Police Departments Ignore Rampant Sexual Assault by Officers
Candice Bernd, Truthout: There is scant comprehensive data about victims of sexual violence by police, but news accounts of such crimes are abundant. Some advocates believe the solution is to apply the Prison Rape Elimination Act to those in police custody.
Workers Resist Scofflaw Employers in Wage Theft Capital of the US
Jordan Melograna, Truthout: Wage theft is so prevalent in the United States that its 2012 total exceeded the amount stolen in all robberies of banks, gas stations and convenience stores. Recovery is extremely difficult, but in Los Angeles, workers are fighting back.
Lyndon Johnson on Civil Rights – Where Are We Now?
The Daily Take Team, The Thom Hartmann Program: Despite the progress made since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, this country still has a very long way to go. A reflection on President Lyndon Johnson’s speech upon signing the Civil Rights Act provides a look into the past – an important step in moving forward.
Why Harris and Hobby Lobby Spell Disaster for Working Women
Sarah Jaffe, In These Times: Both the SCOTUS Hobby Lobbyand Harris decisions rested on narrowly tailored legal arguments that just happen to cut wide enough to impact groups of workers who are almost exclusively female. If you are not affected by these rulings yet, you well could be in the future.
Cheney’s Campaign for Iraq War 3: Shaping the Narrative
Mark Weisbrot, Truthout: With his latest media blitz, Dick Cheney hopes to preserve and solidify the “war on terror” as the dominant narrative presented to Americans as an explanation of US foreign policy.
Domestic Care for Family Members Isn’t Valued if Its Givers Are Exploited
Sheila Bapat, Ig Publishing: Domestic workers have been excluded from labor protections that workers in the rest of the economy take for granted. However, in the past decade, a growing movement has emerged calling for domestic workers to share in the same rights guaranteed to others.
The US-Mexico Caravan for Peace Takes On the Drug War
Chris Moore-Backman, Truthout: Talking with Michelle Alexander, Javier Sicilia and other members of the US-Mexico Caravan for Peace and Justice with Dignity, Moore-Backman examines connections between the struggle for peace in Mexico and the struggle to end the racist system of mass incarceration in the United States.
Listen to the Radio Segment and Read the Transcript
Child Migrants and Media Half-Truths
Laura Carlsen, CIP Americas Program: While the American mainstream media has suddenly turned its attention to the long-standing issue of child refugees fleeing their home countries to the US southern border, they generally mischaracterize the circumstances surrounding the phenomenon which is causing more harm than good.
Slow Rites, Fast Wrongs: Migrant Workers Killed in Italian Factory Fire Wait 203 Days for Funeral
Betsy Krause and Massimo Bressan, Truthout: A funeral for the victims who died in a Tuscany factory fire was held 203 days after that tragic dawn. The long span of time between the deaths and the mourning rite was poignantly ironic given the furiously fast conditions that defined these migrant workers’ lives.
Brazilian Workers Buck Union Officials to Strike
Claudia Costa, Labor Notes: While the World Cup and propaganda surrounding it are in full swing, the massive public spending on it contrasts the poor pay, high fares and starved public services Brazilians endure.
Bike-Train-Bike: A New European Program to Promote Car-Free Commutes
Anna Brones, Care2: Bicycles and trains, what could be a better combination? A new European program is launching to promote that partnership, with a goal of making sure that cities across Europe are healthier, more livable and less congested.
BuzzFlash
The Oligarchy’s Greed Knows No End: New Tax Cuts for the Rich Proposed in House
Mark Karlin, BuzzFlash at Truthout: One of the Academy Awards’ favorites this year was the filmAmerican Hustle. In reality, the name of the movie could describe what the US economic elite has been doing to the 99% for the last few decades.
Jim Hightower: Koch-Headed Billionaires Plan to Save the US by Looping Big Money Around Democracy’s Neck
Flawed Oversight Board Report Endorses NSA’s General Warrants
Read the Article at the Electronic Frontier Foundation
More Shocking Examples of Police Overreach and Militarized SWAT Mistakes
College Students in Four States Filed Lawsuits Against Their Campuses in Challenge to Free Speech Restrictions
Read the Article at Los Angeles Times
Coal Mine’s Rejection on Global Warming Grounds Has Major Implications
Read the Article at InsideClimate News
A Spanish Social Movement Releases “A Charter for Democracy”
Read the Article at Guerrilla Translation!
How Right-Wing Extremists Took Over Texas