2024 in review: Strikes and organizing score gains, but storm clouds loom
by Jenny Brown ~ Labor Notes ~ Dec. 18 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2132
Labor Notes reports both good and bad news from this past year. Workers gained ground including service workers in the private sector who saw a 6 percent real wage increase for the year, strikes were easier to maintain because of unemployment rates of around 4 percent, and several groups won significant raises. On the other hand, working conditions are “often abominable” and weak labor laws and safety enforcement are “on Trump’s chopping block.”
2025: Keep democracy alive. Our New Year’s Resolutions
(Advice for defeating the authoritarian threat)
by George Lakoff and Gil Duran ~ FrameLab ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2131
FrameLab goes into detail over resolutions for the new year: be brave, cultivate empathy, stay focused, be proactive, foster real connections, avoid brain rot and lies, share a positive message when possible, demand accountability, engage young people, don’t help Trump, don’t argue with his supporters, remember: this is a regime, learn from history, support artists and the arts, take care of yourself, celebrate victories, and persist!
ACLU responds to election of Donald Trump
by ACLU ~ Nov. 6 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2098
“At the ACLU, we’re clear-eyed about the chaos and destruction a second Trump administration will cause to our nation. That’s why we’re done with handwringing, admiring the problem, or waiting anxiously to see which unlawful action President-elect Trump will take on Day One. We are ready to take action the minute Trump takes the oath of office.”
Family of Malcolm X files $100M lawsuit, alleges FBI, CIA, NYPD had a role in murder
by Grace Hills | Florida Phoenix | Nov. 19 | https://tinyurl.com/Iguana2140
Malcom X’s family’s legal team has uncovered new evidence detailing nine causes of action against the Department of Justice, FBI, CIA and the New York Police Department, saying they played a “significant role” in events leading to Malcolm X’s assassination, and that they engaged in a decades-long coverup.
Hegseth confirmation hearing as a lens for 2026 and beyond
by Robert B. Hubbell ~ Today’s Edition Newsletter ~ Jan. 15 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2133
It appears that a nominee, Pete Hegseth, credibly accused of sexual abuse and who opposes women in combat roles in the military will be confirmed as Secretary of Defense. He is “manifestly unfit and morally unqualified to lead the U.S. military.” Find out why.
How labor can fight back against Trump’s mass deportation agenda
by Natascha Elena Uhlmann and Sarah Lazare ~ Labor Notes ~ Jan. 16 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2136
It is a frightening time for immigrant workers with the president-elect running on the slogan “mass deportations now,” and many Democrats who have moved to the right on immigrant rights. Unions, however have been working on a robust defense using direct action, political action and negotiating protections into union contracts.
In blow to Open Internet, Federal appeals strikes down Biden FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules
by Julia Conley ~ Common Dreams ~ Jan. 2 ~ https://tinyurl.com/Iguana2137
The ruling creates a “dangerous regulatory gap that leaves consumers vulnerable and gives broadband providers unchecked power over Americans’ internet access,” said one advocate.
The Coming Fires
by David Rovics ~ Counterpunch ~ Jan. 13 ~ https://tinyurl.com/Iguana2139
The horrific Los Angeles Fires send a message to the entire country: “As terrible as the ongoing burning of LA continues to be, if we don’t radically change course as a society, the future is absolutely guaranteed to be astronomically worse.” Fire insurance will continue to be more expensive, or not available at all. The cost of buying or renting becomes more expensive and people will move away from urban centers into more fire-prone rural areas. “It could all be radically different, but then we’d have to first collectively acknowledge that there’s such a thing as society, and that we need to live in a country that makes policies accordingly.”
These nine laws went into effect on Jan. 1
by Jackie Llanos and Christine Sexton ~ Florida Phoenix ~ Dec. 31 ~ https://tinyurl.com/Iguana2138
Several new Florida laws went into effect on New Year’s Day. This article gives details on each one: online protections for minors, voter registration applications, Impeding first responders, Medical treatment under workers’ comp law, Protection of specified adults, Private activity bonds, dental insurance claims, and the Florida Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act.