Newsletter 10.8.19

Hi all, thanks as always for supporting the show. Here is this fortnight's newsletter. Enjoy! 

-- Florence, Marco, Adam, and Nima

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Trump Attacked the Women of Color Who Led the Push for Impeachment. Then CNN Erased Them Natasha Lennard, The Intercept (October 1, 2019)

Donald Trump’s reelection campaign reacted to the opening of an impeachment inquiry against the president by releasing an ad blitz loaded with racist attacks against “the squad,” who have advocated for impeachment. Mainstream media also tried to erase the role of women in color in pushing for impeachment by focusing on moderate white Democrats with national security backgrounds who only recently began supported impeaching Trump. 

SCOTUS Is Back in Session and Cruelty Is on the Docket Elie Mystal, The Nation (October 7, 2019) 

The Supreme Court is back in session and the conservative majority now has the ability to choose the cases they want to rule on. Cases touching on discrimination based on gender and sexuality, gun control, and Trump’s border wall will be heard by a newly-emboldened far-right Supreme Court.

Poultry Workers and Allies Organize In The Wake of Anti-Immigrant Raids Rose Bookbinder, Labor Notes  (September 26, 2019)

Central Mississippi was hit with the biggest workplace raid since 2006. The ICE raid targeted poultry plants and some workers believe plants where workers were organizing were specifically targeted. Workers have now organized in their towns in order to protect themselves from deportations and firings.    

The Fight for Labor Justice in College Sports Is About More Than Wages Nathan Kalman-Lamb, Jacobin (October 5, 2019)

A California law that was signed into law lets college athletes profit off their names, image, and likeness. While the law is a welcome step, it does not fully address a system where college athletes are subjected to verbal abuse from coaches and receive no pay for their labor. College athletes need to be recognized as workers and not just student athletes whose pay comes in the form of a free education.  

California Gang Laws Are Normalized Racism Emily Galvin-Almanza, The Appeal (October 4, 2019) 

California’s STEP Act gives prosecutors broad latitude to charge people with felonies because it allows police to arrest people based on the California gang database, an unregulated list that disproportionately affects includes of color. Charges are often based on years of monitoring going back to when subjects are minors and police have discretion to argue a wide variety of activities and associations count as gang activity.

The Phony Liberalism of Bill Maher Alan MacLeod, FAIR (October 2, 2019)

Bill Maher is still touted as a “liberal” comedian who bucks the trend on political correctness by the mainstream media. However, Maher has a long history of sexism, supporting American imperialism, bigotry against Muslims, and has even self identified as a libertarian. By continuing the give Maher the “liberal” label, the media gets to write click-baity “Liberal praises conservatives” stories.  

Two Major Victories For A Public Health Approach To The Overdose Crisis Vaidya Gullapalli, The Appeal (October 7, 2019)

A federal judge ruled that a Philadelphia nonprofit’s proposal for a safe injection site does not violate federal law. Massachusetts’ highest court also struck down a homicide conviction for an overdose death. Both rulings are steps in the right direction for the harm reduction movement that can embolden other cities to take steps to create safe injection sites.

How Have Health Workers Won Improvements to Patient Care? Strikes Suzanne Gordon, In These Times (September 30, 2019)

Healthcare workers went on strike at the University of Chicago Medical Center on September 20. The Medical Center’s management went on a P.R. offensive claiming that the union was jeopardizing patient care. In the past, striking for more staffers and better working conditions has been an effective way to improve patient care. 

What the Left Should Do in Portugal Catarina Príncipe, Jacobin (October 7, 2019)

The center-left Portuguese party has been running the country with a coalition of two more left-wing parties since 2015 and this center-left party has gained more seats in 2019. However, the coalition mode has led to the government doing little to address structural issues with enforced austerity in favor of limited socially progressive reforms. Now the left parties would be in a weaker position and it is unsure if the center-left wants to partner with them.