Newsletter 4.23.19

Hi all, here's this week's newsletter. Hope you enjoy! 

-- Marco, Adam, Nima, and Florence

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Why Philly’s Reformist Prosecutor Finally Supports Letting Mumia Abu-Jamal’s Appeal Go Forward Natasha Lennard, The Intercept (April 20, 2019) 

Larry Krasner, Philadelphia’s District Attorney, reversed his position on letting Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal appeal his 1981 murder conviction. The decision came after progressive groups questioned Krasner, a supposedly progressive prosecutor, for earlier denying Abu-Jamal’s appeal. 

[Production note: Be sure to check out Lennard on tomorrow's new episode of Citations Needed. We will be discussing the origins, uses and misuses of the word “violence”.]

The Stop & Shop Strike Is Showing There’s Still Power in a Union Michael Arria, In These Times (April 16, 2019)

The recently concluded Stop & Shop Supermarket workers strike lasted for over a week over cuts to pensions, rising healthcare costs and a roll back of overtime pay. The strike was successful, in part, due to widespread support from nearby communities, faith leaders, fellow unions and even presidential candidates like Elizabeth Warren. 

The Victims of the Trump-Netanyahu Special Relationship Phyllis Bennis, In These Times (April 17, 2019)

In the run-up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election, President Trump showered him with political gifts that will further the U.S.’ enabling of Israel’s apartheid regime. From recognizing Israel’s claim to the Golan Heights to putting the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on the list of foreign terrorists, Trump has taken unprecedented steps to throw himself behind Netanyahu’s far-right government.

Democrats Are Hoping You Don’t Understand What “Impeachment” Entails Alex Pareene, The New Republic (April 19, 2019)

Recent calls to open up investigations into impeaching Trump have been met with resistance from House Democratic leaders. In order to defend their unwillingness to fully investigate the President’s wrongdoing, these Democrats bring up how difficult it would be to get the Senate to vote to remove the president. This reasoning allows the House to abdicate its responsibility to take a stand against corruption in the executive branch. 

How Bernie Should Talk About Borders Daniel Denvir, Jacobin (April 16, 2019) 

Bernie Sanders’ recent statements opposing open borders on grounds that immigrants could overcrowd the U.S. played into right-wing stereotypes of immigrants and demonstrated the Senator’s trouble connecting progressive economic policy to racial and immigrant justice. Instead, Sanders could have discussed increased border militarization and advocated for immigrants as members of a unified working class.    

Add Trump’s Yemen Veto to Obama’s Spotty War Legacy Gunar Olsen, The New Republic (April 20, 2019)

Trump’s veto of the first bill to ever pass Congress that invoked the War Powers Resolution to end U.S. support for the Saudi Coalition’s bombing of Yemen was based on logic that the Obama Administration first developed––a legal argument during the bombing campaign of Libya to bypass the War Powers Resolution by narrowly defining its scope.

These 2020 Candidates Are the Darlings of Wall Street. The Numbers Are Proof Branko Marcetic, In These Times (April 22, 2019)

While most of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates have postured against big money in politics, a look into donations by the six largest banks in the U.S. and the six largest private equity firms found that Wall Street has clear favorites. Sen. Cory Booker, who has a record of defending private equity, comes in first with Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Kamala Harris behind him. 

A Former Oil-Industry Lobbyist Is Now In Charge of America’s Public Lands Adam Federman, The Nation (April 12, 2019)

Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, a former oil industry lobbyist, has been dogged by scandals ranging from conflicts of interest to suppressing science. Bernhardt was appointed to clean up the department after Ryan Zinke’s disastrous tenure and more efficiently carry out Trump’s policy of eliminating regulations on the selling of public lands to oil companies.   

The Wrong Stuff: Ben Shapiro’s Unconvincing Guide to What Makes America Right Jesse L. Anderson, The Progressive (April 16, 2019) 

Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro’s new book climbed up the New York Times bestseller list soon after its release, unfortunately the book is a muddled argument that America has abandoned Judeo-Christian values. Outside of his comfort zone of a college speakers gig, Shapiro’s shoddy research, desperate cheap shots and disturbing worldview are front and center.  

The FBI Has Arrested The Leader Of An Armed Militia Detaining Migrants At The Border Adolfo Flores, Buzzfeed (April 20, 2019)

In the most recent update of an ongoing story, the leader of a right-wing militia group United Constitutional Patriots that has kidnapped hundreds of migrants at gunpoint in the New Mexico desert has been arrested. The group, which backs Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, has released videos of members rounding up migrants while claiming that they are the police. 

Outlets Denounced as ‘Enemies of People’ Still Promote Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Narratives Joshua Cho, FAIR (April 18, 2019) 

Mainstream outlets such as the New York Times and the Washington Post have joined Fox News in fanning the flames of panic over an increase in illegal immigration. Their stories often come from the same sources within the White House looking to promote its agenda. Mainstream media, unwilling to challenge the reliability of these sources, often regurgitates Trump Administration talking points on illegal immigration without providing context.