Educators, parents, students and community members continue to voice outrage over the layoffs of all arts, music, and physical education (PE) teachers, along with five social workers and six K-8 guidance counselors in Randolph, Massachusetts public schools. In nearby Brookline, the district has announced that as many as 362 teachers and up to 300 paraprofessionals will receive pink slips for the coming school year. Over 36,000 workers and young people have signed a to save the threatened programs, and a protest was held on Wednesday.See the WSWS’ earlier coverage of these districts and .The...…Educators, parents, students and community members continue to voice outrage over the layoffs of all arts, music, and physical education (PE) teachers, along with five social workers and six K-8 guidance counselors in Randolph, Massachusetts public schools. In nearby Brookline, the district has announced that as many as 362 teachers and up to 300 paraprofessionals will receive pink slips for the coming school year. Over 36,000 workers and young people have signed a to save the threatened programs, and a protest was held on Wednesday.See the WSWS’ earlier coverage of these districts and .The...WW…

In a round of interviews on US television talk shows, the top Trump trade adviser and anti-China hawk, Peter Navarro, stepped up the White House attack on Beijing, suggesting that it had purposely started the global COVID-19 pandemic.Making China the scapegoat for the outbreak not only serves to deflect attention from the Trump administration’s criminal responsibility for the horrific death toll in the United States, but feeds directly into the anti-China trade war measures for which Navarro has aggressively advocated.Speaking on the “This Week” program on ABC News, Navarro repeatedly...…In a round of interviews on US television talk shows, the top Trump trade adviser and anti-China hawk, Peter Navarro, stepped up the White House attack on Beijing, suggesting that it had purposely started the global COVID-19 pandemic.Making China the scapegoat for the outbreak not only serves to deflect attention from the Trump administration’s criminal responsibility for the horrific death toll in the United States, but feeds directly into the anti-China trade war measures for which Navarro has aggressively advocated.Speaking on the “This Week” program on ABC News, Navarro repeatedly...WW…

In a move that will accelerate the privatization of education, Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Reimagine Education, a new partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which will also include Eric Schmidt, one of the founders of Google.The new endeavor, announced last week, is intended to utilize the crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic to vastly expand virtual learning for the 4.2 million public school students in the state. This initiative will place significant control of public education in the hands of Bill Gates, the second-richest man in the world with...…In a move that will accelerate the privatization of education, Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Reimagine Education, a new partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which will also include Eric Schmidt, one of the founders of Google.The new endeavor, announced last week, is intended to utilize the crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic to vastly expand virtual learning for the 4.2 million public school students in the state. This initiative will place significant control of public education in the hands of Bill Gates, the second-richest man in the world with...WW…

On April 7, New York City’s Department of Education (DOE) announced that it would be cutting $273 million from its budget next school year. These are part of plans to cut $1.3 billion from the city’s budget, due to a steep drop in revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The DOE has confirmed that more cuts are to come.This does not include aid from New York state, whose deficit has jumped from $6 billion to $12 billion because of revenue lost during the coronavirus pandemic. The New York City DOE will receive $11.3 billion from the state, including $717 million of federal stimulus...…On April 7, New York City’s Department of Education (DOE) announced that it would be cutting $273 million from its budget next school year. These are part of plans to cut $1.3 billion from the city’s budget, due to a steep drop in revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The DOE has confirmed that more cuts are to come.This does not include aid from New York state, whose deficit has jumped from $6 billion to $12 billion because of revenue lost during the coronavirus pandemic. The New York City DOE will receive $11.3 billion from the state, including $717 million of federal stimulus...WW…

The World Socialist Web Site recently spoke to Brigette Brantley, a New York City educator who most recently taught eighth-grade social studies at a charter school in the Bronx. On June 2, a local news station’s video interview of Brantley at a Bronx protest against police brutality . The interview has accumulated 7.5 million views on Twitter at the time of this writing.In the video, Brantley identifies herself as a mother and a teacher. Asked whether she thinks the protests are born out of frustration, she says, “Yes, they’re sick and tired of being sick and tired. This is what sick and...…The World Socialist Web Site recently spoke to Brigette Brantley, a New York City educator who most recently taught eighth-grade social studies at a charter school in the Bronx. On June 2, a local news station’s video interview of Brantley at a Bronx protest against police brutality . The interview has accumulated 7.5 million views on Twitter at the time of this writing.In the video, Brantley identifies herself as a mother and a teacher. Asked whether she thinks the protests are born out of frustration, she says, “Yes, they’re sick and tired of being sick and tired. This is what sick and...WW…

For the first time in three years, the US Navy has mobilised three aircraft carrier strike groups to the Pacific as a part of a provocative military build-up against China. The deployments underscore the strategic shift by the Pentagon from the so-called “war on terror” to great power competition that heightens the danger of conflict between nuclear-armed powers.As of Thursday, the nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and their associated groups of destroyers and cruisers set to sea in a massive show of force. While there are no details of their planned movements and exercises, all will be...…For the first time in three years, the US Navy has mobilised three aircraft carrier strike groups to the Pacific as a part of a provocative military build-up against China. The deployments underscore the strategic shift by the Pentagon from the so-called “war on terror” to great power competition that heightens the danger of conflict between nuclear-armed powers.As of Thursday, the nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and their associated groups of destroyers and cruisers set to sea in a massive show of force. While there are no details of their planned movements and exercises, all will be...WW…

Along the US-Mexico border, the growing wave of strikes and protests in sweatshop maquiladora factories marks a critical flashpoint in the struggle between the capitalist class and the working class over the global response to the coronavirus pandemic.Giving voice to the interests of billions of workers worldwide, maquiladora employees who produce parts for transnational corporations in Tijuana, Matamoros, Mexicali, Reynosa and Ciudad Juárez are demanding a shutdown of non-essential production, full pay if plants close and the provision of adequate health care and safety precautions for the...…Along the US-Mexico border, the growing wave of strikes and protests in sweatshop maquiladora factories marks a critical flashpoint in the struggle between the capitalist class and the working class over the global response to the coronavirus pandemic.Giving voice to the interests of billions of workers worldwide, maquiladora employees who produce parts for transnational corporations in Tijuana, Matamoros, Mexicali, Reynosa and Ciudad Juárez are demanding a shutdown of non-essential production, full pay if plants close and the provision of adequate health care and safety precautions for the...WW…

On Tuesday, Dr. Rick Bright, the ousted director of the government agency overseeing the development of a coronavirus vaccine, filed an 89-page whistleblower complaint that provides further details on the Trump administration’s cover-up of the dangers from the virus and opposition to any coordinated effort to prevent its spread. It also catalogues corruption and insider dealing in awarding government contracts to drug firms and other companies, including those with ties to the Trump family.Bright, who headed the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) since 2016, was...…On Tuesday, Dr. Rick Bright, the ousted director of the government agency overseeing the development of a coronavirus vaccine, filed an 89-page whistleblower complaint that provides further details on the Trump administration’s cover-up of the dangers from the virus and opposition to any coordinated effort to prevent its spread. It also catalogues corruption and insider dealing in awarding government contracts to drug firms and other companies, including those with ties to the Trump family.Bright, who headed the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) since 2016, was...WW…

Bus drivers at several London garages spoke recently to the World Socialist Web Site about their concerns over the growing death toll among their colleagues from COVID-19. So far, 23 bus drivers in the capital have lost their lives to the virus, along with six London Underground and rail workers.Drivers describe the unsafe working conditions being enforced by the Johnson Conservative government, private bus operators, Transport for London (TfL) and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, in direct collaboration with the unions.Due to the danger of disciplinary action, the drivers are speaking...…Bus drivers at several London garages spoke recently to the World Socialist Web Site about their concerns over the growing death toll among their colleagues from COVID-19. So far, 23 bus drivers in the capital have lost their lives to the virus, along with six London Underground and rail workers.Drivers describe the unsafe working conditions being enforced by the Johnson Conservative government, private bus operators, Transport for London (TfL) and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, in direct collaboration with the unions.Due to the danger of disciplinary action, the drivers are speaking...WW…

The past several weeks has been nothing short of catastrophic for the New York City transit workforce. As of April 22, transit workers have documented at least 83 COVID-19 fatalities among active workers at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), five among active bus drivers at private fleets, and 28 among transit retirees. Since the first fatality was recorded on March 26, the combined death rate exceeds four per day on average.To date more than 2,400 transit workers have tested positive, over 9,000 have been out on quarantine at some point since March and 4,100 remain in...…The past several weeks has been nothing short of catastrophic for the New York City transit workforce. As of April 22, transit workers have documented at least 83 COVID-19 fatalities among active workers at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), five among active bus drivers at private fleets, and 28 among transit retirees. Since the first fatality was recorded on March 26, the combined death rate exceeds four per day on average.To date more than 2,400 transit workers have tested positive, over 9,000 have been out on quarantine at some point since March and 4,100 remain in...WW…