The Daily Populous

Friday April 30th, 2021 morning edition

image for Editorial: Biden’s plan isn’t radical. He’s merely making up for decades of federal neglect

First there was a $1.9-trillion plan to help individuals and businesses cope with the surging COVID-19 pandemic.

Then there was a $2-trillion blueprint to build and repair American infrastructure, defined in unusually broad terms.

Now comes a $1.8-trillion boost to programs that help American families, particularly those with low and moderate incomes.

In the eyes of his Republican and right-of-center critics, the moderate Biden who won the presidency has been replaced by a radical.

Biden told Congress that he’s open to GOP ideas, but cautioned, “The rest of the world isn’t waiting for us.

Republicans can’t credibly argue that Biden is being polarizing simply because he doesn’t cling to their antiquated view of reality.

And with an election coming up next year that could end Democrats’ slim majorities in Congress, Biden has no time to waste. »

EXCLUSIVE U.S. Labor Secretary supports classifying gig workers as employees

Authored by reuters.com

Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh speaks during a news conference at the White House in Washington, U.S. April 2, 2021.

Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, a son of Irish immigrants and a former union member, has been expected to boost the Biden Administration's efforts to expand workers' protections and deliver a win for the country's organized labor movement.

Walsh's views on the issue could usher in new rulings from the department, which sets legal guidelines for how employers treat workers. »

Microsoft shakes up PC gaming by reducing Windows store cut to just 12 percent

Authored by theverge.com

Microsoft is shaking up the world of PC gaming today with a big cut to the amount of revenue it takes from games on Windows.

The software giant is reducing its cut from 30 percent to just 12 percent from August 1st, in a clear bid to compete with Steam and entice developers and studios to bring more PC games to its Microsoft Store.

These changes will only affect PC games and not Xbox console games in Microsoft’s store. »

Profiting on Crisis: How Predatory Financial Investors Have Worsened Inequality in the Coronavirus Crisis

Authored by journals.sagepub.com

We focus on the United States because it has the highest concentration of shadow banks (Cox, 2019).

In the coronavirus case, capital accumulation occurs through financial investors exploiting the economic system itself during a time of crisis.

Financial investors at shadow banks have both created the conditions that exacerbated hardship during this crisis and invested in ways that have allowed them to profit from it. »