Newsletter 2.12.19

Hi all! 

Hope you are well, here is this week's newsletter. Quick reminder that the show is off this week, but we will drop another News Brief for our patrons so you don't forget what our lovely voices sound like. Thanks as always for your support.

Enjoy! 

Adam, Florence, and Nima

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It Will Take More Than Congress to Cure America’s War Addiction - Gunar Olsen, The New Republic (February 6, 2019)

All that talk about "reclaiming" congressional war powers? Historically, Congress has applauded presidential wars.

Tax the Hell Out of the Rich, When They’re Alive and When They’re Dead - Rebecca Burns, In These Times (February 8, 2019)

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders each have plans to massively raise taxes on the wealthy. But there’s no need to choose—we should enact them all.

The Green New Deal Takes Its First Congressional Baby Step, as Pelosi Mocks “Green Dream or Whatever” - Kate Aronoff, The Intercept (February 7, 2019)

The resolution, introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey, sets a framework for legislation to be hashed out over two years.

NYT Reports on ‘Perception’ of Subway Danger—but Can’t Perceive Racism - Neil deMause, FAIR (February 6, 2019)

Inchoate fears about public transit—and the people who use it—have a long history, both in New York and other US cities.

Trump’s State of the Union Address Reveals His Growing Anxiety Over Encroaching Left-Wing Populism - Briahna Gray, The Intercept (February 6, 2019)

Without being able to point to policies that have materially improved lives, Trump is forced to argue that his paltry efforts have made America great.

Trump Is Not an Isolationist—Just Listen to His SOTU - Gregory Shupak, In These Times (February 6, 2019)

Trump wants to expand U.S. dominance and empire—and he has little resistance in Congress.

‘Venezuela’: Media’s One-Word Rebuttal to the Threat of Socialism - Alan MacLeod, FAIR (February 8, 2019)

Alarmed by the growing threat of progressive policies at home, the establishment has found a one-word weapon to deploy against the rising tide: Venezuela.

Amazon Threatens to Cancel New York City Headquarters if It Doesn’t Receive $3 Billion in Subsidies - David Dayen, In These Times (February 8, 2019)

Using their CEO’s media property Washington Post, Amazon is continuing its shakedown of local governments––but they may have met their match with America's largest city. 

In Her First Race, Kamala Harris Campaigned as Tough on Crime — and Unseated the Country’s Most Progressive Prosecutor - Lee Fang, The Intercept (February 7, 2019)

Kamala Harris won her first election the old-fashioned way: big money, police endorsements, and fearmongering about crime.

Of Course Undocumented People Should Have Guaranteed Healthcare. NYC Is Making It a Reality. - Natalie Shure, In These Times (February 4, 2019)

New York City’s universal healthcare plan is setting an important new standard for health policy in the United States.

San Francisco Wants to Ban Government Face Recognition - Sidney Fussell, The Atlantic (February 5, 2019)

Is it too late, too difficult, or too ironic to try to stop it from becoming a city of surveillance?

Fruits of Iran’s Revolution - Nima Shirazi & Tyler Cullis, TruthOut (February 27, 2014)

It's the 40th anniversary of Iran's revolution: here's a piece Nima co-wrote for TruthOut on their 35th anniversary. 

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