Newsletter 10.13.20

Hi all-- 

Here is this fortnight's news letter. Thank you for your support as always. We are immensely grateful. We say it a lot but we truly are. Your Patreon support allows us independence and sustainability. 

Thank you again,

 -- Florence, Nima, Adam, Marco, Julianne. 

----------------

How Unions Can Bridge the Gap Between Climate and Labor Movements Mindy Isser, In These Times (October 9, 2020)

Workers at environmental non-profits are starting to unionize in part to protect pay and benefits during economic decline, and worker organizing can help these environmental activists bridge gaps with the labor movement. Organized climate staffers can demonstrate solidarity with larger worker causes and help influence larger union federations.

The Pandemic Has Been Great for the Health Insurance Industry Libby Watson, The New Republic (October 9, 2020)

Health insurance companies have continued to rake in a profit while many Americans lose their employer-based health insurance during the pandemic. High premiums help companies make a profit even if less Americans have insurance, and the current rebate system does little to discourage companies from jacking up premiums.

It’s Time to Re-Radicalize the Abortion Movement Jenny Brown, Jewish Currents (October 7, 2020)

As Roe V. Wade appears increasingly in danger of being repealed, advocates in the abortion movement should look to the movement’s radical past for inspiration. Calls for free access to abortion were gradually subsumed with legal arguments for privacy between a pregnant person and their doctor after Roe was decided.

The Minneapolis City Council’s Attempt To Defund the Police Was Thwarted By An Unelected Charter Commission Scott Shaffer, The Appeal (October 9, 2020)

Reports of the Minneapolis City Council’s failure to defund the police laid the burden on the council’s failure to gauge public support. These accounts ignored how an unelected charter commission stalled the process of putting the issue on the ballot and publicly weighed against the amendment.

The Nightmare Facing the Poor and Working Class If There’s Not Another Stimulus Jeff Schuhrke, In These Times (October 12, 2020)

As stimulus talks continue to stall while Trump makes erratic threats to hold off on a deal, the poor and working class face increasing risk to their economic well-being. Slashed unemployment insurance, lack of support for businesses to retain staff and probable mass furloughs could drive the working class deeper into economic despair.

Federal Agents Used Toxic Chemical Smoke Grenades in Portland Sharon Lerner, The Intercept (October 10, 2020)

As federal agents descended into Portland in July, trackers found that toxic chemical smoke grenades started to appear. Protestors reported immediate and longer-lasting side effects from being exposed to the chemical in these smoke grenades.

House Passed Another “Save Our Seas” Act. Here's Why It Won’t Greta Moran, The Intercept (October 7, 2020)

The House passed a bill geared towards reducing plastic in the ocean. Climate activists are concerned that the bill focuses too much on innovating recycling and waste management while not pressuring the plastics industry enough.

The Martyrdom of Donald Trump Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic (October 11, 2020)

Donald Trump’s cavalier and irresponsible handling of his COVID-19 diagnosis represents a president fully giving himself over to the toxic individualism that undergirds the American right. Conservatives have increasingly argued that their homogenous group cannot be governed as they rule over all who do not fall under their constituency.

"Someone Needs to Listen to Us": Why African Asylum Seekers Went On Hunger Strike Katie Jane Fernelius, In These Times (October 7, 2020)

African migrants lodged in an ICE facility in Louisiana have staged hunger strikes in protest of inhumane conditions at the facility. The strikes shine a light on how African migrants often face harsh discriminiation in ICE facilities and deal with retribution for standing up to oppression.

If the NBA Stands for Racial Justice, What About Tom Gores? Dave Zirin The Nation (October 12, 2020)

As the NBA pledged to take racial justice seriously, spectators have pointed out the financial support owners have thrown to Republicans and other opponents of racial justice. One owner who should be pressured is Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, directly profits from the carceral system as owner of the price-gouging prison phone service provider Securus.