A new record of 6.6 million Americans apply for benefits
San José, CA – New claims for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits doubled from record numbers just a week earlier. On Thursday, April 2, the Department of Labor reported that more than 6.6 million people applied for state unemployment insurance benefits for the week ending March 28. This means that almost 10 MILLION people lost their jobs and applied for UI benefits in just the last two weeks of March. This economic crisis has caused more job losses in two weeks than the entire 2007 to 2009 recession, where 8 million jobs were lost.
New York, NY -This past week reports poured in as New York City opened and built several new medical support structures to aid the overwhelmed city hospital network. Over the weekend, pictures of the converted Javits Center, a huge convention center in Midtown, were circling around, boasting 1200 new hospital beds.
Portland, OR – The Portland Rent Freeze Coalition, made up of concerned people and progressive organizations, disrupted a COVID-19 response press conference on March 17 here in Portland to demand that all rent payments due during the statewide shutdown be cancelled.
San José, CA – On Thursday, March 19, the Department of Labor reported a surge of applications for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits as the COVID-19 pandemic began to bite into the economy. For the week ending March 14, a seasonally adjusted 281,000 claims were filed, up 70,000 (or one-third) from the week before and much greater than the predicted 220,000. A National Public Radio poll also conducted last week showed that 18% of all households had already lost income from layoffs or reduced work hours.
Salt Lake City, UT – The Trump administration rang in the New Year by putting millions of lives at risk with the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and threatening a war with Iran. Similarly, Salt Lake City police began 2020 with a violent raid on the homeless community and the organizers fighting to protect them.
Milwaukee, WI – El 3 de octubre, docenas de grupos y activistas en Milwaukee están organizando una manifestación para exigir un permiso para una marcha afuera la Convención Nacional Demócrata. Hasta ahora, el alcalde de Milwaukee, Tom Barrett, les niega el permiso a los activistas locales. Otros políticos y empresarios adinerados están cayendo sobre sí mismos prometiendo cerrar calles, interrumpir los horarios de trabajo y gastar decenas de millones de dólares en la celebración de la Convención Democrática. Sin embargo, a las personas locales se les niega un permiso de protesta para expresar sus problemas.
Tallahassee, FL – Tallahassee’s public housing tenant association is claiming that plans to redevelop Orange Avenue Apartments, the largest public housing community in the city, will result in displacement and that those plans proceeded without resident participation.
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Tallahassee, FL – November 5 marked the due date for 2019 applications to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. This year the city of Tallahassee has submitted two applications along with $1.3 million to secure funding for the redevelopment of Orange Avenue Apartments, currently the largest public housing community in Tallahassee, a 200-unit complex is on Tallahassee’s Southside.
Jacksonville, FL – On July 22, around 100 members of the local Puerto Rican community rallied in front of the Duval County Courthouse demanding #RickyRenunica, calling for the resignation of Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello. General strikes and mass demonstrations have taken place in Puerto Rico for weeks, demanding the resignation of the embattled right-wing governor after the release of messages showing him and other high level officials mocking the deaths of Puerto Rican’s killed during Hurricane Maria, along with sexist and homophobic remarks.
Deer Park, TX – On April 22, the United Steelworkers (USW) condemned Rohm and Haas Texas Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemical Company, after the company made the decision to lock out more than 200 workers at its plant in Deer Park, Texas.
