Newsletter 01.21.20

Happy New...sletter and New Year, everyone!

Below are some choice cuts and smart takes from good folks, so we hope you make the smart choice and check them out.

We're back with new episodes, of course, so look out for the latest coming your way tomorrow.

Thanks again for all your support!

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

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The New York Times’s Endorsement Charade - Alex Shephard, The New Republic (January 20, 2020)

The New York Times’ editorial board’s decision to broadcast their endorsement process failed to elicit a greater understanding of the presidential candidates due to the rote questions the board asked them. The decision, an obvious attempt to boost a tv series that has been met with indifference, added a level of reality show-level artificiality to the proceedings. The decision to endorse both Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren showed that the Times has little interest in making a clear ideological statement.

Neocons Don’t Regret the Iraq Disaster — And Now They Want War With Iran - Liza Featherstone, Jacobin (January 18, 2020)

Several voices who championed the 2003 war in Iraq are stoking the demand for war with Iran. War boosters in the media like Jeffrey Goldberg and Thomas Friedman have written or published pieces claiming that Iran would thankful for Qassem Soleimani’s death while Bush officials like Karl Rove and John Bolton publicly cheered for more aggression with Iran.

Top Democrats Say They Support the Iran Deal—But Here’s How They’ve Undermined It - Kumars Salehi, Roqayah Chamseddine, In These Times (January 13, 2019)

Democrats have blamed the degradation of the Iran nuclear by the Trump Administration for current tensions with Iran, but the Democrats have also helped to undermine that deal. From Obama and Hillary Clinton’s threats against Iran during negotiations to racist caricaturing of Iranians as insatiably bloodthirsty from liberal outlets, Democrats laid the groundwork of mistrust that Republicans used to topple the deal.

New Jersey Takes On Vestige Of Three-Fifths Clause: Prison Gerrymandering - Sarah Lustbader, The Appeal (January 16, 2020)

The Census Bureau counts incarcerated people as part of the population of a community. This tally allows rural areas with high prison populations to divert political influence from more diverse urban populations. New Jersey lawmakers recently voted to end prison gerrymandering after research showed the state had the worst racial disparity in its incarcerated population. 

10 Years Ago, We Pledged To Help Haiti Rebuild. Then What Happened? - Isabel Macdonald, In These Times (January 12, 2020)

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti devastated a country that has long been the victim of imperialist meddling. The U.S. government promised to aid Haiti in recovering, but a large portion of aid money went to U.S. military projects for the country and to build exploitative factories in parts of the country that were unaffected by the earthquake.  

The Warren-Sanders Feud Is Not About #MeToo - Natalie Shure, Elle (January 17, 2020) 

Commentators framed Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders’ tense moments at the last debate in language reminiscent of gendered violence, comparing the exchange to the goals of the #MeToo movement. This analysis flattens the structural differences in Sanders and Warren’s candidacies and conflates a factual dispute over a private conversation with violence. 

How the AFL-CIO Can Fight Imperialism and Climate Change - Jeff Schuhrke, Jacobin (January 17, 2020)

At separate points in its history, the AFL-CIO has fought and been complicit in U.S. imperialism. Labor can be a force against imperialism and climate change if it decides to be transparent about its past failings and commit to the tradition of fighting U.S. imperialism. 

An Upcoming Supreme Court Ruling Could Starve Public Schools—In Favor of Religious Ones - Alice Herman, In These Times (January 17, 2020)

The Supreme Court will hear a case to rule denial of public funds to religious private schools unconstitutional. Education advocates fear that religious private schools could divert funds that public schools need.

Keeping Homeless Families Homeless, By Force - Indigo Olivier, Jacobin (January 18, 2020)

Private companies flip foreclosed houses in order to make a profit by raising rent prices in areas that are largely non-white. These companies are using police to kick out protestors who were occupying the houses these companies bought.

Crashes, Injuries, Deaths: The Dangers of Police Chases - Vaidya Gullapalli, The Appeal (January 17, 2020)

Two reports on collateral damage to civilians from police chases from Louisville, Kentucky and New Jersey highlight how high-speed chases can be dangerous. The reports show that the loosening of restrictions on high-speed chases has led to more deaths in accidents and disproportionately affected black people in heavily policed areas.

At Iowa Debate, Bernie Sanders's Biggest Opponent Was CNN - Ryan Grim, Aída Chávez, Akela Lacy, The Intercept (January 14, 2020)

During the CNN debate, the moderators phrased several questions to Bernie Sanders in a right-wing manner. From foreign policy to healthcare, the moderators singled out Sanders for questions that were framed to paint him as a radical and assumed that his positions were unrealistic.

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