Sonali Kolhatkar speaks with Sarah Anderson about the COVID-Relief bill and the United States Postal Service.

As unemployment benefits for millions of Americans expire in the midst of a pandemic-related economic collapse, House Democrats and Senate Republicans remain far apart on a new Covid-relief bill. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has made it clear that he opposes American workers getting paid the equivalent of $15 an hour in jobless benefits. He and others have backed another round of $1,200 stimulus checks instead. President Trump, who has tried to insist on payroll tax cuts, has threatened to take unilateral action if Congress cannot agree on a bill.

Meanwhile, the US Postal Service, which Americans are increasingly relying on during the pandemic, is being turned from a government-run benefit into a corporate business model. The new Trump-appointed Postmaster has demanded that postal workers delay delivery in order to keep their job schedules on track. Many worry that the new policy is aimed at undermining vote-by-mail efforts.

Sarah Anderson, is the Director of the Global Economy Project and Co-editor of Inequality.org at the Institute for Policy Studies. 

Rising Up with Sonali is a radio and television show that brings progressive news coverage rooted in gender and racial justice to a wide audience. Rising Up With Sonali was built on the foundation of Sonali Kolhatkar's earlier show, Uprising, which became the longest-running drive-time radio show on KPFK in Los Angeles hosted by a woman. RUS airs on Free Speech TV every weekday.

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