690 Million Hungry in Today’s World

WORLD HUNGER

A Journal of People report

The number of people affected by hunger globally has been slowly on the rise since 2014, says the Food and Agriculture Organization and other United Nations organizations. The UN organizations warn: If recent trends continue, the number of people affected by hunger will surpass 840 million by 2030, or 9.8 percent of the population. This is an alarming scenario, even without taking into account the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

​The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 (SOF) report by the UN organizations said:

➔ Current estimates are that nearly 690 million people are hungry, or 8.9 percent of the world population – up by 10 million people in one year and by nearly 60 million in five years.

FACE OF A POLITICS: Purchasing political favor in U.S.: Facebook and Amazon outspend largest tobacco and oil giants

FACE OF A POLITICS

A Journal of People report

Facebook and Amazon now outspend the largest tobacco and oil giants in purchasing political favor, says a new report. It shows that big tech’s influence over government has grown between the last two U.S. election cycles.

According to a new report by Public Citizen, a progressive nonprofit group, Facebook and Amazon are now the two biggest corporate lobbying spenders in the U.S.

Facebook spent nearly $20 million during the 2020 election cycle while Amazon spent just under $19 million. Following them were telecoms giant Comcast, a third place, with $14.4 million, which is ahead of a slew of weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon.

FACE OF AN ECONOMY: The homeless and ‘no sit, no lie’ ordinance near Seattle

FACE OF AN ECONOMY 

A Journal of People report

On March 16, 2021, Everett City Council, Washington, a city 30 miles north of Seattle, passed a local ordinance, which will bar people from sitting or lying down in a ten-block belt of the city. The controversial ordinance passed in 5-1 vote.

The ordinance covers a section of the city’s industrial area. Violators will face either a $500 fine or 90 days imprisonment.

The majority of city council members, Everett’s mayor, and the business community in the 10-block area supported the ordinance.

The ordinance, detractors say, criminalizes and discriminates against homeless individuals.

Lenin on the Third Way

LENIN

Since there can be no talk of an independent ideology formulated by the working masses themselves in the process of their movement, the only choice is — either bourgeois or socialist ideology. There is no middle course (for mankind has not created a “third” ideology, and, moreover, in a society torn by class antagonisms there can never be a non-class or an above-class ideology). Hence, to belittle the socialist ideology in any way, to turn aside from it in the slightest degree means to strengthen bourgeois ideology.

What Is To Be Done

SOURCE: https://us.politsturm.com/lenin-on-the-third-way/ 

 

 

 

 

Will Lula Make a Comeback? Global Imperialists and Resource Extractors Shudder at the Prospect

PEOPLE’S STRUGGLE IN BRAZIL 

Alan Macleod

MintPress News | March 26, 2021

BRASILIA, BRAZIL — Will the world’s sixth most populous country move away from fascism and towards a social democracy putting economic justice and anti-imperialism first once more?

That is the question on Brazilian minds right now, as earlier this month the Supreme Court dismissed all charges against former President Luis Inácio “Lula” da Silva. A colossal figure in domestic and world politics, Lula was falsely convicted of fraud in 2017, and spent more than 18 months in prison, becoming, in the words of renowned academic Noam Chomsky, “the world’s most prominent political prisoner.”

Sputnik V: EU Sacrifices Its Citizens by the Thousands on the Altar of Anti-Russia Point-Scoring

EU

Alan Macleod

MintPress News | March 19, 2021

BRUSSELS — It is really not going well in Europe. Nearly 900,000 people have died from COVID-19, a number of countries are facing new waves of the deadly virus, and Paris is going into a four-week lockdown starting tonight after a fresh spike in cases. Meanwhile, the European Union’s vaccine rollout has been particularly ponderous. The EU has managed to vaccinate only around one-third as many citizens per capita as have the United States or United Kingdom, even trailing far poorer neighbors such as Serbia or Turkey (who have embraced Russian and Chinese offerings).

Subnational elections in Bolivia: another vote of confidence for MAS party

PEOPLE’S STRUGGLE IN BOLIVIA

Peoples Dispatch | March 28, 2021

The ruling government of progressive Movement Towards Socialism (MAS)party emerged as the winner of the subnational elections held in Bolivia on March 7. Photo: Agencia Boliviana de Información

The results of the subnational elections held in Bolivia on March 7 confirm the faith of the Bolivian people in the ruling government of the progressive Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party and its transformation project. According to the results of the departmental, regional and municipal elections released on March 22, the MAS is the only party that has a broad presence in all the nine departments of the country.

The MAS won 240 out of 336 mayor’s offices, which represents a majority of over 70% of the country’s local governments. The party secured 13 more mayors than in the last elections held in 2015. Additionally, in 19 municipalities, the victory was consolidated with 100% of the valid vote.

The sugar rush economy

U.S. ECONOMY

Michael Roberts Blog | March 21, 2021

Last week the US Federal Reserve raised its growth forecasts for the US economy for this year and next. Fed officials now reckon the US economy with expand in real terms by 6.5%, the fastest pace since 1984, a few years after the slump of 1980-2.  This is a significant rise from the Fed’s previous forecast.  Also, the unemployment rate is expected to drop to just 4.5% by year-end, while the inflation rate ticks up to 2.2%, above the official target rate set by the Fed.

Protect fish to produce more food and reduce greenhouse gas

ECOLOGY 

Tim Radford

Climate New Network | March 25 2021

Menhaden catch, destined for use as fertilizer and pet food. (Wikimedia Commons)

Scientists have identified a sure way towards more profitable fishing: don’t do it. Protect fish and leave as much of the seas as possible untouched.

To convert the right stretches of the blue planet into marine sanctuaries would actually deliver bigger hauls than any uncontrolled harvests could promise. It could also protect marine wildlife and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.

Why is the Moon bright? Is Easter a full moon? How long does a full moon last? Your Moon questions answered by an astronomer

SCIENCE

Jonti Horner

The Conversation | March 29, 2021

If you stepped outside on the weekend and thought, “Gosh, the full moon looks nice tonight”, you are not alone.

According to Google Trends, Moon-related searches are up by more than 60% over the past week in Australia, led by Western Australia and Queensland.

Technically, the Moon is currently “waning gibbous” which means the moment of maximum fullness has passed, and it’s now starting to look smaller. But it’s still quite spectacular.

As someone teaching first-year astronomy at the moment, where much time is spent discussing the Moon, here are my answers to some of the most common recent Moon questions.