Newsletter 4.17.18

Hi all! 

Here's this week's newsletter. Thanks as always for your support. 

--Florence, Adam, and Nima 

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The Two State Solution Is Dead. Supporting It Is Supporting Occupation. - Yousef Munayyer, Forward (4/16/18)

Munayyer, who runs the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, writes the simple truth: "Given that a Palestinian state is no longer even a potential reality, the approach of liberal Zionists vis-à-vis Israel has to change to acknowledge that. For support for Israel today is support for a one state reality in which Palestinians are unequal."

The Race to Replace Paul Ryan Says Everything About Party Politics in 2018 - Kate Aronoff, In These Times (4/12/18)

With Ryan out, Paul Nehlen, an open white supremacist, is the leading Republican, while Randy Bryce, a progressive populist, is running as a Democrat. 

Economic vs. Racial Justice Is a ‘False Choice,’ Says the New Working Families Party Director - Collier Meyerson, The Nation (4/13/18)

An illuminating interview with Maurice Mitchell, the new national director of the Working Families Party, on the effort to build a political home for working-class people of every race.

Pompeo Declines To Distance Himself From Anti-Muslim Hate Groups - Eli Clifton, LobeLog (4/12/18)

Mike Pompeo is a terrible human-shaped creature.

A Letter to Jay-Z: Don’t Keep This Promise - Andrea Armstrong, In Justice Today (4/10/18)

Loyola law professor Andrea Armstrong writes an open letter to billionaire hip-hop magnate Jay-Z, imploring him to end his support for a new bail compliance app, "Promise," which inevitably ensures more surveillance and mass incarceration.

No more caricatures - Sean Jacobs, Africa Is Not A Country (4/16/18)

Whenever resistance leaders-turned-civil rights icons die, the media often promotes the most sanitized version of history for the sake of mainstream accessibility. In the wake of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's passing, Sean Jacobs notes the importance of engaging seriously with her life and beliefs in order to understand how South Africa got where it is today and what its future might hold.

John Bolton’s Extremism Is Perfectly Aligned With the Most Bellicose Israeli Policies - Mairav Zonszein, The Nation (4/13/18)

Whether John Bolton consciously puts Israel’s interests first or whether he believes they are identical to US interests doesn’t really matter—the outcome is the same.

Police Killed Saheed Vassell in a Gentrifying Neighborhood. Did That Make a Difference? - Brenden Beck, In These Times (4/11/18)

Neighborhood newcomers unfamiliar with and disconnected from long-time residents may perceive threats where none exist. And when cops are called, it's not going to be the new arrivals who bare the consequences.

Donald Trump Ordered Syria Strike Based on a Secret Legal Justification Even Congress Can’t See - Jon Schwarz, The Intercept (4/14/18)

You might think Trump's bombing of Syria is unconstitutional. The Justice Department says you're wrong, but the reason why is top secret.

Trump Doesn’t Care About Civilian Deaths. Just Look at Yemen. - Shireen Al-Adeimi, In These Times (4/11/18)

This is obvious, but always worth remembering.

Black Students in Milwaukee Are Demanding Changes to Racist Discipline in Public Schools - Alice Speri, The Intercept (4/11/18)

Officials have until June to come up with a fairer school discipline code. Students seeking to end the school-to-prison pipeline want a say in the reforms.

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