Newsletter 2.15.22

Hi all, hope you are having a good winter. Here's this fortnight's newsletter. We can't thank you enough for making the show possible, we are eminently grateful.

- Julianne, Florence, Nima, Adam, Marco

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Bush-Era Crack Panic Is Back, and It’s Going to Get People Killed Natalie Shure, The New Republic (February 14, 2022)

Following the dust-up over claims that the Biden Administration was funding access to clean pipes for drug use, Democrats seem all too ready to cave to right-wing smears of a productive concept. Distribution of safe paraphernalia has been proven to be an effective form of harm reduction and Democrats should not run away from it.

1 in 4 Temp Workers Reports Wage Theft, New Survey Finds Amy Qin, In These Times (February 10, 2022)

According to surveys by the National Employment Law Project, nearly 1 in 4 temp workers experienced wage theft. Temp workers in the US have some of the fewest protections in the world and they are disproportionately Black and Brown.

The Gentrification of the Rural West Ryanne Pilgeram, In These Times (February 4, 2022)

Developers have reshaped scenic rural communities in the American, bringing in more affluent residents who override the existing cultures within these communities. These changes are not the natural results of growth, rather they are brought on by the unaddressed inequalities at the heart of these communities.

Republicans Are Already Trying to Pass as Many Anti-Trans Bills as Possible in 2022 Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic (February 10, 2022)

2022 is shaping to be a big year for Republicans looking to pass anti-trans legislation, with South Dakota’s new executive order on trans athletes being the tip of the iceberg. The efforts are part of a larger drive on the right to change the natural order of the country after years where norms had been challenged.

The Media’s Neo-McCarthyism on Russia Is Getting Worse Branko Marcetic, Jacobin (February 9, 2022)

As Bernie Sanders and other progressives have begun to push back on narratives that the U.S. needs to escalate their presence in Ukraine to combat Russian aggression, he is facing a mainstream and liberal media that is increasingly gung-ho about challenging Putin. MSNBC has been quick to denounce any critiques of Biden’s Russia policy on the right as Kremlin talking points to delegitimize critique of his approach.

After Amir Locke Killing, Minneapolis Mayor Points to Limits of Police Reform Akela Lacy, The Intercept (February 8, 2022)

Following the killing of Amir Locke during the execution of a no-knock warrant, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has revealed the limits of his approach to police reforms. The carve outs in place still allow police to perform no-knock warrants and an outright ban would not entirely eliminate the practice within an armed police force.

Boiling Behind Bars Alleen Brown The Intercept, (February 12, 2022)

Texas is a leading state for poor heating conditions in prisons, with Gov. Greg Abbott fighting attempts to improve air conditioning in prisons. The result is prisoners who suffer debilitating, and possibly fatal, sickness brought about by heat exposure.

Defenses of Rogan Aren’t About Free Speech; They’re Right-Wing Solidarity Ari Paul, FAIR, (February 11, 2022)

Right-wing media have expressed solidarity with Joe Rogan as artists expressed their outrage at his vaccine misinformation. However, these same media sources have ignored free speech issues that pertain to worker’s rights and create an ecosystem of generating controversy.

Polling on Issues People Know Little About Creates Illusion of Public Opinion David W. Moore, FAIR (February 11, 2022)

Polls are often held as a gold standard for public opinion on a range of issues. However, issues polling is often framed to make respondents commit to answers on policy questions that they can often have very little awareness of.

Israeli Law & Torture: From Detained Minors to a Prison “Torture Room” Mohammed El-Kurd, The Nation (February 11, 2022)

As Palestinian Bedouins have protested being displaced from their homes by Israel, they are encountering higher levels of repression. Advocates report that prisoners are being beaten and unjustly arrested while some have been subject to torture after apprehension.

Biden's Plan to Permanently Seize Afghan Assets Set to Cause Untold Suffering Jon Queally, In These Times (February 11, 2022)

The Biden Administration’s plans to seize $7 billion in frozen Afghan assets has been roundly condemned as a cruel measure, even by the families of 9/11 victims who are supposed to financially benefit from the seizure. As the Afghani people continue to suffer, depriving them of this support could cost countless lives.