Racist Voter Suppression Made Alabama's Abortion Ban Possible

Monday, May 20, 2019 Combat misinformation! Keep independent media strong by making a tax-deductible donation to Truthout. [Donate Now →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Racist Voter Suppression Made Alabama's Abortion Ban Possible]( Sabrina Joy Stevens, Truthout As a Black mother, I know how dangerous Alabama's abortion ban is. In a country with rising maternal mortality rates and an inadequate national health care system, it is doubly unconscionable to force people to bear children. If we want to eliminate the voting restrictions and political structures that have given racist, sexist zealots outsized power over our local, state and federal governments, and ultimately our bodies, we must be bolder in our strategizing and organizing. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Head of Program Profiling Muslims in Chicago Steps Down Amid Pressure]( Muhammad Sankari and Mary Zerkel, Truthout Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programs claim to identify people who might be vulnerable to "radicalization" by using indicators that disproportionately target Muslim and Arab communities, effectively criminalizing everyday behavior. Chicago's StopCVE coalition won a major victory this month when the head of the local iteration of CVE stepped down. There are no current plans to replace him. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Trump's Trade War With China Is Waged to Make the Rich Richer]( Dean Baker, Truthout Trade policy is not crafted in the national interest; it is crafted with the goal of making the rich richer. This is what Trump's trade war is all about. As is the case with so many other wars, it is about working-class people being forced to sacrifice -- in this case, by paying high tariffs to advance the goals of the rich. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [The "Auntie Network" Already Exists]( Kelly Hayes, Truthout As Republicans escalate their efforts to criminalize abortion care, some social media users have called for the creation of a network that would offer assistance to pregnant people seeking abortions in states affected by the current onslaught of abortion bans. While the impulse behind these efforts is understandable, a well-organized framework for this kind of organizing already exists. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Trump -- Who Claims He Doesn't Want War -- Threatens "Official End of Iran"]( Jake Johnson, Common Dreams As military tensions between the U.S. and Iran appeared to be gradually cooling despite dangerous provocations from the White House, President Trump -- who said publicly last week that he hopes there is not another war in the Middle East -- took to Twitter Sunday to threaten "the official end of Iran," a remark numerous critics condemned as "genocidal." [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Plastics Industry on Track to Burn 14 Percent of World's Remaining Carbon Budget]( Sharon Kelly, DeSmogBlog The plastics industry plays a major -- and growing -- role in climate change, according to a report published last week. The report found that by 2050, making and disposing of plastics could be responsible for a cumulative 56 gigatons of carbon -- up to 14 percent of the world's remaining carbon budget. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [How Poor Oversight and Fraud in Generic Drug Industry Threatens Patients' Health]( Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! In her new explosive book, Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom, investigative journalist Katherine Eban works with two industry whistleblowers to expose how some manufacturers are cutting corners at the cost of quality and safety. [Watch the Video and Read the Transcript →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Sen. Ron Wyden Leads on Securing Elections Before 2020]( Camille Fischer, Electronic Frontier Foundation Sen. Ron Wyden's new proposal to protect the integrity of U.S. elections, the Protecting American Votes and Elections Act of 2019, takes a much needed step forward by requiring a return to paper ballots. The bill forcefully addresses a grave threat to U.S. democracy: outdated election technologies. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [People With a Lot of Money Are Determining What Culture Is]( Janine Jackson, FAIR Amin Husain, an artist and a core organizer with Decolonize This Place, discusses the American Museum of Natural History's decision to not allow its Hall of Ocean Life to host a gala for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and how we can decolonize museums more broadly. [Read the Interview and Listen to the Audio →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In Case You Missed It --------------------------------------------------------------- [Exposing the Dirty Business Behind the Designer Label]( Michelle Chen, Truthout Fashion is the world's second most polluting industry after the oil industry. At the current rate of pollution, the apparel sector's carbon emissions will balloon by 60 percent by 2030, amounting to about a quarter of the global carbon budget. While piecemeal reforms have been proposed and implemented across the world, experts say the only way to truly halt the damage is to scale back clothing production substantially. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [How to Shift to a More Plant-Based Diet, Without the Guilt]( Leslie Crawford, Truthout This is a movement about kindness. If you come from that place, the changes stick. But if you force yourself, it won't stick, says New York Times bestselling author Kathy Freston. The wellness activist takes a compassionate, no-guilt and shame-free approach to omnivores who try to reduce their meat consumption, but who may not be on board the vegan train. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Like what you're reading? Support Truthout's independent news and analysis by making an automatic monthly donation. [Donate Now →]( Connect With Us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Donate]( Truthout is a reader-supported, nonprofit organization; donations are tax-deductible. Truthout is a proud member of the Newspaper Guild/CWA, Local 36047. Please add messenger@truthout.org to ensure you receive our messages. [Subscribe]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy](