Eric Zuesse
On September 14th, The Hill bannered “GOP sees pressure on Pelosi as key to pandemic relief deal” and opened:
Senate Republicans see putting pressure on Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as the key to getting a deal on a coronavirus relief bill before the elections and are counting on vulnerable House Democrats to move the Speaker off her demand for a package costing more than $2 trillion.
At least 10,000 cars line up in an orderly fashion in San Antonio, all full of hungry, increasingly desperate people. Thousands already arrived the night before just to get a chance to eat. “We just can’t feed this many,” said the CEO of the local food bank that Texans have descended upon.
We are supposed to be thinking this week about the health disparities in the United States based on race and ethnicity, since the New York Times, Washington Post, National Public Radio, and even USA Today are going on about it. This is the hot topic presumably because of a recent analysis of the demographics of COVID-19 deaths by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Guest post by V. GEETHA. Translated by RAJENDER SINGH NEGI कोरोना के आने से पहले ही हममें रोगाणुओं को लेकर चिंता का भाव विद्यमान था.
MANILA – As Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte enters his third year in office, his administration has earned the ignominious distinction of ushering in the country’s ranking as the deadliest country for environmental and lands rights defenders in Asia.
The federal government said on November 10th that cigarette smoking among American adults is still dropping dramatically. [1]
But the good news comes with 1 major caveat: smoking still causes 40% of all cancer diagnoses in the United States. Not just lung cancer, either. That percentage encompasses a dozen other parts of the body, including the throat, stomach, pancreas, and liver.
A United Nations (U.N.) expert says that when the world’s poor go shopping for food, they are often forced to choose between what they can afford and what is nutritious, calling the problem a human rights concern. [1]
Lauren Puryear, 29, has fed more than 5,000 on a shoestring budget through her knack of “extreme couponing.” But that’s not enough for her; her goal is to feed 30,000 meals to the hungry and homeless by the time she turns 30 next September 14. [1]
Source: ABC News
It’s a lofty, if not impossible-sounding, goal, but Puryear claims she can feed 150 people for as little as $20, depending on what she buys. She’s so good at couponing, she often gets money back. [2]
Said Puryear of helping others:
For the first time in 9 years, Costco, the US retail chain selling bulk grocery items and household goods, will raise its minimum wage for workers as one of the retail giants recognizing the fact that too many people are falling into the working poor category.
The hourly pay of its lowest paid workers will be raised from $11.50 and $12, to $13 and $13.50. There are numerous states in America where even $15.00 an hour isn’t a living wage.
Once a recipient of food donations from around the world, Bangladesh has now become a model for reducing food hunger. By supporting small farms and women, the country has reduced the number starving citizens significantly.
A recent UN report outlines how Bangladesh, a South Asian country who was once among the poorest in the world, has turned the corner when it comes to eradicating poverty and hunger – a huge step since the country was rampaged with devastating floods in the 1970’s.
