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Chicagoans Readying for Coronavirus Rent Strike ; This Bank Will Take Cheese as Collateral ; and More Picks
Chicagoans Readying for Coronavirus Rent Strike (Chris)
From the Chicago Tribune: “From Andersonville to Beverly, from Hyde Park to Humboldt Park, residents are working together to pressure rental companies and landlords into forgoing rent charges or evictions until things return to normal.”
Removal of Bellingham Physician Who Decried Lack of Coronavirus Protections Sparks Protest (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “The intersection of a global pandemic and the for-profit U.S. medical sector came to a head this weekend when a national physicians group called on Washington regulators to investigate the termination of a doctor who’d publicly criticized a Bellingham hospital for inadequate coronavirus protections. Dr. Ming Lin worked at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center for 17 years until he was removed on Friday by TeamHealth, a national staffing firm under contract to provide the hospital’s emergency department personnel.”
Trump’s Move to Suspend Enforcement of Environmental Laws Is a Lifeline to the Oil Industry (Celia)
From Inside Climate News: “The American Petroleum Institute sought the EPA’s help for companies hurt by COVID-19. One former EPA official called the suspension ‘an open license to pollute.’”
America Should Save Emergency Spending for Emergencies (Judy)
The authors write, “Now that we’re in the final year of the Budget Control Act, we have the chance to think differently about how Pentagon spending might look different. Our current crisis, and the government’s struggle to find the funds to respond, provide an opportunity to reassess our budget priorities and significantly cut defense spending. And that has to start with sunsetting the Pentagon’s slush fund known as [the overseas contingency operations] account.”
This Bank Will Take Cheese as Collateral (Chris)
The author writes, “Cheese happens to be an acceptable form of collateral if you’re seeking a loan from Credito Emiliano bank in Italy. … In this part of the world, cheese is a serious asset. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for example, needs to be aged 18-36 months. Just one wheel could be worth thousands of dollars, so it’s not a bad investment for a bank.”