Get Ready for the First Shocks of Trump’s Disaster Capitalism
Under Pence’s leadership, RSC came up with a list of “Pro-Free-Market Ideas for Responding to Hurricane Katrina and High Gas Prices” — 32 policies in all, each one straight out of the disaster capitalism playbook. To get a sense of how the Trump administration will respond to their first crises, it’s worth reading the list in full.
theintercept.com
Report reveals deepening poverty in West Virginia
Contributing to these dire numbers, according to the WVCBP report, is the continuing steep decline in the West Virginia economy. Employment in the state fell by 0.5 percent from 2012 to 2014 when massive layoffs began in the coal mining industry. Employment declined an additional 0.7 percent in 2015, leaving the state with 9,000 fewer jobs than in 2012. The overall unemployment rate was 6 percent in November 2016, the fourth highest among the 50 US states.
wsws.org
Lawyer Who Defended Racial Gerrymandering Picked for A Top Civil Rights Job
John Gore, an attorney who has worked to defend laws that critics say are designed to weaken the voting rights of African-Americans and other minorities, was selected by President Donald Trump to serve as a senior civil rights official at the Department of Justice.
theintercept.com
Dutch Leader Takes Trump-Like Turn in Face of Hard-Right Challenge
The prime minister of the Netherlands, aiming to head off an insurgent challenge from right-wing populists, stunned many Dutch citizens this week with a strategy that could have come from President Trump’s playbook. In an open letter, published online and in full-page newspaper advertisements, the prime minister, Mark Rutte, warned of “something wrong with our country” and said “the silent majority” would no longer tolerate immigrants who come and “abuse our freedom.
nytimes.com
Will France Sound the Death Knell for Social Democracy?
As a presidential election approaches this spring, even workers in the country’s rust belt are embracing right-wing populism.
nytimes.com
Four more journalists get felony charges after covering inauguration unrest
Four more journalists have been charged with felonies after being arrested while covering the unrest around Donald Trump’s inauguration, meaning that at least six media workers are facing up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted.
theguardian.com