New In
From prison heat to Pulitzer Prizes- here are a few stories in my inbox worth sharing.
‘It’s a little late’: US orders healthcare worker protections after thousands die
Last year I wrote a post on our need to better protect Frontline workers especially from a financial and mental health standpoint, but I missed health worker protections when it comes to exposure and health standards. The U.S Department of Labor has put a temporary emergency standard in place to protect health care workers on the frontlines, but the problem is timing. When workers needed this protection the most, they were getting free pizza and handclaps. Sure, it’s better than nothing….but if the bar is always set at nothing, then that’s exactly the problem. We deserve better.
The Essential Ed Yong Reading List
In my 2020 reflection, I spoke about my love for The Atlantic which started because of Ed Yong’s article How the Pandemic Defeated America. Turns out the rest of the world has fallen in love with him too because he won a 2021 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Best believe I will be reading his backlist. See the full list of Pulitzer winners here.
Prison Heat
As if the 8th Amendment wasn’t clear enough……or a UN Committee on Torture Investigation wasn’t a big red flag…..I don’t think people understand the concept of punishment. In our punishment system, your consequence for doing something wrong is being stripped of privileges and being removed from your community. Basic human rights are not privileges. But somehow we changed the Oxford English Dictionary so that criminal is interchangeable with nonhuman. Where the word criminal gives us and the legal system the excuse to treat people with cruel and unusual punishment. This is also a reminder that if your climate organizing doesn’t center the lives of incarcerated folx (a part of our most vulnerable communities), get it away from me.
What Ilhan Omar Actually Said
Another day, another unsolicited attack on Ilhan Omar for a tweet taken out of context. Seems like centrist Democrats and Republicans can agree on something: trying to humiliate and bully Omar. “Now, following Democratic outrage and Republican calls for a floor vote to strip Omar of her committee assignments, let me record the following for posterity: Omar demonstrably did not say what she’s been accused of having said; what she did say was true; and every politico using this opportunity to take a swing at her likely knows those two things—they just think you don’t.”
Indian Affairs Promised To Reform Tribal Jails. We Found Death, Neglect And Disrepair
In case you needed an example of why ‘reform’ is simply an empty word. Some of the findings of this report are horrifying but worth paying attention to:
Poor staff training and neglect led to several inmate deaths that could have been prevented.
Correctional officers at several detention centers often violated federal policy and standards by not checking on inmates regularly or ensuring that they received medical care. In one instance, a 22-year-old man died in a holding cell, but his body wasn't discovered for nearly three hours.
One in five correctional officers assigned to the detention centers as of April has not completed the required basic training, which includes CPR, first aid, and suicide prevention.
Several of the detention centers have been in disrepair for years, with overflowing toilets, broken pipes, and rust in the water. At least one facility lacked potable drinking water, forcing jail administrators to turn to charities for bottled drinking water.
Despite repeated investigations that found the facilities were short staffed and had problems, Congress has chronically underfunded the detention centers.
Developer Abandons Keystone XL Pipeline Project, Ending Decade-Long Battle
A small but neccesarry vicotry. I honestly had no idea that the fight for development on this project has been spanning under three presidencies and had both a local and global impact.
Trump spied on journalists. So did Obama. America needs more press freedom now
Another story I had no idea about: the surveillance of journalists under different administrations. I wasn’t surprised to hear about Trump spying on journalists, but I wouldn’t have expected that from Obama, when in fact, “Obama’s justice department did more to hurt press freedom than any administration since Nixon”. Biden’s administration seems to be turning over a new leaf with Attorney General Merrick Garland (still pinching myself that we get to say that) vowing to end the long-standing practice. Learn more about it here.
What Causes The Northern Lights? Scientists Finally Know For Sure
It’s not like I needed an extra reason to put The Northern Lights on the top of my travel bucket list, but in case you do, here you go!
White House unveils first national strategy to fight domestic terrorism
This strategy was put together by Biden’s National Security Council, and consists of four pillars: “efforts to understand and share information regarding the full range of domestic terrorism threats; efforts to prevent domestic terrorists from successfully recruiting, inciting, and mobilizing Americans to violence; efforts to deter and disrupt domestic terrorist activity before it yields violence; long–term issues that contribute to domestic terrorism that must be addressed to ensure that this threat diminishes over generations.”
It boasts to be ideologically neutral and to address issues all across the political spectrum, but also made a cogent point: “However, it’s important to underscore that the study provided to us by ODNI [Office of the Director of National Intelligence] did not find a robust nexus between domestic terrorism and foreign actors. This is largely today an inside-out problem, not an outside-in problem, although we do know that our adversaries are seeking to sow divisions in our society.” Read more about the National Security Council here.
A different America: how Republicans hold near total control in 23 US states
“In 23 US states, Republicans hold the governorship and the legislature, giving the party near total control to advance its policies. This year, Republicans have used that power to aggressively push their conservative social agenda – taking aim at abortion access, transgender rights and gun safety, as well as voting laws.”
This article outlines the shift happening in the Republican party at the moment: instead of focusing on economic priorities such as fiscal responsibility and small government, they are shifting their concerns on cultural social policy divisions- and it has to have a huge impact on the lives of Americans across the country.
Covid has claimed more than 600,000 lives in the U.S.
An unthinkable milestone. If you have not gotten vaccinated yet please do so!!
See The Stunning Photos Of This Morning's 'Ring Of Fire' Solar Eclipse
In case you missed it, see these stunning images around the world!
Meet Seve Christian, who helped put California at the forefront of LGBTQ+ legislation
In case you were wondering why policy is so important!!! And proof that our youth are the foundations of our future and are actively working to make our communties a bit stronger and fairer than the generations before us. Seve is an inspiration to so many.
Supreme Court Backs Catholic Agency in Case on Gay Rights and Foster Care
I am so disappointed that this isn’t getting more national coverage, and even more upset that outdated religious liberties are held as a precedent while children suffer in the process.
High-Rise Syndrome
“In other words, the closer you are to the ground, the more you reckon with your death, the less time you have to bend your body against the terminal velocity. This is called high-rise syndrome. It is science, not metaphor.” This is probably one of the most beautiful things I have read in a while. Highly recommend this essay and subscribing to the mag!
As more climate migrants cross borders seeking refuge, laws will need to adapt
If I had a dollar for every time I have advocated for an expansion of refugee and asylum law to include the lives of climate migrants I would probably be richer than Jeff Bezos (ok I am exaggerating- that kind of wealth is unfathomable). Right now as it stands refugee and asylum law, both national and international- make it incredibly difficult for the experiences of climate migrants to fit into a neat category, but they are deserving of protection all the same. To recognize their humanity and human rights we must expand these categories and update our laws to reflect the evergrowing challenges that communties are facing. I talk about this in my Immigration Reform Memo that I wrote back in 2019
“In communities in Bangladesh and Malawi and everywhere in between, people who depend on agriculture and labor as livelihoods are seeing their futures disappear right before their eyes. These stories are not uncommon, but rather the effects of the ongoing global climate crisis: those who have done nothing are seeing the consequences of something they had no control in their land is becoming unmanageable, rainy seasons are unpredictable, and extreme heat and cold cycles are killing any chances for crops and livestock to thrive. Climate refugees will be the biggest movement of people my generation will see in our future- they need protection from possible human trafficking (including labor exploitation), and inhumane immigration policies. Not expanding a category for climate refugees is itself a human rights violation. New displacement patterns and competition over depleted natural resources can spark conflict between communities or compound pre-existing vulnerabilities.”
We also don’t have to look beyond our borders to understand the impact of climate change on communities. “Heat Wave Has Sparked Another Round Of Grid Problems In Texas” and “What tree rings reveal about America's megadrought” highlight our need for robust climate-positive policies.
How the US lets hot school days sabotage learning
Here is an example of how powerful more equitable policy could be if we chose to act in the best interest of American citizens. The problem of heat and air conditioning has been a long one that this country has always had the solution to. But now the consequences are exacerbating a gap in learning. This article is also interactive and allows you to see how much learning your local school district is losing in the heat.
Obama hasn’t changed much at all. There’s something frustrating about that
A very interesting take on Obama’s recent interview with Anderson Cooper.
A Feminist Reimagining of Kenya’s Public Transport
This is a must-watch, and I learned so much that I had to share it. This will be the best 5 minutes of your day.
“Kenya's minibuses -- known as "matatus" -- offer a convenient, affordable and colorful way for people to get around. But they also pose safety risks and accessibility issues for many of their passengers, especially women. Bringing a feminist perspective, activist and TED Fellow Naomi Mwaura calls for a revolution in public transportation by making routes transparent, protecting passengers from harassment and paving a career path for women in the industry.”
The Multi-Billion Dollar US Prison Industry- and how to dismantle it
A phone call to a US prison or jail can cost up to a dollar per minute -- a rate that forces one in three families with incarcerated loved ones into debt. In this searing talk about mass incarceration, criminal justice advocate and TED Fellow Bianca Tylek exposes the predatory nature of the billion-dollar prison telecom industry and presents straightforward strategies to dismantle the network of corporations that has a financial interest in seeing more people behind bars for longer periods of time.”
For transgender people, finding mental health services that meet their needs is difficult
“The 2015 U.S. Trans Survey found that 77 percent of trans people wanted therapy to talk about gender issues, but only 58 percent had ever received any. Many trans people can’t find a mental health clinician where they live who is knowledgeable about trans issues.
Experts say those numbers have not likely improved much in the six years since the survey — one of the only reports on trans people in the United States — was completed. Even in cities known for providing transgender services, trans people overwhelmingly report myriad barriers in getting mental health services, experts say.”
Don’t Turn Away From These Images and These Crimes
No lie detected in this opinion piece by Kristof detailing some of the atrocities unfolding in Ethiopia that are being under-reported. He writes, “President Biden has denounced the “large-scale human rights abuses.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken has bluntly referred to “ethnic cleansing,” and the United States has imposed visa sanctions on some Ethiopian officials. That’s all welcome but seems tepid in the face of mass atrocities and starvation on this scale. I worked with Biden during the Darfur genocide and I know he cares about distant suffering; after seven months of brutality in Tigray, we need to see more signs of that concern.”
He also states that “We can’t stop every atrocity. We can’t avert every murder or rape. We can’t save the life of every starving child. But this is a rare case where we do have significant leverage: Ethiopia is the largest recipient of American aid in sub-Saharan Africa and a close security partner of the United States. We should apply every ounce of leverage we have to rein in a savagery in Tigray that increasingly reeks of genocide.”
Obamacare Wins For The 3rd Time At The Supreme Court
It’s getting embarrassing at this point.
Biden And Putin Say Their Summit Was Constructive As The World Waits For Results
If you are interested in the outcomes of this meeting this article by NPR summed it up pretty nicely.
The Justice Department Overturns Policy That Limited Asylum For Survivors Of Violence
Read the full memo here.
America is turning into a lottery society
“Electing and re-electing the people who created these problems got us to a moment where something like access to affordable college is no longer perceived as something to be guaranteed for all. It is instead seen as a special gift – a coveted door prize in a real-life game show that’s something of a cross between Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and The Running Man.” This article is a must read.
Millions in US ‘race against the clock’ to pay the rent and stave off eviction
“So far, the eviction moratorium has kept many of these families housed. There were 1.55m fewer eviction cases last year than would be filed in a typical year, according to an estimate by the Eviction Lab.Without the moratorium, they will need access to the $46.55bn in rental assistance allocated by the government to help renters and landlords – though its distribution got off to a slow start.”
And to think all of this could have been avoided if we didn’t normalize and profit off of evictions in the first place.
After 50 Years Of The War On Drugs, 'What Good Is It Doing For Us?'
I can’t believe that today marks 50 years since this terrible and life crushing “war” was waged. “In many parts of the U.S., some of the most severe policies implemented during the drug war are being scaled back or scrapped altogether.”
After Months Of Special Education Turmoil, Families Say Schools Owe Them
“Roughly 7 million children in the U.S. receive special education services under a decades-old federal law — or did, until the pandemic began. Many of those services slowed or stopped when schools physically shut down in spring 2020. Modified instruction, behavioral counseling, and speech and physical therapy disappeared or were feebly reproduced online, for three, six, nine months. In some places, they have yet to fully resume. For many children with disabilities, families say this disruption wasn't just difficult. It was devastating.”
KILL THE 5-DAY WORKWEEK
“Reducing hours without reducing pay would reignite an essential but long-forgotten moral project: making American life less about work.”
What have you been dissecting lately? What are your thoughts on the news so far?
cover image by https://unsplash.com/@joshrh19