Jake Johnson


Jake Johnson is a staff writer for Common Dreams.
 

Content by Jake Johnson

DeSantis presidential bid already tagged with FEC complaint

'Soft money undermines federal campaign finance laws because it is, by definition, money raised and spent outside the scope of those laws.'


Gaetz admits GOP holding economy ‘hostage’ in the name of austerity

GOP refuses to raise debt ceiling unless the rich are made richer and social safety nets are dismembered


Despite looming debt ceiling, rampant profiteering, and serious bloat, GOP wants to increase military budget

The US spends more on 'defense' than the next 10 countries combined, yet it still can't manage funding vital food programs


American drone terrorism kills father of ten

'They're all liars': Pentagon under fire after US drone victim ID'd as farmer with no Al-Qaeda ties


This state Representative ran as a pro-choice Dem. but switched sides once elected

North Carolina state Rep. Tricia Cotham helps GOP restrict abortions in her state


Santos arrested but will he be expelled?

'He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers'


GOP pushing even harsher austerity measures

Representative Lee blasts 'pro-starvation agenda' as McCarthy plots food aid cuts


Senate Democrats still retaining ‘blue slip’ veto procedure that allows Republicans to block Biden judicial nominees

Senate Republicans have effective veto power over Biden judges


U.S. denies involvement in Nord Stream bombing but helps block independent investigation


‘Dangerous for us all’: Elon Musk, world’s richest man, completes Twitter takeover

"Musk's plans will leave the platform more vulnerable to security threats, rampant disinformation, and extremism just ahead of the midterm elections"


Sanders warns GOP midterm win would pull US ‘far, far, far to the right’

"We are taking on a political party, the Republicans, who literally are trying to undermine American democracy," said Sen. Bernie Sanders


Armed ‘poll watchers’ in Arizona heighten alarm over right-wing voter intimidation

"This is obviously totally incompatible with liberal democracy and an open society," said one commentator


Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson booed and laughed at in debate with progressive challenger

"Trump Republicans like Johnson are good at just two things: restricting freedoms, and raking in millions of dollars for himself and his donors at the expense of working families," one critic said after the U.S. Senate debate


‘Lights are flashing red’: study finds 69% average drop in animal populations since 1970

"We should care deeply about the unraveling of natural systems because these same resources sustain human life," said the World Wildlife Fund's global chief scientist


Social security ‘in grave danger’ if GOP retakes congress, advocates warn

"Republicans plan to use the debt limit as the hostage to demand these cuts, even though Social Security doesn't add a single penny to the deficit," noted one campaigner


At packed rally, U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman vows to ‘be that vote to scrap the filibuster and codify Roe’

"Women are the reason we can win," said the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, adding, "Don't piss women off"


AOC, Gillibrand denounce Starbucks for ‘firing Union leaders All Over the Country’

"We continue to stand by these workers and would like to remind you that all workers have the right to join a union," the New York lawmakers wrote in a letter to Starbucks' billionaire CEO


‘Corrupt as hell’: Demands for Clarence Thomas to resign follow new details of wife’s election scheming

"If Clarence Thomas had any shame, he would resign immediately," said one advocacy group, adding, "But he doesn't."


UN chief says humanity ‘one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation’

"Eliminating nuclear weapons is the only guarantee they will never be used," said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres


Sanders warns that ‘like Trump, Bolsonaro is attempting to undermine democracy in Brazil’

"The enemies of democracy are working together across borders," said the Vermont senator, "and supporters of democracy must do the same"


California Oak Fire rages out of control as Biden mulls climate emergency

Climate campaigners have warned that the U.S. president is "fighting fire with the trickle from a garden hose"


Slamming their profits from ‘weapons of war,’ House panel asks gun CEOs to testify

"Products sold by your company have been used for decades to carry out homicides and even mass murders," the Democratic chair of the House Oversight Committee told the top executives of three major gun makers


‘What’s there to even discuss?’ Omar says free, universal school meals should be permanent

"We have an opportunity to prove that a government of the people, by the people, and for the people can still deliver big things. And we can feed tens of millions of hungry kids while we do it"


‘Impeach Justice Clarence Thomas’ petition nears 1 million signatures

"He has shown he cannot be an impartial justice and is more concerned with covering up his wife's coup attempts than the health of the Supreme Court," reads the petition


‘Tipping point of no return’ feared as Amazon rainforest fires surge

"Up to now, the Biden administration has only legitimized the Brazilian government's anti-Indigenous and anti-environmental agenda," said Greenpeace USA


Sanders calls on Democrats to divide spending bills into components to force GOP accountability

After failure of massive Build Back Better Act, Vermont senator advocates passing parts of it individually


Kyrsten Sinema’s support for U.S. Senate filibuster undermines her claims to support voting rights

‘Sinema doesn’t support the voting rights legislation, the filibuster just lets her pretend she does’


Falsehoods about climate change run rampant on Facebook, study finds

Facebook’s refusal to fact-check lies and misinformation about climate change show it is ‘the Big Tobacco of our generation,’ one group says


Fossil fuel lobbyists have a larger presence at COP26 climate conference than any single country

The oil and gas industry—the principal driver of the climate crisis—has more approved delegates at COP26 conference than Brazil


Democratic factions offer differing reasons for McAuliffe loss in Virginia

Party conservatives fault national Democrats for not passing bills while progressives say McAuliffe was a poor candidate


UK, EU continue opposition to global patent waivers for covid vaccines


Doctors Without Borders slams developed countries for ‘hoarding’ covid vaccines, which then go to waste

‘The longer people everywhere remain unprotected, the more lives will be lost and the more likely it is that new and potentially deadlier variants will take hold’


Susan Collins was sure that a Justice Kavanaugh wouldn’t gut Roe, she was wrong

The Maine senator insisted that the future Supreme Court justice considered Roe v. Wade settled law


Since 1978, CEO pay increased 1,322 percent while average workers’ went up just 18 percent

‘CEO compensation grew far faster than compensation of very highly paid workers over the last few decades’


Biden blasted by progressives for refusing to include immigration in filibuster-proof spending bill

Liberal groups accuse the president of deferring to the unelected Senate parliamentarian rather than helping immigrants


Covid-19 Delta variant ‘wreaking havoc’ in countries and communities with low vaccination rates

Spread of highly contagious coronavirus strain underscores importance of maximizing vaccinations


Workers are losing pandemic unemployment benefits, but they still don’t want low-wage jobs

In blow to conservative claims, Missouri’s cut to jobless benefits didn’t boost hiring


Congressional Democrats divided over state and local tax deductions

Progressives oppose removing federal cap on state and local tax deductions, a rare progressive economic policy implemented by Donald Trump


COVID running rampant in developing nations as rich countries hoard vaccine patents, materials

“I think we haven’t seen the worst of it yet. It is beyond horror, what is happening… Yet, this is not yet the worst.”


Study finds Americans often pay more than 400 percent more for prescription drugs than residents of other nations

A new analysis by the Government Accountability Office finds that Americans are paying far more for essential medicines than residents of other nations


Big Pharma’s billions in excess profits could finance COVID vaccines for the entire continent of Africa

Pharmaceutical companies claim to be all about public health, but their prioritizing of payments to investors belies this claim


Congressional Dems miss deadline to repeal last-minute Trump regulation changes

Congressional Republicans proved much more adept at overturning Obama-era regulation changes than Democrats have during Joe Biden’s first days in office


Biden administration ends Trump policy to restrict federal food assistance program

The new president has officially ended a Trump-era policy which allowed states to place work requirements on food assistance programs


Temporarily suspending coronavirus vaccine patents will save millions of lives

The U.S., Canada, and the U.K. are currently blocking a World Trade Organization proposal from India and South Africa to temporarily suspend patent protections for coronavirus vaccines.


 

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