started failing for us”
An interview with a relative of Chicago house fire victim
By George Gallanis, 31 August 2018
WSWS reporters spoke to the great-aunt of 16-year-old Victor Mendoza, one of 10 children killed in Sunday’s deadly blaze in Little Village.
Foxconn dramatically alters plans for Wisconsin facility
By Jacob Crosse, 31 August 2018
A smaller, robotic-based factory will be built, swindling the working class of Wisconsin for billions of dollars.
Two construction workers killed in scaffolding collapse near Disney World
By Jessica Goldstein, 31 August 2018
What the official investigations will not expose is that the deaths of Bell and Zavala have a deeper cause: the profit interests of JW Marriott, DCS, and PCL.
Abolish student debt! Public education is a social right!
By Niles Niemuth, 31 August 2018
Everyone should be able to attain a college education without being required to enter the modern equivalent of indentured servitude.
One of America's deadliest disasters
Puerto Rico raises Hurricane Maria death toll from 64 to 2,975
By Bill Van Auken, 30 August 2018
The estimate of nearly 3,000 deaths attributable to the storm is a searing indictment of the criminal negligence of both the US ruling establishment and the island’s own authorities.
“We are watching and we are coming”
ICE raids North Texas factory, arrests 160 immigrant workers
By Meenakshi Jagadeesan, 30 August 2018
In one of the biggest workplace raids in the past decade, ICE arrested 160 migrant workers at a factory north of Dallas.
After Florida primary, Republican candidate makes racist attack
By Patrick Martin, 30 August 2018
Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis warned that his African-American opponent would “monkey up” the state’s economy if elected.
Seattle teachers vote to authorize strike
By Kayla Costa, 30 August 2018
In a mass meeting Tuesday night, thousands of teachers voted to join ongoing strikes by educators across the state of Washington.
US education secretary floats plan to use federal funds to arm teachers
By Khara Sikhan, 30 August 2018
Following Donald Trump's call to arm teachers, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is considering diverting funds meant for hiring support staff to purchasing firearms for schools.
US ambassador praises New Zealand’s Pacific “reset”
By John Braddock, 30 August 2018
Brown’s comments are an enthusiastic endorsement of Labour’s strengthening of New Zealand’s support for Washington’s drive to war against both China and Russia.
Former Texas police officer found guilty of murdering unarmed teen
By Trévon Austin, 30 August 2018
Prior to this year, the last time a Texas police office was convicted of murder was in 1973.
Tax cuts boost US bank profits to record highs
By Trévon Austin, 30 August 2018
Banks and corporations are channeling the bulk of their savings from the tax cuts into stock buybacks, dividend increases and mergers and acquisitions.
Hostiles: A US soldier accompanies a Native American chief home in 1892 …
… and homelessness in Seattle in The Road to Nickelsville
By Joanne Laurier, 30 August 2018
Scott Cooper’s Hostiles opens in 1892 in Fort Berringer, New Mexico, as the mass destruction of the Native Americans population is winding down.
Accused by Trump of rigging search results, Google denies political bias
By Andre Damon, 29 August 2018
The internet monopoly, which has worked to bury left-wing political viewpoints in search results for over a year, said, “We never rank search results to manipulate political sentiment.”
US-Mexico trade pact takes aim at Washington’s rivals and the working class
By Keith Jones, 29 August 2018
Trump’s push to refashion the Canada-US economic and military partnership to better serve Washington and Wall Street has thrown the Canadian ruling elite into a historic crisis.
“The politicians want to sweep this under the rug”
Hundreds gather to commemorate ten children killed in Chicago house fire
By George Marlowe and George Gallanis, 29 August 2018
While hundreds went to a vigil to commemorate and mourn the death of the ten children lost to the house fire Sunday morning, Chicago’s Democratic mayor and city aldermen declined to attend.
075 Foxconn changes plans for Wisconsin plant
29 August 2018
080 Federal employees lawsuit
29 August 2018
A tragedy born of inequality: Ten children die in Chicago house fire
By Kristina Betinis, 29 August 2018
The horrific fire in Chicago is a crime of capitalism, for which the ruling class and its political representatives are responsible.
German Foreign Minister Maas sees Europe setting “red lines” for US conduct
By Ulrich Rippert and Peter Schwarz, 29 August 2018
More clearly than government officials have done so far, Maas describes the US as a major obstacle to a new German drive to become a world power again.
Notes from the campaign trail
SEP candidate speaks with incoming students at Wayne State University in Detroit
By Niles Niemuth, 29 August 2018
The campaign team and I spoke with hundreds of students about my campaign for Congress in Michigan’s 12th District, about socialism, and about the fight against war and social inequality.
US union heads meet with Trump over NAFTA
By Shannon Jones, 28 August 2018
The unions are continuing their embrace of the reactionary nationalist agenda of the Trump administration even as trade tensions mount and the White House directs fascistic attacks on immigrant workers.
Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders praise McCain: An object lesson in the politics of the pseudo-left
By Joseph Kishore, 28 August 2018
The elevation of the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Ocasio-Cortez is a member, is a defensive reaction by the ruling class against growing support for socialism in the US.
For a statewide strike in Washington to defend public education!
Build rank-and-file committees to unify educators, parents and students
By the WSWS Teacher Newsletter, 28 August 2018
To fight for better schools and living wages, teachers in Washington must break through the straitjacket imposed by the unions and Democratic Party and mobilize the broadest sections of the working class.
As city officials seek to shift blame onto parents
Chicago house fire claims ninth victim
By Kristina Betinis, 28 August 2018
As the dilapidated condition of the property came to light, including a lengthy list of complaints from prior tenants, city and state officials sought to shift the blame onto the victims’ families.
Five and one-half year sentence for ex-Fiat Chrysler executive Alphons Iacobelli
By Shannon Jones, 28 August 2018
In bribing officials of the United Auto Workers, the former Fiat Chrysler labor negotiator has insisted that he was carrying out management directives.
US prison strike enters second week amid media blackout
By Matthew Taylor, 28 August 2018
Prisoners across multiple states have continued to strike against the brutal conditions under which they are incarcerated.
Teachers across Washington state demand strike action and big pay increases
By Nancy Hanover, 27 August 2018
In their fight to reverse years of budget cuts, Washington teachers are giving voice to the anger and determination of educators and workers across the US.
Three killed, nine injured in Jacksonville, Florida mass shooting
By Matthew Taylor, 27 August 2018
The massacre at a video game tournament on Sunday was only the latest in a string of mass shootings in the US.
Eight children killed in house fire on Chicago’s West Side
By Jessica Goldstein, 27 August 2018
According to the fire department, if working smoke detectors had been in place, the victims would have been woken by the alarms and could have all escaped to safety.
China-US trade talks: The divisions deepen
By Nick Beams, 27 August 2018
The Chinese Commerce Ministry stated there were “constructive and frank” talks, but gave no indication of any further discussions in the future.
Macron’s education cuts deny admission to thousands of French university students
By Kumaran Ira, 27 August 2018
The measure aims to make universities more competitive and to prepare their privatization.
Amazon unleashes army of Twitter trolls to improve its image
By Erik Schreiber, 27 August 2018
The company's primary objective is to mitigate the damage from increasingly common exposures of the punishing conditions at its warehouses.
Reported Democratic National Committee hack was a security test
By Mike Ingram, 27 August 2018
Democrats and the news media seized on the supposed hacking attempt to bolster claims of Russian meddling in the 2016 elections and beyond.
NSA leaker Reality Winner sentenced to more than five years in prison
By Kevin Martinez, 27 August 2018
Winner is the first person to be tried by the Trump Administration under the Espionage Act, receiving the longest ever sentence for revealing classified documents.
US-backed Saudi air strikes massacre dozens of Yemeni children for second time in two weeks
By Jordan Shilton, 27 August 2018
A week before the latest massacre, CNN research revealed that the 500 pound bomb that killed 40 children on 9 August was produced by Lockheed Martin.
Why the US ruling class mourns John McCain
By Patrick Martin, 27 August 2018
The late senator from Arizona represented a bipartisan consensus in support of militarism and the defense of corporate America.
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