Bernie Sanders’ 7 policies to defeat Trump, secure a better future for all
by Jessica Corbett ~ Common Dreams ~ Feb. 5 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2375
Sanders: “It is not good enough just to be critical of Trump and his destructive policies. We must bring forth a positive vision that will improve the lives of ordinary Americans.”In a depressing Guardian op-ed, Sanders summarizes the ways our country is in decline, but also speaks of his goals for “a national grassroots movement that fights for the needs of the American working class.”
Black History Month shines light on institutionalized racism in our educational system
by Janice Ellis ~ Florida Phoenix ~ Feb. 18 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2374
Celebrating Black History Month is a temporary gesture that does little to address the deeply entrenched institutional racism and educational disparities that continue to harm Black students and communities. What is needed is sustained, systemic reform in public education, emphasizing that meaningful change in resources, curriculum, and policy is necessary to break cycles of inequality and strengthen both individuals and society.
Disheartening: US justice dept. slashes funding to programs combating child sex trafficking
by Katie McQue The Guardian ~ Jan. 24 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2373
On Jan. 14, Ford autoworker TJ Sabula became famous for a day after calling Donald. Trump a “pedophile protector” to his face (and earning a presidential middle finger in reply, along with suspension from his job and a multi-hundred-thousand dollar public support fund). Though Sabula called Trump out for suppressing release of the Epstein files, he was righter than he knew: Trump and his attorney general Pam Bondi have systematically cut funding for child protection across the board, including law enforcement training and coordination, aid to survivors, and more. Child predators are using AI, social media, etc, to locate and groom kids in ways police can’t keep up with under Dept of Justice “austerity” budgets, and The Guardian – yes, we need British news media to tell us about this – has a series of reports on federal failures.
Honoring Jesse Jackson, who helped create the America Trump wants to destroy
by Dean Baker ~ Common Dreams ~ Feb. 18 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2386
Jesse Jackson, American civil rights activist and protégé of Martin Luther King Jr., died on Feb. 17. He was 84. His legacy “rainbow coalition” helped open the doors for Blacks, Hispanics, Arab and Muslim Americans, and the LGBTQ community, while sharing a powerful populist economic message at the height of Reaganism.
James Uthmeier just needs $400 per hour to feed his family
by Stephanie Hayes, Tampa Bay Times ~ Feb. 20 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2385
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s $100,000 salary for teaching a two-hour-per-week adjunct class at UF is wildly disproportionate to the workload and typical adjunct instructor wages. That his political background warrants such compensation suggests the arrangement reflects favoritism and misplaced priorities rather than merit. It must be that he needs the income.
Meet Minneapolis neighbors standing up to ICE
by Samantha Michaels ~ Mother Jones ~ Jan. 21 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2378
In Minneapolis, volunteers have formed “ICE Watch,” a grassroots network that tails federal immigration agents, documents arrests, and mobilizes neighbors to ensure witnesses are present and detainees are identified. The movement connects thousands of residents through rapid-response systems, despite criticism from federal officials who label them extremists while participants say they are simply protecting their communities.
Rep. Andrade stands firm in Hope Florida fraud allegations against AG Uthmeier
by Meleah Lyden ~ WUSF ~ Feb. 9 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2371
The “Hope Florida”/Casey Desantis scandal remains alive, in good part due to a Pensacola Republican state representative tracking how a $10 million payment to the state veered into an anti-marijuana-legalization PAC linked to now Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
Sanctity of sanctuary
by Nooriel Nolan ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2389
This passionate call to action urges Floridians to transform their faith into civic courage by resisting ICE enforcement and 287(g) agreements, framing immigrant protection as both a constitutional duty and a moral obligation to defend vulnerable neighbors.
The life and work of Michael Parenti: a tribute with his son
by Max Blumenthal and Christian Parenti ~ The Grayzone ~ Feb. 6 ~ video ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2370
Christian Parenti gives a tribute to his dad Michael Parenti, the dissident political scientist, who died on Jan. 24. Although Parenti was one of the country’s most outspoken Marxists, he was also a pragmatist who welcomed democratic reforms within his own society.
The state of our union
by Heather Cox Richardson ~ YouTube ~ Feb. 24 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2377
Writer/activist Rebecca Solnit asked historian Heather Cox Richardson to do her own State of the Union message in response to Trump, and so that is what she did that v
by Charles Duhigg ~ The New Yorker ~ Jan. 26 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2372
Donald Trump won the White House by copying Barack Obama’s strategy — out-organizing the opposition on a local community level. Can progressives recall how to do the same, only better? Charles Duhigg analyzes how to build movements which endure and succeed.
Why Palantir is America’s most dangerous corporation
by Robert Reich ~ Inequality Media ~ Dec. 2 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2376
Robert Reich introduces us to Palentir, America’s Most Dangerous Corporation, as only Robert Reich can. Funny and scary.