Newsletter 6.9.20

Hi all, hope you and yours are doing well, as always. Here's this fortnight's newsletter. 

-- Julianne, Nima, Marco, Adam and Florence

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Minneapolis City Council Members Announce Intent to Disband the Police Department, Invest In Proven Community-led Public Safety Jay Willis, The Appeal (June 7, 2020)

Following two weeks of protest, the Minneapolis City Council said they had a veto-proof majority in favor of disbanding the police department and to invest in public safety programs. Several other cities are discussing cuts to police budgets in the aftermath of the the killing of George Floyd. 

In Minneapolis,Cops Were Kicked Out of Schools. Cities in 7 Other States Could Soon Follow Suit Indigo Olivier, In These Times (June 5, 2020)

Following the Minneapolis Board of Education’s decision to terminate its contract with the Minneapolis Police Department, activists in other cities are pushing school boards in other cities to follow suit. The presence of school resource officers is connected to increased instances of student arrests and are a drain on school budgets. 

Tear Gas Is Banned in International Warfare––Why Are Police Using It On U.S. Civilians? Janea Wilson, In These Times (June 4, 2020)

Police forces have used tear gas to disperse crowds during the protests following the killing of George Floyd. Tear gas is officially banned for use in warfare in 193 countries by the Chemical Weapons Convention, but an exception exists for crowd control. The CDC reports that exposure to tear gas can result in long term health issues. 

BP Is Not Woke. It’s an Imperialist Success Story. Kate Aronoff, The New Republic (June 6, 2020)

BP has tried to sell itself as a company devoted to racial justice issues, especially after the public outcry over George Floyd’s death. The oil giant’s actual history includes imperialist control of Iran’s oil resources and selling products to South Africa’s apartheid regime.  

Tom Cotton and the Elite Media’s Dalliance With Illiberalism Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic (June 7, 2020)

Tom Cotton’s controversial op-ed in The New York Times calling for the military to quell protesters can be seen as the culmination of legacy media’s flirtations with right-wing illiberalism and its demonization of progressive activism. Columnists have spent the last decade throwing fits about political correctness using language that mirrors Cotton’s dismissive tone towards the protesters.   

Media Downplay Global South Leadership on Covid-19 Alan MacLeod, FAIR (June 6, 2020)

The media has been looking for world leaders to use as examples of model leadership during the coronavirus pandemic. These outlets have largely focused on leaders in wealthy western nations like Jacina Arden in New Zealand while ignoring the successes countries in the Global South such as Vietnam, Mongolia and Cuba have had with containing the virus.

Proposals to Ease Covid’s Blow on the Hardest Hit All but Ignored by Corporate Media Julie Hollar, FAIR (June 3, 2020)

Publications have been more than willing to publish articles about the economic hardship that Americans are facing due to the coronavirus. However, articles about proposed measures to ease the burden on the hardest hit people, such as the People’s Bailout, have not received nearly as much attention. 

COVID-19 Stalls Efforts to Help People with Felony Convictions Register to Vote Stephanie Wykstra, The Appeal (May 28, 2020)

Six states have passed reforms that restored voting rights to people with felony convictions. However, large outreach campaigns to register formerly disenfranchised voters have faced complications due to the pandemic and lack of support from state governments. 

Minneapolis Police Union President: “I’ve Been Involved In Three Shootings Myself, and Not A One of Them Has Bothered Me” Ryan Grim, Aída Chávez, The Intercept (June 2, 2020)

The head of the Minneapolis police union has made statements arguing that involvement in shootings should be seen as a normal part in police work. His comments underscore the prevalence of violence in police work in the United States. 

Fossil Fuel Industry Advanced Anti-Protest Laws Amid Pandemic Alleen Brown, The Intercept (June 7, 2020)

Several state governments have passed legislation criminalizing pipeline protests at the behest of the fossil fuel industry in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bills further criminalize any protest activity that involves trespassing or vandalizing equipment for pipelines. 

The Focus on Looting Shows How Our Systems of Power Value Capital Over Human Lives Eli Day, In These Times (June 1, 2020)

The response from politicians and media to the George Floyd protests has included a great deal of hand wringing about property damage. The attention drawn to looting shows how the elite values capital and property over the lives of those killed by police violence.