Newsletter 3.1.22

Hi all, hope you are doing well. Below is this fortnight's newsletter. Look out for a new episode tomorrow! And, as always, thank you so much for supporting Citations Needed, a project we love dearly and hope to continue for many more years. 

-- Adam, Julianne, Nima, Marco, and Florence 

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Texas Is Terrorizing Trans Youth Chase Strangio, The Nation (February 24, 2022)

Gov. Greg Abbott’s new order saying that providing gender affirming care for a child may constitute parental child abuse may not be legally binding, but it has scared trans residents and their families. The bill is a part of a wave of anti-trans legislation intended to control the bodies of trans youths.

“Queremos Vivir”: The Workers Who Wouldn’t Die for the Pentagon Maurizio Guerrero, In These Times  (February 24, 2022)

Workers at factories in Mexicali organized a work stoppage during the pandemic to improve their working conditions. As workers in factories that manufacture weaponry for the Pentagon, the workers faced pressure from the U.S. to keep working and were declared essential workers for no valid reason.

In Closed-Door Talks, the U.S. and E.U. Are Excluding Covid-19 Tests, Antivirals From Intellectual Property Waiver Negotiations Sarah Lazare, In These Times (February 23, 2022)

In closed talks over the potential waiver of intellectual property rights on COVID treatments, it seems that the U.S. has already excluded tests and antivirals from negotiations. While advocates in the Global South have called for a full waiver, the U.S. has offered only tepid support for a vaccine waiver.

Rick Scott’s Manifesto Is Just a Bankrupt Repetition of Republican Dogma Jason Linkins, The New Republic (February 26, 2022)

Rick Scott’s manifesto for Republicans has been attacked as an exercise in Republican grievance politics with not much substance. However, when the modern language about wokeness is eliminated, the manifesto reads like the series of Republican promises that the party has made for decades.

Vultures Are Circling the Ukraine Crisis Kate Aronoff, The New Republic (February 25, 2022)

As the Ukraine crisis leads to more death, U.S. oil and gas companies are barely containing their excitement at the possibility of filling the gap in oil production with drilling in the U.S. Increased offshore drilling in the midst of the crisis could lead to long term oil deals for these companies.

Georgia's Unique Death Penalty Law Is Killing the Mentally Disabled Lauren Gill, The Appeal (Febraury 23, 2022)

In Georgia, people on death row have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they are intellectually disabled in order to not be executed. In reality, the necessary requirements to prove that claim are nearly insurmountable.

Ex-Prison Boss Drunkenly Pulls Gun On Cops, Shows Two Tiers of Justice Meg O’Connor, The Appeal (February 22, 2022)

Arizona’s former prison director drunkenly got into a standoff with 50 police officers, but police escorted him to a hospital with no charges. Often, police standoffs end with the person with a gun either dead or in jail with little hesitation.

Meek Mill's Bills Show Limits of Probation Reform Akela Lacy, The Intercept (February 26, 2022)

Rapper Meek Mill’s series of bills reforming probation have gained traction. However, the bills do not effectively cap time that people can spend on probation, and one form of a review process requires those on probation to pay their restitution.

Ukraine War Heightens Urgency Around U.S. Nuclear Strategy Sara Sirota, The Intercept (February 25, 2022)

In the middle of the Ukraine crisis, Joe Biden has to set a goal for his nuclear policy. Experts worry that the pressures from the conflict will make Biden commit to Trump’s expansion of nuclear power.

The U.S. Should Respond to Putin’s Unconscionable Invasion of Ukraine With Diplomacy, Not War Phyllis Bennis, In These Times (February 25, 2022)

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal and bound to cause great suffering. While Vladimir Putin initiated the invasion, the conflict’s background includes U.S. and NATO aggression in the region and will require a deescalation and diplomacy to achieve a longer peace.

Palin v. NYT Is Latest Salvo Against Free Press Protection Ari Paul, FAIR (February 25, 2022)

Sarah Palin’s failed lawsuit against the New York Times over defamation may have not succeeded in changing libel laws, but it is one more step in the fight against press protections. Palin’s lawsuit frames the press as an entity willing to use any kind of language to attack opponents, something that could pose a longer risk to a healthy press.