April 2020

Student activists backed by Extinction Rebellion defy lockdown in Rockville climate protest

On the 21st of April, MOCO Students on Climate backed by Extinction Rebellion protested in Rockville against a digital meeting of the Board of Education after the scool board ignored 700 signatures on a petition demanding action on climate change. A convoy of 20 honking cars circled the building the digital meeting originated from, and school security had to intervene to stop the horns due to an audio conection inside the building being used by some part of the meeting.

Economic Crisis Could Get Much Worse Says IMF

The International Monetary and Financial Committee, the leadership of the IMF, released their Spring Meetings communiqué calling coronavirus economic impacts, "unprecedented" and that "the global economic outlook is subject to high uncertainty.""The IMF is saying that our economic prospects are terrible, our economy could even face further disaster and they don't know how much worse it can actually get," noted Eric LeCompte, who leads the religious development group Jubilee USA.

Second Decarcerate DC Car Caravan demands release of jail, halfway house, St E's prisoners

On Emancipation Day, the 16th of April, the second Decarcerate DC car caravan protest took to the streets. This time they started at Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital and drove to the DC Jail. Again demands were the release of all prisoners in St E's, the DC jail, and all halfway houses to avoid a coronavirus death sentence.

Video of car caravan originally published by SURJ-DC 21 sec

Still from SURJ-DC video of the car caravan near the start

The Shortwave Report 04/17/20 Listen Globally!

Dear Radio Friend,     This week's show features stories from Radio Deutsche-Welle, NHK Japan, Radio Havana Cuba, and Sputnik Radio.http://www.outfarpress.com/swr200417.mp3   (If you have access to Audioport there is a highest quality version posted up there {33MB} http://www.audioport.org/index.php?op=producer-info&uid=904&nav=&)        From GERMANY- First a ser

IMF Spring Meetings driven online by virus on 20th anniversary of A16

Twenty years ago on the day this was written, the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings were beseiged and shut down by betweenb 20,000 and 30,000 direct action protesters. Now the Spring Meetings have been driven to online venues by a different kind of siege: the coronavirus. Reports that the IMF and World Bank agreed to cancel all debts "owed" to them unfortunately turned out to be an online prank.

Video-A16 20 years later,now virus beseiges IMF 2 min 4 sec

G20 Suspends Debt Payments for Poor Countries As the Coronavirus Spreads

Washington DC - The G20 announced a suspension of debt payments and interest for the world's 76 poorest countries in order to bolster health services to confront the coronavirus.

Major Religious Institutions Urge President, IMF and G20 to Cancel Debts and Use Reserves to Protect Poor

Many of the largest religious institutions are calling for financial crisis protections, debt relief and additional resources to protect the world's poor in what the IMF calls the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression.

IMF Calls "Great Lockdown" Worst Economic Crisis Since the Great Depression

The IMF says we face the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression because of the coronavirus. As world leaders gather virtually for the Spring International Monetary Fund and World Bank Meetings, the Fund released its April World Economic Outlook Report, dubbing the crisis, the "Great Lockdown" and reporting that the global economy will lose at least $9 trillion in 2020 and 2021.

"Wellness check" and enforcement patrols going door to door in Montgomery County neighborhood

I currently live in Maryland and an experience I had on April 10, 2020 underscored exactly how invasive the lengths to ensure compliance with the current stay at home order (to halt the spread of the coronavirus has become.

I was outdoors cleaning up the front yard, when a blue/gray compact vehicle passed this house the third time. I wondered if the driver were lost. Two men with some kind of uniform pin on their shirts were in the front seat. Two women also with badges were in the back. They walked fairly close to the house and I warned them I had neither mask or gloves.

The Shortwave Report 04/10/20 Listen Globally!

Dear Radio Friend,     This week's show features stories from NHK Japan, Radio Havana Cuba, Sputnik Radio, and Radio Deutsche-Welle.http://www.outfarpress.com/swr200410.mp3   (If you have access to Audioport there is a highest quality version posted up there {33MB} http://www.audioport.org/index.php?op=producer-info&uid=904&nav=&)        From JAPAN- On Tuesday a state

ShutDownDC holds public protest for People's Bailout on Capitol Hill

On the 9th of April, the ShutDownDC activists who staged last year's major climate change blockades in DC held a public protest on Capitol Hill to demand a "People's Bailout." They were protesting Trump's coronavirus packages that focus primarily on saving corporations.

Catholic Bishops Urge President Trump to Lead Global COVID-19 Debt Relief

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops and Jubilee USA Network, an interfaith religious group, is urging President Trump to lead the G20 on coronavirus global debt relief plans. The groups argue debt relief immediately allows developing countries to bolster healthcare and survive economic crises."As the G20 considers a suspension of debt payments from the 76 poorest countries in the world, the United States can lead the world, again, in calling on wealthy countries, the G20, the IMF and World Bank, to suspend debt  payments for developing countries," wrote Bishop David J.

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