Newsletter 5.26.20

Hi all! 

Hope you are well. Here's this fortnight's newsletter.  Thanks again for all your support and please keep safe!

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

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Workers Fight for Their Lives Michelle Chen, In These Times (May 21, 2020)

Workers who were already making poverty wages are especially at risk of economic devastation during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the government fails to implement any sufficient government programs to help workers deal with the financial burden, workers have organized to fight for themselves. 

America’s Deadly Obsession With Intellectual Property Kate Aronoff, The New Republic (May 21, 2020)

The U.S. has rejected WHO suggestions for allowing poorer countries to copy a potential COVID-19 vaccine on the grounds that it would stifle innovation. A cheaper copy of such innovations could be the only way some countries gain access to these treatments. The American obsession with intellectual property could pose a risk in dealing with climate change as well. 

The Unmattering of Black Lives Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, The New Republic (May 21, 2020)

The murders of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor are a part of a long history of white law enforcement and vigilantes using violence against black people. In addition to explicit violence, the unmattering of black lives takes many forms, such as the poor health infrastructure that left black people especially vulnerable to COVID-19. 

New York City and Los Angeles Slash Budgets — but Not for Police Alice Speri, The Intercept (May 22, 2020)

Slashing police budgets has always been a non-starter for U.S. city governments. As New York City and Los Angeles plan out the next budget, police are only receiving modest cuts while institutions such as education and youth services are projected to face massive cuts in the wake of the pandemic. 

ICE Detainee Who Died of Covid-19 Suffered Horrifying Neglect Ryan Devereaux, The Intercept (May 24, 2020)

Carlos Ernesto Escobar Mejia became the first person to die of COVID-19 while they were in ICE custody. Fellow detainees say that ICE and CoreCivic failed to take Mejia’s condition seriously, which they believe contributed to his death. 

In Pandemic, Sunday Shows Centered Official Voices, Sidelined Independent Health Experts Julie Hollar, FAIR (May 22, 2020)

The majority of guests that were booked for Sunday talk shows in April were current or former government officials while independent health experts were marginalized. The disparity yet again reveals how Sunday shows tend to promote a limited range of acceptable opinions that are palatable to beltway insiders. 

Trump’s Pick Could Move VOA Further Right—but It’s Never Been an Independent Outlet Julianne Tveten, FAIR (May 21, 2020)

The Senate has moved closer to appointing the right-wing Michael Pack to head the agency in charge of Voice of America. While the appointment could move VOA further right, the state-funded outlet has a history of repeating the official U.S. position on foreign countries while trumpeting its own supposed objectivity. 

Why We Shouldn't Reward Fearmongering in Criminal Justice Reporting Zachary A. Siegel, Leo Beletsky The Appeal (May 19, 2020)

The Kentucky-based Courier Journal won a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on outgoing Governor Matt Bevin’s commutation of a homicide and robbery sentence for a many whose family donated to Bevin’s 2015 campaign. The story has been criticized for perpetuating the myth that clemency puts the public at risk by cherry picking the most brutal crimes committed. 

Asian-American Groups Demand Biden Take Down His ‘Anti-China’ Ad Sarah Lazare, In These Times (May 20,2020)

Asian American and progressive groups are demanding that the Biden campaign take down an ad they released that uses anti-China rhetoric to criticize Trump’s handling of the coronavirus. Both the Trump and Biden campaigns have relied on attacking China in the wake of the pandemic and have played into stereotypes that fuel prejudice and anti-Asian violence.