Trump officials pitch nuclear plan that would bolster struggling uranium industry

BY REBECCA BEITSCH - THE HILL - 04/23/20 

© Getty Images

The Trump administration on Thursday outlined its plan for revitalizing the U.S. nuclear energy industry in a move that would boost uranium mining while benefiting just a handful of companies.

The report from the Nuclear Fuel Working Group includes a set of recommendations to the White House and comes as the price of uranium has fallen to its lowest point in a decade.

The group argues that measures to buoy the struggling companies will allow for a rebirth of nuclear power in the U.S. while disrupting China and Russia’s hold on the overseas market for reactors.

“Simply put, it is within our power to pull America’s nuclear industrial base from the brink of collapse and restore our place as the global leader in nuclear technology, ensuring a strong national security position and buttressing our strength for generations to come,” the report states.

The effort to shore up nuclear power is sure to be controversial. Despite being a carbon-free source of emissions, many environmentalists oppose its use given the need to store toxic spent fuel for decades.

Nuclear energy has also struggled to remain competitive with other energy sources, leaving some states to bail out nuclear reactors to the tune of tens of millions of dollars to keep them afloat. New York chose to do so, calling nuclear energy “a crucial, emission-free bridge” to its plan to transition to 100 percent clean energy.

To revitalize the industry, however, the new report backs President Trump’s proposal to spend $150 million on a uranium reserve, which would buy U.S.-mined uranium from the small number of domestic producers. The Uranium Producers of America identifies just eight members on its website.

Support for domestic miners was first floated in a January 2018 petition filed by two of the country’s top uranium producers — Energy Fuels and Ur-Energy — pushing to enact a 25 percent purchasing quota for domestic uranium.

U.S. companies provide just 10 percent of domestic uranium purchases, with more than 60 percent of supplies imported from allies like Canada, Australia and Kazakhstan.

Environmentalists have said increasing domestic production is unnecessary, arguing it would risk environmental damage when countries friendly to the U.S. already supply uranium at competitive prices.

“The industry wants a sweetheart deal. They want to expedite their critical minerals so they can just keep skip the process. And then more importantly, a guaranteed buyback,” House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raul Grijalva previously told The Hill. “Talk about creeping socialism, my God. We’re guaranteeing a revenue-based system. That rarely, if at all, happens.”

The report argued that “establishing this reserve is a critical step needed to address the overreliance on imported uranium product that has undermined U.S. energy security and impacted U.S. fuel supply capabilities.”

Also at risk is nearly 1,562 square miles just outside the boundaries of the Grand Canyon that since 2012 have been off limits for production.

Critics have worried Trump might seek to overturn that ban since he declared uranium a critical mineral for national security purposes at the end of 2017.

Some uranium mining companies already own some of that land, and there’s been a push from some Republicans lawmakers to open the area for mining.

As recently as last week, 21 House Republicans, including some from Arizona, sent a letter to the White House asking Trump to overturn the ban, according to a report from S&P Global.

The Department of the Interior told the outlet the idea was "not an issue under discussion," but the department "remains committed to identifying sources of critical minerals and streamlining the process to expedite production at all levels of the supply chain."

The report published Thursday, however, calls for “expand[ing] access to uranium deposits on federal lands, including support for necessary legislation” and reconsidering categorical exclusions that bar mining in certain areas.

It also recommends overhauling regulations to more quickly spur any number of nuclear projects and easing requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The Trump administration has already proposed a major rollback of NEPA that is set to be finalized in the coming months, including provisions that give companies a greater roll in assessing the environmental safety of their own projects.

Updated at 12:20 p.m.

Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur: 'Corporate' Dems gaslit progressives to get coronavirus bill votesYoung Turks founder Cenk Uygur: 'Corporate' Dems gaslit progressives to get coronavirus bill votes
4/22/2020

The Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur on Wednesday said that progressive Democrats were gaslit by the more moderate members of the party to get votes for the Senate-passed coronavirus bill.

Uygur told Hill.TV that the “corporate Democrats” manipulated progressives into not blocking the stimulus bill passed Tuesday in an effort to add more progressive provisions.
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/494145-young-turks-founder-cenk-uygur-centrist-dems-gaslit-progressives-to-get?jwsource=cl

“The problem is, for progressives, they often have the right policies, but they get gaslit by Democrats into not fighting too hard,” he said.

A WTF P3
Canada Put Amazon in Charge of Handling COVID-19 Medical Supplies. Workers Say They’re Scared of Getting Sick.

Photo: Prime Minister's Office (Flickr) SERIOUSLY BAD PROPAGANDA PHOTO

Decision to put Amazon in charge of distributing emergency medical supplies is a 'national disgrace', warehouse workers group say

April 20, 2020 

Workers say Amazon is not providing healthy working conditions despite Canadian health authorities awarding the multinational corporation a contract to store and distribute COVID-19 medical supplies using its private warehouses.

The Public Health Agency of Canada, which is leading Canada’s pandemic response, recently gave Amazon a contract to manage the distribution of emergency medical supplies, including masks and ventilators, to Canadian hospitals.

The federal government refused to share the full details of its Amazon contract and the full scope of the arrangement remains unknown.

Yet workers suggest Amazon is still struggling follow basic guidelines set out by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) at its Canadian warehouses.

Amazon’s Ottawa Fulfillment Centre (Broccolini Construction)“The fact that this company has been chosen to carry out the very sensitive work of delivering PPEs in Canada is a national disgrace,” said Ryan Lum of the Warehouse Workers Centre.Amazon workers around the world have been speaking out about the company’s working conditions, with workers at a New York warehouse walking off the job and protests at a warehouse in France.

Amazon’s warehouses in Ottawa and Calgary have already seen workers test positive for COVID-19.

The WWC recently launched a petition demanding healthier working conditions in Amazon’s warehouses, charging that the company does not offer paid sick leave and makes it difficult to follow social distancing rules.

Work floor of a typical Amazon warehouse (J. Stead, Amazon)

Amazon workers who spoke directly to PressProgress said warehouse conditions are “worrying,” adding they “don’t know how transparent the company is being.”

“We saw a positive case in Ottawa,” said Caroline, a worker at Amazon’s warehouse in Bolton, Ontario, which can employ between 2,000 and 3,500 workers. “There’s just so many people in the facility, if an outbreak does happen and a bunch of people catch it, it will be pretty tragic.”

“The population at Amazon skews older,” she said. “The majority of people I’d say are over 50, there’s a lot of people over 60,” some of whom have “diabetes” or are “immunocompromised.”

Amazon told PressProgress they’ve “increased cleaning at all facilities” and “taken extensive measures to ensure the safety of its workforce, in order to comply with all public health requirements.”

Amazon also said the company has “worked closely with health authorities,” though Canada’s public health authorities won’t confirm whether or not that’s true.

In response to a list of questions asking whether PHAC is providing any oversight or inspecting Amazon warehouses that store emergency medical supplies, the agency issued a statement to PressProgress consisting only of “general advice” it gives to all employers on how to clean their workplaces.

The public health agency would not say if it was aware of health and safety issues at any of Amazon’s warehouses where its emergency medical supplies are stored.

Prime Minister Trudeau tours Amazon’s Brampton warehouse in 2016 (Prime Minister’s Office)Amazon told PressProgress it brought in measures to ensure warehouse workers are “maintaining social distance” at all times, but workers says that’s not entirely true.

“The nature of the work and the way the facilities are designed, they’re designed to pack in as many people as possible,” Caroline told PressProgress.

Although she agrees the company belatedly took steps to promote social distancing, she said that workers are still “inevitably going to be around a lot of people.”

“There could be potentially 10 people in a small aisle,” she noted.

Amazon also told PressProgress the company is “spreading out” workers in its lunchrooms, but Caroline said lunchrooms are “more crowded than comfortable,” with “four or five” workers sharing tables that “typically seat seven or eight.”

“The tables are still kind of kept apart, but then you’ll see more than one person at a table,” she said. “There’s just not enough space for everyone.”

“It’s better than when they were just doing nothing at all at the beginning of the pandemic, before the pressure started to set in, but it’s still a lot of people.”

Typical work station at Amazon warehouse in 2016 (Amazon)

Lum said some workers are quitting their jobs rather than risk their health.

“We’ve been in touch with several Amazon workers considered ‘high risk’ who have stopped going into work because they can’t ensure their own safety,” he said

In guidelines for Canadian employers, PHAC lists “relaxing sick leave policies” to “support employees in self-isolating when ill, exposed to cases or returning from international travel” as a “high” priority.

Yet Amazon, which is a PHAC contractor, admits they only offer “up to two weeks” paid sick leave for workers who tested positive for COVID-19, while other workers are allowed to take “unlimited unpaid time off” until the end of April.

“We meet or exceed sick leave policies in every province,” Amazon told PressProgress.

Caroline said workers who test positive need to provide the company with proof that they had COVID-19 or were “asked to quarantine by the government or your doctor, but either way thats only two-week paid leave.”

“If you need to take more than two weeks, it’s got to be a leave of absence that’s unpaid.”

But getting a doctor’s note to prove to your employer that you have COVID-19 could be easier said than done.

“In the case of workers who have been able to get tested, they are not paid if they take time off while they wait for test results, which can take up to a week in most cases,” Lum pointed out.

Workers unpacking boxes at Amazon warehouse (Amazon)In a blog post published Friday, Amazon announced it had distributed personal protective gear, including masks, and began implementing “temperature checks” at all facilities worldwide.

Amazon told PressProgress it hadn’t fully distributed medical supplies to its own workers prior to last week.

Editor’s Note: This article quotes an Amazon worker who works at the company’s Bolton, Ontario warehouse. At the worker’s request, PressProgress has used an alias in place of their name in order to protect them from retribution for speaking about conditions at their workplace.

Federal Government Won’t Disclose Details of New Contract With Amazon to Manage Canada’s COVID-19 SuppliesHealthcare advocates ‘very concerned’ federal government privatized management of Canada’s emergency stockpile of disaster supplies

April 15, 2020 

Photo Illustrration: PressProgress (PNG Play, Government of Canada)

The federal government won’t share details of a contract it signed with Amazon this month that puts the multinational corporation in charge of distributing emergency medical supplies to Canadian hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic.

For nearly two weeks, PressProgress has made numerous attempts to get basic details on the record about the federal government’s “partnership” with Amazon.

The federal government’s response has proven slower than shipping a package from Halifax to Vancouver.

On April 3, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a surprise announcement revealing Ottawa had “signed an agreement with Amazon Canada to manage the distribution” of medical supplies, including “masks, face shields, gowns, ventilators and test-kits.”

A bit of news that may get overlooked today because of 3M: 

PMJT says the federal government is turning to Amazon Canada — not Canada Post or its courier division, Purolator — to deliver PPE and other supplies to health care facilities.— Glen McGregor (@glen_mcgregor) April 3, 2020

The announcement triggered an immediate backlash, with some questioning why the federal government awarded a contract to a multinational corporation when a federal crown corporation like Canada Post could do the job just as easily?

The government scrambled to put out a press release clarifying Canada Post and Purolator will be handling deliveries — in fact, most Amazon home deliveries are already handled by Canada Post and Purolator.

Of course, that raises an even more basic question: What exactly is Amazon doing?

Groundbreaking ceremony for Ottawa’s Amazon fulfillment centre (Jim Watson, Facebook)

The only concrete detail in the government’s press release was that Amazon would “process and manage orders through its online Amazon Business store” — in other words, Amazon was simply creating a helpful webpage.

Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC), the department in charge of awarding government contracts, refused to disclose the full terms of Amazon’s contract with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

“The contract between the Government of Canada and Amazon contains third party information protected under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act,” a PSPC spokesperson told PressProgress.

They pointed to a section allowing the government to “refuse to disclose any record” if it relates to “trade secrets of a third party” or other various “financial” matters.

PSPC would only say that PHAC, the agency leading Canada’s pandemic response, was looking for “options to best manage the shipping, receiving, order processing and distribution of personal protective equipment to healthcare partners.”

However, an Amazon spokesperson told PressProgress about other components of the deal which the federal government has not publicly disclosed — including that the company will store emergency medical supplies at its private warehouses.

“Supplies procured by the Government will be stored at Canada Post warehouses as well as Amazon fulfillment centres,” the Amazon spokesperson clarified.

PHAC initially refused to confirm or deny Amazon’s private warehouses would store medical supplies, suggesting the “locations” of the supplies were confidential.

The agency later confirmed Amazon will, in fact, “provide warehousing.”

PHAC did not provide answers to PressProgress‘ questions about steps the agency is taking to provide oversight or ensure the security of supplies at Amazon’s facilities.

The agency also provided no explanation for why Amazon’s facilities are needed when PHAC already has a network of “hidden” warehouses that are supposed to be used to store medical supplies specifically in case of a pandemic.

National Emergency Stockpile System warehouse (Public Health Agency of Canada)

YES VIRGINIA THERE IS A REAL PHYSICAL STOCKPILE OF MATERIAL 

Through the National Emergency Stockpile System, PHAC maintains 11 federal warehouses and 1,300 supply centres “containing medical equipment and supplies,” including personal protective equipment and ventilators.

A 2006 report on Canada’s pandemic plans authored by Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam indicates NESS is in charge of “packaging, shipping and storing of supplies and equipment” and “facilitate (their) timely distribution” — responsibilities that now all appear to be managed in one form or another by Amazon.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu recently acknowledged the emergency stockpile faced underfunding for “decades” under successive governments. As recently as the 2010s, the stockpile contained medical equipment procured in the 1950s originally meant to be used in the event of nuclear war with the Soviet Union.

The Senate of Canada issued a report in 2008 that concluded the program had been mismanaged, noting supplies in the “hidden caches” appeared “more appropriate to the Korean War era than to the needs of first responders today.”

A 2011 program evaluation under the Harper government later floated the idea of cutting costs by privatizing parts of Canada’s stockpile of disaster supplies.

“Third-party-managed inventory,” which involves “leveraging the use of private sector warehouse and inventory management capacity,” is cited as an example of “public-private partnerships” that could result in “improved efficiencies.”

The 2011 report also noted the warehouses were understaffed and under equipped.

“There is a large volume of advanced medical equipment in the NESS warehouse for which there is minimal infrastructure or human resources to support its sophisticated and labour-intensive maintenance,” the report noted.

This week, CBC News reported PHAC threw away two million N95 masks when the Trudeau government shut down a NESS warehouse in Saskatchewan last year.

National Emergency Stockpile System warehouse (Public Health Agency of Canada)

YES VIRGINIA THERE IS A REAL PHYSICAL STOCKPILE OF MATERIAL 

Healthcare advocates are “very concerned” by what the public-private partnership with Amazon says about Canada’s emergency healthcare capacity.

“This is the privatization of a significant part of the supply chain for necessary emergency supplies that should be controlled publicly and subject to careful oversight and handling,” Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra told PressProgress.

“The federal government should answer questions about this with substantive answers,” Mehra added. “Canada should have existing facility stock for storage and distribution.”

“It is not clear to us either that Canada does not have the capacity to do so, or why we could not very quickly have the capacity.”

It’s unclear if the federal government consulted anyone before hiring Amazon. Stakeholders like the Public Health Association of Canada and the Canadian Medical Association told PressProgress they had no information about Amazon’s deal to manage the distribution of emergency medical supplies.

The CMA noted “the supply of personal protective equipment is an urgent issue,” pointing to a recent survey of its member suggesting nearly 90% of orders for new supplies in the last month had yet to arrive.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers, who also indicated they were not consulted before the contract with Amazon was signed, said they also have “urgent questions and serious concerns about the deal.”

“Oversight is going to be crucial,” said CUPW President Jan Simpson. “How will the public be assured that worker rights are respected the way they should be by a federal contractor?”

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Amazon and Target workers plan 'sickouts' over coronavirus safety concerns

Kelly Tyko USA TODAY 4/21/2020

Amazon and Target workers, on the front lines of COVID-19, are leading nationwide efforts to draw attention to the health risks they face delivering groceries and other critical supplies to Americans.

Their approach? Planned sickouts.

More than 350 Amazon warehouse workers in 50 locations pledged to call out from their jobs starting Tuesday, according to Athena, a coalition of local and national organizations representing workers.

Target workers are planning a mass sickout May 1, which is International Workers Day, said Adam Ryan, a liaison with Target Workers Unite, an employee activist group.

“The safety measures that Target has rolled out are half-measures, and they haven’t done enough to prioritize safety. They’re more concerned about the sales then protecting us workers,” said Ryan, a part-time worker at a Target in Christiansburg, Virginia. "If we don't push them further, they're not going to take further measures. We can't afford to wait."

At least 30 grocery store workers have died after being exposed to the virus in the U.S., and another 3,000 have called out of work after showing signs of illness or other possible coronavirus-related complications, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

Amazon workers call for actionThis is the not the first time Amazon workers have staged walkouts over the company's response to the pandemic. On March 30, some workers at a warehouse on Staten Island, New York, walked out during lunch.

But this week's efforts are being billed as the biggest mass action yet. Workers also have a sickout planned for Friday to protest the treatment of warehouse workers and the firings of two tech workers who had criticized the company’s climate policies and workplace safety conditions.

The Athena coalition says there are more than 130 warehouses where Amazon workers have contracted COVID-19, including some warehouses with more than 30 confirmed cases. 

Amazon recently confirmed the death of one worker in California, though it’s unclear how he was infected with the coronavirus. Additionally, the company said it has taken a number of measures to protect workers, including issuing masks and temperature checks.

Athena counters that the face masks have been provided to only a fraction of the workforce and are of poor quality. The coalition also said that temperature checks easily can be avoided and that workers with fevers reported being sent home without paid time off.


"These accusations are simply unfounded," Amazon spokesperson Rachael Lighty told USA TODAY. "Nothing is more important than the safety of our teams. Our employees are heroes fighting for their communities and helping people get critical items they need in this crisis. ... The truth is the vast majority of employees continue to show up and do the heroic work of delivering for their communities every day."

More than 250,000 Amazon employees came to work Tuesday, which was more than last week, Amazon spokesperson Av Zammit said.



Target worker: Shoppers not taking it seriouslyTarget reduced store hours March 18 and started limiting the number of shoppers allowed in stores on April 4. The Minneapolis-based retailer is providing employees with masks but isn't requiring that workers wear them.

Ryan says that the measures don't go far enough and that since the stimulus checks have begun arriving, more shoppers have been coming out.

"People aren't taking it seriously," he said. "It's almost like we're in a pre-COVID situation right now and not in the middle of a pandemic."

Ryan said the May 1 sickout was announced Monday, and so far workers from more than a dozen stores have signed up. He expects more will join the protest of what he calls unsafe working conditions.

"If we don't push for greater restrictions, it's going to keep going like this," Ryan said.

In a statement to USA TODAY, Target outlined some of the measures it has taken, including promoting social distancing and metering shopper traffic.

"It’s important to us that Target team members feel comfortable sharing their concerns and we provide opportunities for them to do so," Target said in its statement. "We’re focused on supporting our team and recognizing the important role they’re playing for families and communities across the country amid the coronavirus."

Contributing: Brent Schrotenboer, Mike Snider and Dalvin Brown

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Hundreds of Amazon workers to walk off jobs starting Tuesday

BY CHRIS MILLS RODRIGO - THE HILL - 04/20/20

More than 300 Amazon employees will call out of work starting Tuesday in protest of the online retail giant's treatment of workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

The callout is organized by labor groups United for Respect, New York Communities for Change and Make the Road New York and will be the largest mass action by workers yet amid the crisis.

The nationwide protest follows several strikes at facilities in the New York City borough of Staten Island, Chicago and Detroit where employees have tested positive to COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.

“I’m calling out this week because I’m scared to come to work and can’t trust Amazon to keep me and my co-workers safe,” Jaylen Camp, an Amazon worker at a fulfillment center in Romulus, Michigan, said.

“We have to make an impossible choice every day: go to a workplace that’s not safe or risk losing a paycheck in the middle of a global recession. Rather than take real steps to protect our health, Amazon would rather stall, lie and fire the people who speak up. We will not be intimidated. Our health and everyone’s health is too important,” Camp added.

More than 130 Amazon facilities have had at least one employee test positive for COVID-19, according to Athena, a coalition of advocacy groups focused on working conditions at Amazon.

The company last week confirmed the first death of a warehouse worker from the disease, although it remains unknown where the worker contracted it.

Amazon has taken steps to address some of the issues raised by workers, including pledging to increase cleaning and enforce social distancing measures at warehouses.

It has also raised wages for hourly workers by $2 per hour and offered paid time for those with fevers, a common symptom of COVID-19.

Workers say Amazon has not fulfilled its commitment to provide personal protective equipment for workers and that the paid leave policy has not been applied consistently.

Amazon spokesperson Rachael Lighty told The Hill Tuesday morning that the protesters’ “accusations are simply unfounded.”

“We have taken extreme measures to keep people safe, tripling down on deep cleaning, procuring safety supplies that are available, and changing processes to ensure those in our buildings are keeping safe distances,” she said in a statement. “The truth is the vast majority of employees continue to show up and do the heroic work of delivering for their communities every day.”

--This report was updated on April 21 at 10:05 a.m.

Amazon workers call for strike over Covid-19, climate fears

Amazon tech workers are calling for a virtual one-day strike to pressure the online retail giant over warehouse safety conditions during the coronavirus pandemic. © Denis Charlet, AFP archive

Text by:NEWS WIRES

Amazon tech workers are calling for a virtual one-day strike to pressure the online retail giant over warehouse safety conditions during the coronavirus pandemic.

The e-commerce colossus has reportedly had COVID-19 cases in a number of its warehouses and has seen employee protests and walkouts in several of them to press for safety improvements.

Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, a group representing workers, urged colleagues to call in sick on April 24, accusing the company of firing workers protesting a lack of coronavirus precautions and environmental action.

"We're asking tech workers to virtually walk out on Friday (April 24)," said Maren Costa, who US media reported was fired with fellow employee Emily Cunningham for criticizing Amazon over climate and coronavirus issues.

"We want to tell Amazon that we are sick of all this -- sick of the firings, sick of the silencing, sick of pollution, sick of racism, and sick of the climate crisis," Costa said.

The virtual "walk out", according to the group's statement, would see workers take a personal day off at the same time.

Amazon did not respond to a request for comment but US media reported the company said the firings resulted from violations of "internal policies."

The group also called for those fired for what they called "selective enforcement of policies and behavior guidelines" to be reinstated.

The Seattle-based internet giant set a goal of investing $350 million to support employees and partners during the pandemic, which has thrust Amazon into the spotlight as demand surges for online services during extensive lockdowns.

Earlier this month, the company said it was creating its own lab to test employees for coronavirus.

In a stockholders letter Thursday, owner Jeff Bezos said Amazon had distributed face masks and was implementing temperature checks.

The call to strike came as Amazon France closed its French distribution centers -- key to preparing orders -- in response to a court order to limit deliveries to essential goods pending a review of COVID-19 safety measures.

It initially said they would close for five days, during which period employees would be paid their full salaries.

But Amazon France director general Frederic Duval said he was unsure when they would reopen.

Workers said they were glad to be sent home, with one telling AFP that Amazon had taken weeks to provide them with sanitising hand gel and masks.

"For a week we worked without gloves," one 23-year-old part-time worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

(AFP)

AMAZON MANAGER, 35, BECOMES COMPANY'S FIRST EMPLOYEE TO DIE FROM CORONAVIRUS

Gerard Tuzara was formerly an officer in the US Air Force before he began working at Amazon

Gerard Tuzara is the first known employee from Amazon to die from the disease.

Air Force veteran, Tuzara, worked as an operations manager at Amazon's Hawthorne facility near LAX airport. 

The 35-year-old is believed to have passed away on March 31. 

A week later a vacation in Mexico he began experiencing flu-like symptoms and was admitted to hospital, Amazon confirmed to DailyMail.com on Tuesday.

It's not known exactly where Tuzara first contracted the disease.

His death was announced as an increasing number of claims have been leveled at the company over the level to which the company is providing safety protections for the workers in its warehouses and delivery workers. 

It was revealed on Tuesday that Amazon has fired three more employees who spoke out over the company's pandemic working conditions.

One of Tuzara's friends wrote a tribute which has been posted in the warehouse where he worked.  

'Gerry was an Air Force officer, a loving husband, son and uncle,' the letter read. 'He will be greatly missed.'

USA 
A new report says nearly 75 Amazon warehouse have had COVID-19 cases

Without urgent action, the report says the disease will spread exponentially

Amazon disputes the claims in the report, claiming it was funded by pro-union groups and competitor companies

Amazon workers are organizing a 'virtual walkout' to protest safety procedures


By MICHAEL THOMSEN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM PUBLISHED:17 April 2020


A new report on working conditions at Amazon reveals there have been COVID-19 cases at more than half of the company's warehouses in the US and predicts the disease will spread exponentially among workers in the coming weeks.

The report was prepared by the workers rights groups Athena Coalition and Hedge Clippers, using data from government health agencies and a range of local and national news sources.

As of April 14th, the report claims, 'nearly 75' of Amazon's 110 US warehouse facilities have had at least one worker test positive for COVID-19, and without intervention the groups predict case numbers among Amazon workers will 'exponentially' increase.


A new report from workers rights groups warns that COVID-19 infections could grow exponentially in Amazon's US warehouses without urgent intervention

'Amazon is responsible for not becoming a vector for the coronavirus,' the report says.

'The company must protect the health and safety of more than 250,000 people across 110 US warehouses, sub–contracted delivery service partners, and 75,000 Flex drivers, for the sake of workers, their loved ones and Amazon customers.'

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Amazon wants consumers to buy LESS and postpones Prime Day...

The groups argue that Amazon's inadequate safety policies has placed a disproportionate burden on people of color, who make up 58 percent of the company's warehouse workers.

A major breakout at Amazon warehouse facilities could have a devastating impact not just on the company's employees and contractors, but all of Amazon's customer base which includes more than 112 million Amazon Prime subscribers in the US.

Amazon has disputed the report's findings, describing Athena Coalition and Hedge Clippers as 'self-interested critics' who are funded by unions and Amazon's competitors.


The report recommends all Amazon warehouses be closed for two weeks for deep cleaning, and that the company suspend its rigorous productivity quotas to give workers more time to wash their hands and disinfect shared tools or work stations

'Nothing is more important than the safety of our teams,' Amazon spokesperson Kristen Kish told Vice.

'Since the early days of this situation, we have worked closely with health authorities to proactively respond, ensuring we continue to serve communities while taking care of our associates and teams.'

'And, we have implemented more than 150 significant process changes to support our teams including increasing rates of pay, adjusting time off and providing temperature checks, masks, gloves and other safety measures at our sites.'

The Athena Coalition is a new collaborative project between more than 30 workers right groups that is partially backed by $15million in seed funding from George Soros's Open Society Foundations.

Hedge Clippers is an open structure advocacy group dedicated to raising awareness on the exploitative effects of hedge funds on education, healthcare and workers rights.

Amazon recently posted a blog highlighting a number of changes it's made at its warehouses, including daily temperature checks and regular face mask distribution for warehouse workers.


Amazon disputes many of the claims in the report, saying it was funded by 'self-interested' pro-union groups, and points to the fact that it has raised wages $2 an hour for warehouse workers as well as offered face masks and daily temperature checks as evidence it's supporting workers

The company has also increased the pay rate for US employees by $2 an hour, doubled overtime pay, and established a $25 million relief fund for partners like contract delivery drivers.

Amazon is also working to develop its own in-house testing facilities to help identify and isolate infected workers.

According to the Athena and Hedge Clippers report, these are piecemeal measures that don't adequately address the concerns of many of the company's workers.

The groups call for Amazon to pay for COVID-19 testing and treatment, both for full-time employees and contractors, and offer full pay for all workers who self-quarantine for pre-existing health conditions or suspect a family member or housemate may be sick.

They also say the company should give workers hazard pay equal to time and a half the hourly wage, not just a $2 an hour increase, and also suspend its productivity quotas for employees, which leave no time for proper protective sanitation.

The group says Amazon should close all its warehouses for two weeks and perform a comprehensive disinfecting deep clean.


A group of current and former workers have called for a 'virtual walkout' to protest the company's COVID-19 policies on April 24

The report arrives as another group of Amazon workers have announced plans to organize a one-day 'virtual workout' to protest the company's COVID-19 worker safety policies.

'We're asking tech workers to virtually walk out on Friday (April 24),' organizer Maren Costa said.

A former Amazon employee, Costa was fired along with Emily Cunningham after criticizing the company's policies.

'We want to tell Amazon that we are sick of all this - sick of the firings, sick of the silencing, sick of pollution, sick of racism, and sick of the climate crisis.'

Amazon workers in NY strike over coronavirus health and safety fears

It was revealed on Tuesday that Amazon has fired three more employees who spoke out over the company's pandemic working conditions.

Workers rights group says more than HALF of Amazon's US warehouses have had a coronavirus infection and predicts 'exponential growth' of cases by the end of April

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Gallup: Majority of Americans support independent Palestinian state

 A poll found that 55 percent of Americans support an independent Palestinian state. 
April 22 (UPI) -- For the first time in eight years, a majority of Americans support an independent Palestinian state, a Gallup poll released Wednesday indicates.

The survey found that 55 percent of Americans support an independent state on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, while 34 percent don't. Ten percent have no opinion on the matter, the lowest figure in that category since Gallup began asking the question in 1999.



Support for an independent Palestine has grown over the past several years after reaching 51 percent in 2012 and dropping down to less than 45 percent in the middle of the decade. Fifty percent of Americans supported the cause in 2019, while 39 percent did not.

Americans showed their highest support in the 2003 poll at 58 percent and lowest support in 2000 at 40 percent.

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The greatest increase in support compared to 2019 came from those 55 and older (14 percent), Republicans (11 percent), those with some college (11 percent) and those who consider themselves to be moderate (10 percent).

Democrats are more likely to support an independent state (70 percent) than Republicans (44 percent) and Independents (57 percent).

Still, all Americans are more likely to sympathize with Israelis than with Palestinians in the Middle East conflict. Sixty percent of Americans back Israelis, 23 percent Palestinians, and 17 percent support both, neither or are unsure. Support for Israelis and Palestinians both saw an increase in 2020 compared to 2019.

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Seventy-four percent of Americans view Israel favorably and 23 percent view the Palestinian Authority favorably, both up from 69 percent and 21 percent, respectively, in 2019.

Gallup surveyed 1,028 American adults from Feb. 3-16 for the poll, which has a margin of error of 4 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

Palestinians celebrate Ramadan 2020

A Palestinian boy showcases Chinese-made "fanous" lanterns for sale in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The lanterns are used as decoration to celebrate the start of Ramadan. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo

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LOST JOBS NOW TRUMP OBAMA JOB GAINS
Another 4.4M in U.S. file for unemployment, wiping out all jobs added since 2010

John Boyle stands Wednesday outside his popular Harry's Bar and Restaurant that is now closed in Washington, D.C., due to the coronavirus crisis. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo

April 23 (UPI) -- Another 4.4 million Americans filed for new unemployment claims, the Labor Department said Thursday in its weekly report.

The figure was a decrease of 810,000 from the previous week, which the department revised down by 8,000 claims. It placed the unemployment rate at 11 percent, a rise of nearly 3 percent from the previous week.

Economists were expecting between 4 million and 5.2 million new claims for the week ending April 18.

All told, nearly 30 million Americans have now filed jobless claims in the last five weeks. The previous four saw new claims of 5.3 million, 6.6 million, 6.9 million and 3.3 million, respectively.

RELATED Poll: 50 percent of Americans believe their financial situation is getting worse

The surge has completely wiped out all of the job gains, about 22 million, that were added since 2010 following the Great Recession.

Analysts expect layoffs in the millions to continue in the coming months before the recovery begins. They projected Thursday's report would show unemployment at around 15 percent. Just two months ago, it was at a 50-year low of 3.5 percent.

The reporting of new claims has been hampered by their sheer volume that's overwhelming state filing systems. Michigan and Pennsylvania have been the most affected states, where one in five workers have filed for unemployment benefits.

RELATED Another 5.2 million Americans file for unemployment benefits

The federal government's $2.2 trillion relief package last month included hundreds of billions to protect Americans' paychecks, but the fund ran out of money a week ago and Congress this week has been working on a deal to replenish it.

The fund was intended for small businesses, or those with fewer than 500 employees, but in recent days it's been reported that a number of larger businesses took money out of the fund.

Large restaurant chains such as Shake Shack, Potbelly and Ruth's Chris Steak House all received federal funds before announcing they would be returned.

RELATED U.S. consumer prices fall as coronavirus pandemic strains economy


Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said the Trump administration has established "very clear guidance" on the Paycheck Protection Program to prevent its abuse by larger businesses, and promised to investigate potential cases of abuse.

Mnuchin told Fox Business the eligibility of some companies receiving loans was "questionable."

"I think they should review it," he said.

Mnuchin said ineligible companies receiving loans can pay the money back "quickly" with no liability.

"If they don't," he warned, "They could be subject to investigation."

U.S. copes with COVID-19 pandemic

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, wears a scarf as a mask to protect against COVID-19 as she passes a bust of President Abraham Lincoln upon arriving at the U.S. Capitol on April 23. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

Global floods will affect 147M a year, cost $700B by 2030, study projects 

The Seine River crests in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, on June 3, 2016. The WRI report forecasts more than $700 billion in economic damage from flooding by 2030. File Photo by David Silpa/UPI | License Photo

April 23 (UPI) -- The number of people affected worldwide by substantial flooding will double by 2030 due to climate change and other factors, new research said in a report Thursday.

The World Resources Institute said its Aqueduct Floods prediction tool shows 147 million people per year will be impacted by flooding events along rivers and in coastal area within 10 years, up from just 72 million in 2010.

The Aqueduct Floods tool analyzes global flood risks and solutions.

The 28-page report says economic damage in riverine urban areas, meanwhile, will soar from $157 billion to $535 billion annually, and from $17 billion to $177 billion along sea coastlines. That's a combined economic flooding impact of more than $700 billion by 2030.

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"Flooding has already caused more than $1 trillion in losses globally since 1980, and the situation is poised to worsen," WRI water program associate Samantha Kuzma wrote in a blog post.

Researchers said the worsening situation has been compounded by the convergence of three factors -- heavier rains and storms fueled by climate change, population growth near coasts and rivers and the overdrawing of groundwater for subsistence farming.

The group called on governments to take flood mitigation into account when spending to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

RELATED Protecting flood-controlling mangrove forests pays for itself

"At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is already threatening human health and economies, it's clear that flood protection should be a priority investment for governments and other decision-makers," Kuzma said.

Along with traditional dikes and levees, researchers urged greater investment in "green infrastructure" such as mangroves, reefs and sand dunes, which can act as natural buffers to coastal storms.

"Protecting and restoring this natural infrastructure offers flood protection and other benefits like water filtration and reduced greenhouse gas emissions," Kuzma added.

RELATED Major flooding in Houston forces schools, university to close

Returns on flood control investments are strong, according to the analysis. It said every dollar spent on an ongoing project to upgrade dike infrastructure in Bangladesh, for example, will result in $123 in avoided damages to urban property.

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