Tidbits - Aug. 30, 2018 - Reader Comments: Trump Above the Law?; Supporters Still Believers; Medicare for All, Free College Wildly Popular; Silent Sam Falls; David McReynolds; Puerto Rico; Far Right in Government-Reports from Europe; and more...

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Reader Comments: Trump Above the Law?; Supporters Still Believers; Medicare for All, Free College Wildly Popular; Silent Sam Falls; David McReynolds; Puerto Rico; Spike Lee' BlacKkKlansman; Far Right in Government - Free Resource; Announcements;

Puerto Rico's New Fiscal Plan: Certain Pain, Uncertain Gain

Lara Merling Philadelphia Inquirer; CEPR
Puerto Rico was already in trouble after suffering a “lost decade” without economic growth after 2005, leading to a default on its public debt and mass migration from the island. That was before Hurricane Maria.

More Americans Died From Hurricane Maria Than 9/11. Does Anyone Care?

Jodi Jacobson Rewire
More people were killed by Maria than by the terrorist attacks of 9/11. This time, we can't blame anyone but ourselves. The Trump administration and majority-GOP Congress treated post-Maria Puerto Rico with malignant neglect. As the 2018 hurricane season fast approaches, Puerto Rico remains in dire

Taxing Puerto Rico to Death

Nelson A. Denis Orlando Sentinel
Puerto Ricans on the island are the most heavily taxed of all U.S. citizens. From 2013 to 2014, 105 different taxes were raised in Puerto Rico. Over a 19-year period, from 1990 to 2009, Puerto Rico paid more federal taxes than six U.S. states. Puerto Rico is projected to have the worst economy on the entire planet in 2018.

Warring Visions of Puerto Rico's Future

Harvey Wasserman The Progressive
Warring visions have now erupted over the energy and economic futures of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.Will the islands become a cutting-edge green-powered solartopia for the benefit of their long-time residents? Or a fossil-fueled robber baron playground like Hong Kong or Singapore, set to operate for the profit of outside corporate investors?

Colonialism’s Legacy: Neglect in Puerto Rico, Suffocation in DC

Bill Mosley The Washington Socialist
By now the botched, indifferent response of the Trump administration to Hurricane Maria’s devastation in Puerto Rico has been well-documented. Puerto Ricans, however, are not the only US citizens whose lack of democratic rights has affected its quality of life, and for the worse. The same can be said for the residents of Washington, DC, the nation’s capital.

food

From Hurricanes to Protest Movements, Food Is a Way In

Kim Severson New York Times
Food offers a powerful, surprising and sometimes uplifting path through difficult news events. For example, the story of emergency food relief in Puerto Rico shed light on the desperation across the island and underscored the lack of government aid, especially immediately after the storm. In Houston, after the hurricanes, cooks tried to instil a sense of normalcy by making makeshift kitchens. Post Katrina, its restaurants reflected NOLA's devastation and resiliance.
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