All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Coretta Scott King’s 1986 Statement to the Senate About Jeff Sessions – The New York Times

Dear Senator Thurmond:I write to express my sincere opposition to the confirmation of Jefferson B. Sessions as a federal district court judge for the Southern District of Alabama. My professional and personal roots in Alabama are deep and lasting.Anyone who has used the power of his office as United States Attorney to intimidate and chill the free exercise of the ballot by citizens should not be elevated to our courts.Mr. Sessions has used the awesome powers of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters.For this reprehensible conduct, he should not be rewarded with a federal judgeship.I regret that a long-standing commitment prevents me from appearing in person to testify against this nominee. However, I have attached a copy of my statement opposing Mr. Sessions’ confirmation and I request that my statement as well as this letter ‘be made a part of the’ hearing record.I do sincerely urge you to oppose the confirmation of Mr. Sessions.Sincerely,Coretta Scott King

Donald Trump’s criticism of Nordstrom raises ethical concerns, senator says | US news | The Guardian

Trump’s web of international companies remains opaque since he has refused to release his tax returns, which experts have said would provide a clearer view of his business interests.Ethics experts have said Trump’s arrangement does little to address potential conflicts because he would still know which assets he owned, such as Trump-branded golf courses and hotels, and his family would continue to profit from them.“President Trump said he is going to have nothing to do with his family businesses,” said Robert Weissman, president of liberal watchdog group Public Citizen. “His reaction to developments with his daughter’s business line suggests that claim is untrue.”

Source: Donald Trump’s criticism of Nordstrom raises ethical concerns, senator says | US news | The Guardian

Are “Think Pieces” Hurting the Resistance Movement? | Dame Magazine

Protests are working, as are phone calls, letters, and emails to representatives. Our senators and representatives have told us as much. Every action of visible resistance, especially when constituted by a critical mass, is a message to the administration that we will fight against policies and programs that undermine human rights and constitutional guarantees. We already know that we won’t be successful in all of our efforts—the confirmation of Betsy DeVos on Tuesday was evidence of that—but it’s crucial that we re-center ourselves and our communities of resistance after disappointments and defeats. Otherwise, we’re sending the signal to a handful of privileged gaslighting bullies that we the people—millions of us—are willing to let them steamroll us and our rights. And sure, Trump’s Action A may well be obscuring an Action Z, but when Z comes to light, we’ll be ready. We know we can handle more than one idea, more than one action at a time. We’re complex. We’re capable. And we’ve got this.

Source: Are “Think Pieces” Hurting the Resistance Movement? | Dame Magazine

Elizabeth Warren won’t be silenced – and neither will American women | Jessica Valenti | Opinion | The Guardian

Senate Republicans seem to be under the mistaken impression that having elected a notorious misogynist as president means that they can stifle women’s voices without anyone noticing or caring. That’s the only explanation I can muster for why they thought that it was acceptable – or strategically sound – to silence Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday night during a debate over Jeff Sessions’ nomination as attorney general. Republicans really must have thought it was in their best interest. They really must not be paying attention.

After claiming that Warren broke Senate rules by reading from a 30-year-old letter from Coretta Scott King opposing Sessions for a federal judgeship, majority leader Mitch McConnell said: “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”It’s a familiar refrain for most women – we’ve all had men try to shut us down and get frustrated when we dared to “persist”. So it should come as no surprise that Wednesday morning, #LetLizSpeak, #ShePersists and Silencing Elizabeth Warren were all trending on Twitter.

Source: Elizabeth Warren won’t be silenced – and neither will American women | Jessica Valenti | Opinion | The Guardian

Why Trump claimed minor Malmö fire was ‘under-reported terror’ – The Local

Terrorism expert Magnus Ranstorp, a researcher at Sweden’s National Defence University, thinks Trump’s move is an exercise in domestic propaganda which pays little regard to facts.”The easiest way to describe this is classic fake news from Trump’s White House. This is nothing to do with the truth, it’s an influencing operation. Propaganda, targeted at the American population.” he told The Local.

Source: Why Trump claimed minor Malmö fire was ‘under-reported terror’ – The Local

Rome’s police are on the hunt for unknown anti-pope plotters – The Local

Germs of selfishness’

The reference to the pope ignoring cardinals is believed to relate to four cardinals, including Burke, who sent a letter to Francis at the end of last year in which they challenged the head of the Roman Catholic Church over his teachings on the family.Burke publicly warned Francis in November it may be necessary to make a highly rare “formal act of correction” if the Argentine did not answer the letter – a bold and almost unheard of challenge to his authority.The mention of the removal of priests likely refers to allegations that the pope ordered the sacking of prelates from a Vatican department. In terms of the Franciscans, the pope intervened in the religious order early on to restrict the use of Latin mass, Cruxnow.com said.The 80-year old pontiff, who was elected in 2013, has proved a divisive figure, hailed by some for his “progressive” attitude – refusing to judge those guilty of church sins, such as single mothers and gay people – but criticized by others for being too “liberal”.The climate in the tiny Vatican city state has become increasingly acrimonious and watchers warn of a possible show-down with the conservatives. Francis said at the end of last year that he was “not losing any sleep” over the in-fighting.On Sunday he made no reference to the posters but called on the faithful to stay away from “polluting germs of selfishness, envy, slander”.

Source: Rome’s police are on the hunt for unknown anti-pope plotters – The Local

Pasteurization Inactivates Ebola Virus in Breast Milk 

“We needed this research on Ebola and Marburg viruses in breast milk to ensure the safety of the donor human milk pool, in North America, and around the world,” Hamilton-Spence said. “I am grateful we had the opportunity to conduct this research, and affirm the safety of DHM processed in this way, no matter where the patients call home.”Holder pasteurization is used in all non-profit milk banks governed by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). This method heats DHM to 62.5 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes while placed in a water bath, which kills harmful bacteria and makes it safe for consumption.

Source: Pasteurization Inactivates Ebola Virus in Breast Milk | Benzinga

Trump Says Journalists ‘Have Their Reasons’ to Play Down Terror Threat – The New York Times – Trying to justify a coup of American Democracy

The theory that the news media is trying to whitewash terrorist attacks to protect Islam or Muslim migrants has been pushed by several right-wing news organizations, including the conspiracy-filled site Infowars, whose founder, Alex Jones, is an ally of Mr. Trump’s.The president’s comments on Monday were reminiscent of his claim during a visit last month to the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Va., that the news media had fabricated his feud with the intelligence community. Those remarks came only days after he likened American intelligence officials to Nazis, after several weeks in which he had denigrated their work.

Not Even Snow Can Stop These Afghan Women from Practising Wushu Kung-Fu – The Ladies FingerThe Ladies Finger

 

Sima Azimi, a 20 year old Hazara woman from Kabul, Afghanistan, is determined to teach her students this form of Shaolin kung-fu despite the odds, be they societal or the meteorological. When she isn’t training them on icy mountain tops, it’s in a grungy club financed by a film actor. She sourced a Shaolin sword from Iran, and Shaolin uniforms from a tailor in Kabul. Azimi emerged the top female contender in a kung-fu competition organised by the National Olympic Committee of Afghanistan in Kabul, and has won medals in kung-fu competitions in Iran.The group is practising for the day when finances permit them to be sent to international tournaments as the Afghanistan women’s wushu team. Azimi also says that learning martial arts helps them defend themselves against street harassment and criminals.Watch them in action here:

Source: Not Even Snow Can Stop These Afghan Women from Practising Wushu Kung-Fu – The Ladies FingerThe Ladies Finger

How Long Can the Resistance Continue to Resist? | Dame Magazine

Align with Time-Tested Organizations

Alongside protest, however, Hunt says folks should align with existing groups rather than trying to recreate the wheel on your own. “It’s really important to work underneath people who have been doing the work, and that you can learn from,” she says. For most folks it makes the most sense to start locally within your own community, where most great acts of resistance begin. In doing this you can build what Hunt calls “alternative political apparatuses” which can empower people even when the government imposes oppressive laws. Connecting with existing organizations links small groups to more powerful activist engines, increasing the power to make change.Action: Find one to three organizations in your community, or online, that works around your three target issues and sign up to volunteer with or learn more about them. Check out The Resistance Manual and these politically-minded apps.Focus, but Keep Intersectionality in MindUndoubtedly you feel strongly about multiple issues, from women’s rights to civil rights, to the right for all to have affordable healthcare. In practical terms, you may only be able to focus on strategies to deal with one or two at a time. “The more that you can narrow down and be clear about what you can and cannot do, and are willing to do and are interested and curious about, that can help you identify where you want to connect,” Luz Guerra, a long time feminist and activist who has trained hundreds of organizers around the country and internationally, tells Dame.However, Davis points out that in her own realm of environmental work, “Long before white environmentalists began to focus on sustainability, environmental justice activists understand that…it is all connected.” So while you may focus your own activist lens in one direction, be open to “the broader realization of intersectionality,” she says. All of our rights are connected and we can effect more change when no one is excluded from the fight.

Source: How Long Can the Resistance Continue to Resist? | Dame Magazine