Welcome to The Breakfast Club!
AP’s Today in History for April 5th
Bomb strikes a West Berlin disco; Gen. Douglas MacArthur and billionaire Howard Hughes die; Educator Booker T. Washington born; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sets an NBA record; Katie Couric to become CBS anchor.
Breakfast Tune Quarantined With You – Andy Eversole
Something to think about, Breakfast News & Blogs below
While focus is on the coronavirus, these states are criminalizing fossil fuel protests
Louise Boyle, Independent
Criminal penalties for protesting against the fossil fuel industry are being introduced into law by three states with others expected to follow suit.
As the nation focuses on the raging coronavirus pandemic, governors in Kentucky, South Dakota and West Virginia signed laws last month deeming oil and gas pipelines and facilities “critical” or “key” infrastructure and enacting strong penalties for protests.
…
Connor Gibson, researcher with Greenpeace USA, who alerted HuffPost to the legislation, said: “While we are all paying attention to COVID-19 and the congressional stimulus packages, state legislatures are quietly passing fossil-fuel-backed anti-protest laws. These laws do nothing new to protect communities. Instead they seek to crack down on the sort of nonviolent civil disobedience that has shaped much of our nation’s greatest political and social victories.”
…
More legislation is coming: Alabama’s state senate passed a similar bill before hearings were suspended until later this month due to Covid-19. Five other states have plans in the works – Illinois, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
…
- Hospital Bailouts Begin…for Those Owned by Private Equity Firms
EILEEN APPELBAUM – ROESMARY BATT
Something to think about over coffee prozac
WATCH: Bernie Sanders Hosts Livestream Detailing Priorities for Worker-Focused Coronavirus Relief Bill
Julia Conley, Common Dreams
Sen. Bernie Sanders will host a livestream Saturday regarding the coronavirus pandemic and his priorities for a sweeping relief package which would center the needs of working Americans.
The livestream is set to begin at 7:00pm Eastern time and will include musical performances by Bon Iver and Soccer Mommy.
Sanders on Friday called on Congress to pass a new relief package which, unlike the $4.5 trillion law which passed late last month and included $500 billion for corporate bailouts, would focus on providing far-reaching relief to the public as millions lose their jobs and health coverage as a result of the pandemic.
The next relief package, he said, should include Medicare for All, provisions to ensure all Americans continue receiving their paychecks during the crisis—as two million airline workers will through the previous package and as countries including the U.K., Denmark, and Norway have guaranteed—and monthly direct payments of $2,000 to every American until the U.S. economic is up and running again.
Watch the livestream below at 7:00 pm Eastern time:
Walmart Workers Speak Out During COVID-19 Pandemic
“Walmart is owned by the wealthiest family in the country… Walmart must end their greed, guarantee sick leave to all and stop putting workers at risk.” Bernie Sanders