Latest Top Scoops Headlines
Money, Public Debt And The Covid19 Emergency
Thursday, 2 April 2020, 8:11 pm | Keith Rankin
What is Money? Money is a mystery. To most of us we receive it, we spend it, we save it, we borrow it. And if we don't have enough, we are in trouble. Many of us think of money as if it is tangible, like gold; something that is naturally scarce, ... More >>
Dangerous Gifts: Coronavirus And Trump’s Sanctions Regime
Thursday, 2 April 2020, 5:08 pm | Binoy Kampmark
The global effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic has been one of stutters and staggers. There are go-it-alone instances of severity, and cases of blasé indifference. State ministers and leaders have not escaped the chance to demonise and point accusing ... More >>
US Escalates Warmongering Against Venezuela Because Of… Drug Trafficking?
Thursday, 2 April 2020, 4:10 pm | Caitlin Johnstone
The Trump administration is sending Navy ships to patrol Venezuela, the latest escalation against the government targeted by an aggressive hybrid US regime change intervention. "President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Navy ships ... More >>
Advancing Change In A Time Of Disruption: Forging A New Pathway For Nature
Thursday, 2 April 2020, 2:50 pm | Common Dreams
by Mari Margil I first traveled to Nepal in 2012 to meet with members of the Constituent Assembly drafting the country’s new constitution. The central question we discussed was how to tackle global warming from a Rights of Nature perspective. Home to Mt. ... More >>
Could COVID-19 Reshape Global Leadership?
Thursday, 2 April 2020, 2:49 pm | Common Dreams
As U.S. COVID-19 cases double every few days and the death toll mounts, the U.S. seems to be caught in a “worst of both worlds” predicament: daily life and much of the U.S. economy is shut down, but no real progress has been achieved in its efforts ... More >>
Union on badly behaved employers: 'We will remember'
Thursday, 2 April 2020, 1:53 pm | RNZ
The president of the Council of Trade Unions says double digit employment is realistic, but NZ faces a tremendous opportunity to rethink our economy. More >>
On The Changes Hitting The Economy, Work, And The Benefit System
Thursday, 2 April 2020, 11:50 am | Gordon Campbell
The economy may be falling like a rock but it hasn’t hit the bottom of the well yet, here or anywhere else. Time is so stretched – early March feels like a distant country – that planning rationally for what the economy might look like in two, ... More >>
Healthcare Not Warfare
Thursday, 2 April 2020, 11:32 am | Valerie Morse
The discussion about Covid-19 health care has focused on the ability of our health care system to cope with large influx of people requiring serious care and ventilators. Sitting at home is the best way to ‘flatten the curve’ we have learned, and not ... More >>
Covid-19: Major magazine publisher Bauer Media closing down
Thursday, 2 April 2020, 11:21 am | RNZ
The publisher's chief executive says the Covid-19 lockdown has stopped magazine production and put the business in an untenable position. More >>
Tunisia Leads The Way: New Report Exposes Israel’s False Democracy
Thursday, 2 April 2020, 10:02 am | Ramzy Baroud
Tunisia is the Middle East’s greatest success story, according to the findings of the V-Dem Annual Democracy Report 2019 . One of the world’s most regarded annual reports on democracy and good governance, the V-Dem Report is produced by the V-Dem ... More >>
People’s Skepticism About Covid-19 Is The Fault Of The Lying Mass Media
Wednesday, 1 April 2020, 5:51 pm | Caitlin Johnstone
Coronavirus disinformation is the hot topic of the day, with pressure mounting on social media platforms to censor incorrect information about the virus and mainstream news outlets blaring dire warnings every day about the threat posed by the circulation ... More >>
The Post-Coronavirus World Will Be Far Worse Than The Pre-Coronavirus World
Wednesday, 1 April 2020, 2:41 pm | Eric Zuesse
Signs, especially in the United States, are that the post-coronavirus-plagued world will have even more inequality of wealth, within each nation, than existed prior to the plague. Billionaires are demanding to be included in the bailouts by their ... More >>
Signing In And Dropping Out: Coronavirus And The Virtual University
Wednesday, 1 April 2020, 12:50 pm | Binoy Kampmark
It was made with little thought but a good deal of high-minded urgency: Evacuate your office, take what you can, and prepare for the virtual world. Fill in a form, tell us if you actually pinched the office computer. This was the message that was ... More >>
'Can I Keep You Safe? Your Future Is Uncertain’: Climate And The Fate Of Humanity
Wednesday, 1 April 2020, 11:31 am | Media Lens
In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, the most immediate objective is to slow its spread, minimise the death toll and help people through the crisis. But, despite government promises to support citizens who are now losing their jobs and income, ... More >>
On Buying Ventilators, And Expanding The Testing For Covid-19
Wednesday, 1 April 2020, 11:12 am | Gordon Campbell
Before getting into recent developments….. who knew that Covid-19 was so powerful it could make NZ parliamentarians act like adults, and make them pose intelligent questions to officials and Cabinet Ministers about issues of public interest? Wowzah. ... More >>
The Challenges And Benefits Of Outdoor Recreation During NZ's Coronavirus Lockdown
Wednesday, 1 April 2020, 10:29 am | The Conversation
During New Zealand’s four-week lockdown, all sporting facilities, back-country walking trails and parks are closed to stop the spread of coronavirus and avoid injuries. More >>
The Swedish Alternative: Coronavirus As A Grand Gamble
Tuesday, 31 March 2020, 3:23 pm | Binoy Kampmark
As draconian lockdowns, punitive regimes and surveillance become the norm of the coronavirus world, Sweden has treaded more softly in the field. This is certainly in contrast to its Scandinavian cousins, Denmark and Norway. The rudiments of a life ... More >>
Mortgage, Debt And Rent Holidays Will Help Businesses And Employees Survive.
Tuesday, 31 March 2020, 12:39 pm | Cities and Regions
Dr David Wilson 30/03/20 I’m reminded of a John Ralston Saul quote: “If economists were doctors, they’d be mired in malpractice suits.” Are you getting a little tired of commentators guessing, sorry “forecasting”, about how ... More >>
COVID-19 And The Fundamentals Of Living On A Timed Borrow
Tuesday, 31 March 2020, 10:55 am | Nikko AM
Opinion: Fergus McDonald Towards the end of last year, I wrote a 2020 outlook piece – one I regret to say that failed to foresee a global pandemic – that referenced the estimated US$250 trillion of government, corporate and household debt underpinning ... More >>
Katya Rivas' Passion: Gethsemane & Last Supper (Parts 4 & 5)
Tuesday, 31 March 2020, 8:49 am | Katya Rivas
For the final two weeks of Lent 2020 Scoop will be publishing a serialisation of Katya Rivas’s “The Passion”. Readers can sign up to receive the serial by email Here . To order a video about Katya’s work visit apleatohumanity.com The Medallion ... More >>
An Inglorious Opportunity: Coronavirus And Emergency Powers
Monday, 30 March 2020, 3:36 pm | Binoy Kampmark
There has been a hurried spate of cancellations and suspensions of elections across the globe because of the risk posed by COVID-19. The trend is unsurprising. In the age of post-democratic process, suspending the procedure should only induce a cough ... More >>
On Our (Fatal?) Shortage Of Ventilators
Monday, 30 March 2020, 12:24 pm | Gordon Campbell
With a few honourable exceptions there has been a striking lack of focus on the (insufficient) number of ventilators in our intensive care units – and an almost complete absence of overt urgency about acquiring and/or building more of them. Ventilators ... More >>
Retail banks agree to a mortgage holiday repayment scheme
Monday, 30 March 2020, 10:51 am | RNZ
Retail banks have agreed to a mortgage holiday repayment scheme for those affected by Covid-19, Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has announced. More >>
Coronavirus: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says no change in Australia's stance to New Zealanders
Monday, 30 March 2020, 10:48 am | RNZ
Jacinda Ardern has pleaded with the Australian Prime Minister to make an exception to the rule that bars many of the 650,000 New Zealanders there from receiving a benefit. More >>
Corona Virus: Letter To A Friend
Monday, 30 March 2020, 10:45 am | Don Franks
Hi David, Nice hearing from you, I'm glad to hear you're getting by okay in these grim times. You asked how’s it going for us back here in New Zealand. You would have heard that the whole country is locked down and with breaks for exercise ... More >>
Covid-19: Fruit industry facing hurdles with harvest due to restrictions
Monday, 30 March 2020, 10:45 am | RNZ
The kiwifruit industry is fighting for survival as it tries to pick and pack the season's crop while enforcing Covid-19 restrictions. More >>
Covid-19: $5 billion foreign student industry faces dramatic drop
Monday, 30 March 2020, 10:39 am | RNZ
The $5 billion foreign student industry is facing a massive downturn with as many as half of this year's enrolments now in doubt. More >>
Coronavirus: PM backs families battling to keep seniors in their bubble
Monday, 30 March 2020, 10:36 am | RNZ
People over 70 and those with underlying health conditions faced the lockdown four days before the rest of the country - but some of the elderly still aren't taking any notice. More >>
Coronavirus: PM to reconsider 'essential businesses'
Monday, 30 March 2020, 10:33 am | RNZ
Ministers will meet today to discuss whether more services should be deemed essential and allowed to be open for business. More >>
How Fascism Won Control in The West
Monday, 30 March 2020, 10:15 am | Eric Zuesse
“The West” is the nations that are essentially controlled, basically dictated-to, by America’s approximately 600 billionaires, who control the U.S. Government, by coordinatedly funding (through their news-media and political donations, and also ... More >>
Tracking Your Location And Targeted Texts: How Sharing Your Data Could Help In NZ's Level 4 Lockdown
Monday, 30 March 2020, 9:32 am | The Conversation
New Zealand and much of the world is now under an unprecedented lockdown. Public health experts say this is the best way to suppress the spread of the virus. But how long will such a lockdown be socially sustainable? More >>
Why New Zealand’s Coronavirus Cases Will Keep Rising For Weeks, Even In Level 4 Lockdown
Monday, 30 March 2020, 9:30 am | The Conversation
The number of New Zealanders testing positive for COVID-19 will continue to rise despite the strict conditions of the four-week lockdown that began this week. More >>
Katya Rivas' Passion : The Passion ( Begins ) - Parts 1-3
Monday, 30 March 2020, 7:39 am | Katya Rivas
For the final two weeks of Lent 2020 Scoop will be publishing a serialisation of Katya Rivas’s “The Passion”. Readers can sign up to receive the serial by email Here . To order a video about Katya’s work visit apleatohumanity.com The Medallion ... More >>
A Letter To Mike Hosking And His Attitude Towards UBI
Sunday, 29 March 2020, 6:11 pm | Marco Siebert
If one mind is speaking about “not losing our minds” it may as well prove a very narrowed point of view of the same. Mike Hosking is eagerly bashing an outspoken pondering about an universal basic income (UBI) by finance minister Grant Robertson. ... More >>
How Would A Basic Income Work?
Sunday, 29 March 2020, 3:40 pm | Perce Harpham
Thomas More, in 1516, published Utopia in which he proposed that everyone should have a Basic Income (BI). Many advocates have done the same thing since. Note that our Superannuation is just a limited version of that. And it has almost eliminated ... More >>
Workers Remain At Risk During NZ's Lockdown
Sunday, 29 March 2020, 12:19 pm | Socialist Equality Group
New Zealand’s total confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases reached 451 on March 28, an almost nine-fold increase in seven days. Twelve people are in hospital and two are in intensive care. No deaths have been reported, to this point. Most cases ... More >>
Barbaric Decisions: Coronavirus, Refusing Bail And Julian Assange
Saturday, 28 March 2020, 3:51 pm | Binoy Kampmark
“To expose another human being to serious illness, and to the threat of losing their life, is grotesque and quite unnecessary. This is not justice, it is a barbaric decision.” Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, March 26, 2020 Social ... More >>
Coronavirus – A Malthusian Event?
Friday, 27 March 2020, 6:58 pm | Keith Rankin
Malthusian checks The 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic has all the visible hallmarks of a Malthusian pestilence, a necessary positive check visited upon an overabundant humanity. Indeed, that is a likely future interpretation of this event. It's an important ... More >>
On What Leadership ( And The Lack Of It) Looks Like
Friday, 27 March 2020, 12:59 pm | Gordon Campbell
L eadership is an intangible quality, but most New Zealanders will be thanking their lucky stars for what’s being provided by PM Jacinda Ardern and Ministry of Health Director-General Ashley Bloomfield. On a daily basis, both have been clear and decisive ... More >>
Syria Took In Tens Of Thousands Of European Refugees During The Second World War
Friday, 27 March 2020, 9:52 am | Jakob Zerbes - Kontrast
During the Second World War, hundreds of thousands of people in Europe had to leave their homes and seek safety elsewhere. One of the places these refugees found shelter was Syria. A fact that is often forgotten when we remember the war. Now the grandchildren ... More >>
Life In Prison Looms For Australia's Christchurch Gunman, Now NZ's First Convicted Terrorist
Thursday, 26 March 2020, 4:49 pm | The Conversation
Less than a fortnight after the first anniversary of the Christchurch mosque shootings, and on the first day of New Zealand’s four-week COVID-19 lockdown, the Australian man responsible for the attacks has surprised the nation by pleading guilty to all ... More >>
Coronavirus: Modelling shows NZ's lockdown could buy time for a vaccine
Thursday, 26 March 2020, 4:48 pm | RNZ
New modelling shows the lockdown could buy us time, but cases of Covid-19 will still peak well beyond hospital capacity as soon as it ends. More >>
Goodbye Gabbard
Thursday, 26 March 2020, 4:24 pm | Binoy Kampmark
The Democratic establishment is deriving some delusionary cheer from it. The line of candidates for the presidential nomination has thinned, many falling out and proceeding, suicidally, to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden. The case of Hawaii Representative ... More >>
Americans Hoping For Money From Marijuana
Thursday, 26 March 2020, 3:57 pm | Richard S. Ehrlich
BANGKOK, Thailand -- High on hope, Americans and other foreigners have arrived selling satellite imagery, financial services, grow lights and other products to profit from Thailand's recently legalized medical marijuana before Thais figure out how to do ... More >>
'Huge Victory' For Standing Rock Sioux Tribe As Federal Court Rules DAPL Permits Violated Law
Thursday, 26 March 2020, 1:02 pm | Common Dreams
by Julia Conley, staff writer A federal judge handed down a major victory for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of North Dakota on Wednesday, ruling that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the National Environmental Policy Act by approving federal ... More >>
Six Short Takes About The Lockdown
Thursday, 26 March 2020, 12:52 pm | Gordon Campbell
To begin with, a correction : in yesterday’s column I said that there were 650,000 New Zealanders in Australia that do not qualify for income support if and when they lose their jobs as a result of Covid-19. This was factually wrong. In fact, about ... More >>
'Our Message To All Countries Is Clear' WHO Calls For Unified Global Effort As Coronavirus Surges
Thursday, 26 March 2020, 11:46 am | Common Dreams
by Andrea Germanos, staff writer While U.S. President Donald Trump openly rejects expert opinion on how to stop the coronavirus, the World Health Organization on Wednesday implored global governments to back a coordinated effort to save lives at risk from ... More >>
Christchurch mosque attacks: Gunman pleads guilty to all charges
Thursday, 26 March 2020, 11:42 am | RNZ
The man due to go on trial for the 15 March Christchurch mosque attacks has this morning pleaded guilty to all the charges he was facing. More >>
Coronavirus A 'Clear Warning Shot' From Nature To Humanity, Top Scientists Say
Thursday, 26 March 2020, 11:36 am | Common Dreams
by Julia Conley, staff writer While healthcare providers and government officials around the world work to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate the effects of a resulting economic crisis, scientists urged authorities to also ... More >>
Coronavirus: Why Russians Are Lucky To Be Led By Putin
Thursday, 26 March 2020, 11:24 am | Eric Zuesse
On Tuesday, March 24th, the following happened: U.S.A. had the world’s largest number of new coronavirus-19 cases: 10,168 . The prior day, there were 33,546 cases; so, this 10,168 new cases were a 30% increase from the day before. Russia had 71 ... More >>
Covid-19: Airline crew 'very anxious, worried' as redundancies loom
Thursday, 26 March 2020, 10:32 am | RNZ
Air New Zealand stands accused of borderline legal treatment of thousands of workers in lockdown over Covid-19. More >>
Oleaginous Kakistocracy: A Good Time To Abolish Pipelines
Thursday, 26 March 2020, 9:26 am | David Swanson
A moment in which U.S. politicians are openly talking about the need to sacrifice lives to a disease in the name of profit may be a good moment for recognizing the evil motivations of the same politicians when it comes to foreign policy. Congress ... More >>
BJP And Israel: Hindu Nationalism Is Ravaging India’s Democracy
Thursday, 26 March 2020, 9:20 am | Ramzy Baroud
It was only a matter of time before the anti-Muslim sentiment in India turned violent. A country that has historically prided itself on its diversity and tolerance, and for being ‘the largest democracy in the world’ has, in recent years, exhibited ... More >>
Significantly Raising Welfare During Covid-19 Will Save Lives
Wednesday, 25 March 2020, 8:41 pm | Chloe Ann-King
‘Just been made redundant.’ Those are the words that hospitality worker Littoria Glancy wrote in a hospitality support group on Facebook on Tuesday morning. She and half of her co-workers were fired less than 24-hours after Jacinda announced on Monday ... More >>
Universal Basic Income And Covid19
Wednesday, 25 March 2020, 8:37 pm | Keith Rankin
I keep hearing rather unfortunate 'expert' comments in response to questions asked about Universal Basic Income (UBI) as a way of responding to the Covid19 economic contraction. These comments all relate to a 'straw man' concept of UBI that is obviously ... More >>
Coronavirus And The Prison Industrial Complex
Wednesday, 25 March 2020, 1:40 pm | Binoy Kampmark
The legacy of the coronavirus pandemic, at least in so far as responses are concerned, is thickening by the day. Behavioural changes are being urged, language is rapidly evolving (spot the “covidiot” amongst you) and the policy of health ... More >>
On Australia’s Callousness, And Grandparents As Parents Amid Covid-19
Wednesday, 25 March 2020, 11:19 am | Gordon Campbell
Reportedly, there are some 650,000 New Zealanders living in Australia. Many will lose their jobs in the economic crash caused by Covid-19, and none of them will be eligible for income support from the Australian government, despite having lived ... More >>
As NZ Goes Into Lockdown, Authorities Have New Powers To Make Sure People Obey The Rules
Wednesday, 25 March 2020, 11:09 am | The Conversation
From midnight on Wednesday, New Zealand will go into lockdown for four weeks, with only essential services like supermarkets and pharmacies remaining open. More >>
Coronavirus Weekly: As The Virus Spreads, Economies Grind To A Halt
Wednesday, 25 March 2020, 11:07 am | The Conversation
Health care systems around the world are ramping up their response to the spread of COVID-19, like this hospital in Washington state. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren More >>
‘Overjoyed’: A Leading Health Expert On NZ’s Coronavirus Shutdown, And The Challenging Weeks Ahead
Wednesday, 25 March 2020, 10:53 am | The Conversation
Overjoyed. That’s not a word epidemiologists normally use, but that’s how I felt after hearing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s announcement about New Zealand’s COVID-19 shutdown of everything except essential services for at least four weeks ... More >>
