shadowproof--2020-08-10--Bills In Congress Would Grant Federal Whistleblowers Access To Courts

Bills In Congress Would Grant Federal Whistleblowers Access To Courts Legislation introduced in Congress would fill multiple gaps in federal whistleblower protections and finally grant access to courts and jury trials for review of their cases .
All private sector whistleblower laws since 2002 have included court access , yet when the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act ( WPEA ) moved through Congress in 2012 , court access was removed before it was passed and signed into law by President Barack Obama .
“ The Make It Safe Coalition ( MISC ) Steering Committee praised the House Committee on Oversight and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation to finish what Congress started in the Whistleblower Protection Act of 2012 , ” the coalition declared .
“ Since that unanimously approved mandate , whistleblowers steadily have proven themselves indispensable against abuses of power that betray the public trust .
Unfortunately , some of the most significant issues were postponed for further study eight years ago , without follow-up to add necessary teeth to the legislation.
” As a result , the MISC Steering Committee argues free speech rights for whistleblowers in the United States have “ fallen far behind the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The Government Accountability Project , the Liberty Coalition , the National Security Counselors , the National Whistleblower Center , the Project on Government Oversight , Public Citizen , Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility , the Taxpayers Protection Alliance , the Union of Concerned Scientists , and Whistleblowers of America each engage in whistleblower advocacy and make up the steering committee .
Representative Carolyn Maloney , the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform , introduced the Whistleblower Protection Improvement Act ( WPIA ) .
It grants federal employees , former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who seek “ corrective action from the Merits System Protection Board [ MSPB ] based on an alleged prohibited personnel practice , ” access to courts and jury trials .
[ Note : Prohibited personnel practices are instances of retaliation . ]
If no final order is issued by the MSPB within 180 days of submission , protected federal employees may notify the Office of the Special Counsel and the MSPB that they are filing a complaint for review by the appropriate U.S. district court .
They would have the option to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The MSPB , a quasi-judicial agency in the executive branch , is the only body that many federal whistleblowers can go to with their claims .
However , it has an estimated backlog of nearly 3,000 complaints .
According to the National Whistleblower Center ( NWC ) , the “ MSPB has not had a quorum in over three years and has not had a single sitting member since May 2019.
” “ The MSPB ’ s political nature is a drawback for whistleblowers , ” the NWC further declares .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be appropriate for handling the majority of its cases , which are simple civil service appeals that don ’ t raise political issues , it is not well equipped to handle whistleblower cases that can easily become politicized.
” “ Two of the three Board members must be of the President ’ s own political party , and one of the three Board members must be of the opposing political party .
With only three members in total , this is particularly fraught .
Additionally , because the Board members are political appointees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lack of any or sufficient appointees , in a particularly politically-polarized environment.
” John Kostyack , the executive director of the NWC , told The Dissenter , “ We ’ ve had court access since the early 1990s for victims of discrimination , whether it is race , gender , or age .
We think it ’ s a long overdue catchup for a very important class of victims of retaliation .
The House of Representatives has passed legislation that granted federal whistleblowers court access or judicial review at least three times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 1990s .
But the Senate has refused to pass legislation that grants federal whistleblowers access to the courts .
“ I do think there are probably people in the federal government who don ’ t want to lose their prerogative and control over the issue in the executive branch , and then you hear some people claiming it ’ s going to gum up the courts , ” Kostyack added .
The NWC submitted a report to Congress that documented how this concern was overblown .
Anti-discrimination laws granted federal employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no sudden “ flood of cases.
” Additionally , Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced the Congressional Whistleblower Protection Act to ensure “ all federal employees , contractors , and applicants can file an administrative complaint if their right to share information with Congress has been ‘ interfered with or denied . '
” The legislation would permit whistleblowers to go to a federal court with their complaint if a “ favorable decision ” was not received “ within 210 days of filing ” an “ administrative ” complaint .
Provisions would also guarantee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could try to recoup “ lost wage and benefits , ” as well as reinstatement to their position in government .
For too long , federal whistleblowers have had to depend on the MSPB to check abuses that stem from the deep-seated contempt toward whistleblowers in many U.S. agencies .
An MSPB study highlighted by the NWC found that federal employee “ perceptions of reprisal for disclosing wrongdoing nearly doubled between 2010 and 2016.
” “ Nearly half of the respondents to the MSPB federal workforce study in 2016 ( or 46 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or more prohibited personnel practices.
” Without access to courts , protection for whistleblowers will remain stronger in the private sector .
“ Private sector protections are stronger , which is really insane considering that we need federal whistleblowers to expose waste , fraud , and abuse in the federal government , and particularly at a time when trillions of dollars are flowing as part of the COVID relief packages , ” Kostyack said .
“ New rules and rulemaking , including some that are rolling back regulatory actions , are flying fast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ checks and balances at the same time that we are getting vastly increased spending.
” As the Make It Safe Coalition outlined , “ Whistleblowers have long provided necessary oversight and accountability in our government .
Unfortunately , executive branch leaders from President Roosevelt to President Trump have violated their workforce ’ s free speech rights , restricting Congress ’ oversight capabilities.
” It will take quite a bit of effort to convince the Republican-controlled Senate to finally fix a major weakness in federal whistleblower protections .
Legislation introduced in Congress would fill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grant access to courts and jury trials for review of their cases .
All private sector whistleblower laws since 2002 have included court access , yet when the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act ( WPEA ) moved through Congress in 2012 , court access was removed before it was signed into law by President Barack Obama .
“ The Make It Safe Coalition ( MISC ) Steering Committee praised the House Committee on Oversight and Reform ( COR ) leadership for combined legislation to finish what Congress started in the Whistleblower Protection Act of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Since that unanimously approved mandate , whistleblowers steadily have proven themselves indispensable against abuses of power that betray the public trust .
Unfortunately , some of the most significant issues were postponed for further study eight years ago , without follow-up to add necessary teeth to the legislation.
” As a result , the MISC Steering Committee argues free speech rights for whistleblowers in the United States have “ fallen far behind the pace for global best practices protecting whistleblowers.
” The Government Accountability Project , Liberty Coalition , National Security Counselors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government Oversight , Public Citizen , Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility , Taxpayers Protection Alliance , Union of Concerned Scientists , and Whistleblowers of America each engage in whistleblower advocacy and make up the steering committee .
Representative Carolyn Maloney , the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform , introduced the Whistleblower Protection Improvement Act ( WPIA ) .
It grants federal employees , former federal employees , and applicants for employment who seek “ corrective action from the Merits System Protection Board [ MSPB ] based on an alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
[ Note : Prohibited personnel practices are instances of retaliation . ]
If no final order is issued by the MSPB within 180 days of submission , protected federal employees may notify the Office of the Special Counsel and the MSPB that they are filing a complaint for review by the appropriate U.S. district court .
They will have the option to have the matter tried before a jury .
The MSPB , a quasi-judicial agency in the executive branch , is the only body that many federal whistleblowers can go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has an estimated backlog of nearly 3,000 complaints .
According to the National Whistleblower Center , the “ MSPB has not had a quorum in over three years and has not had a single sitting member since May 2019.
” “ The MSPB ’ s political nature is a drawback for whistleblowers , ” the NWC further declares .
“ While the structure of the MSPB may be appropriate for handling the majority of its cases , which are simple civil service appeals that don ’ t raise political issues , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that can easily become politicized .
”

Editor’s Note This is the free edition of The Dissenter newsletter, which covers whistleblowers and the obstacles they face in government and corporate institutions. To become a subscriber, visit https://dissenter.substack.com/subscribe
Legislation introduced in Congress would fill multiple gaps in federal whistleblower protections and finally grant access to courts and jury trials for review of their cases.
All private sector whistleblower laws since 2002 have included court access, yet when the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA) moved through Congress in 2012, court access was removed before it was passed and signed into law by President Barack Obama.
“The Make It Safe Coalition (MISC) Steering Committee praised the House Committee on Oversight and Reform (COR) leadership for combined legislation to finish what Congress started in the Whistleblower Protection Act of 2012,” the coalition declared.
“Since that unanimously approved mandate, whistleblowers steadily have proven themselves indispensable against abuses of power that betray the public trust. Unfortunately, some of the most significant issues were postponed for further study eight years ago, without follow-up to add necessary teeth to the legislation.”
As a result, the MISC Steering Committee argues free speech rights for whistleblowers in the United States have “fallen far behind the pace for global best practices protecting whistleblowers.”
The Government Accountability Project, the Liberty Coalition, the National Security Counselors, the National Whistleblower Center, the Project on Government Oversight, Public Citizen, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Whistleblowers of America each engage in whistleblower advocacy and make up the steering committee.
Representative Carolyn Maloney, the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, introduced the Whistleblower Protection Improvement Act (WPIA). It grants federal employees, former federal employees, and applicants for employment, who seek “corrective action from the Merits System Protection Board [MSPB] based on an alleged prohibited personnel practice,” access to courts and jury trials. [Note: Prohibited personnel practices are instances of retaliation.]
If no final order is issued by the MSPB within 180 days of submission, protected federal employees may notify the Office of the Special Counsel and the MSPB that they are filing a complaint for review by the appropriate U.S. district court. They would have the option to have the matter tried before a jury.
The MSPB, a quasi-judicial agency in the executive branch, is the only body that many federal whistleblowers can go to with their claims. However, it has an estimated backlog of nearly 3,000 complaints.
According to the National Whistleblower Center (NWC), the “MSPB has not had a quorum in over three years and has not had a single sitting member since May 2019.”
“The MSPB’s political nature is a drawback for whistleblowers,” the NWC further declares. “While the structure of the MSPB may be appropriate for handling the majority of its cases, which are simple civil service appeals that don’t raise political issues, it is not well equipped to handle whistleblower cases that can easily become politicized.”
“Two of the three Board members must be of the President’s own political party, and one of the three Board members must be of the opposing political party. With only three members in total, this is particularly fraught. Additionally, because the Board members are political appointees, there is a constant risk of a lack of any or sufficient appointees, in a particularly politically-polarized environment.”
John Kostyack, the executive director of the NWC, told The Dissenter, “We’ve had court access since the early 1990s for victims of discrimination, whether it is race, gender, or age. We think it’s a long overdue catchup for a very important class of victims of retaliation.”
The House of Representatives has passed legislation that granted federal whistleblowers court access or judicial review at least three times.
Kostyack said the first time was in the 1990s. But the Senate has refused to pass legislation that grants federal whistleblowers access to the courts.
“I do think there are probably people in the federal government who don’t want to lose their prerogative and control over the issue in the executive branch, and then you hear some people claiming it’s going to gum up the courts,” Kostyack added.
The NWC submitted a report to Congress that documented how this concern was overblown. Anti-discrimination laws granted federal employees access to courts. Kostyack noted there was no sudden “flood of cases.”
Additionally, Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced the Congressional Whistleblower Protection Act to ensure “all federal employees, contractors, and applicants can file an administrative complaint if their right to share information with Congress has been ‘interfered with or denied.'”
The legislation would permit whistleblowers to go to a federal court with their complaint if a “favorable decision” was not received “within 210 days of filing” an “administrative” complaint.
Provisions would also guarantee a jury trial and that federal whistleblowers could try to recoup “lost wage and benefits,” as well as reinstatement to their position in government.
For too long, federal whistleblowers have had to depend on the MSPB to check abuses that stem from the deep-seated contempt toward whistleblowers in many U.S. agencies.
An MSPB study highlighted by the NWC found that federal employee “perceptions of reprisal for disclosing wrongdoing nearly doubled between 2010 and 2016.”
“Nearly half of the respondents to the MSPB federal workforce study in 2016 (or 46 percent) reported that they had observed one or more prohibited personnel practices.”
Without access to courts, protection for whistleblowers will remain stronger in the private sector.
“Private sector protections are stronger, which is really insane considering that we need federal whistleblowers to expose waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, and particularly at a time when trillions of dollars are flowing as part of the COVID relief packages,” Kostyack said. “New rules and rulemaking, including some that are rolling back regulatory actions, are flying fast and furious. We’re losing checks and balances at the same time that we are getting vastly increased spending.”
As the Make It Safe Coalition outlined, “Whistleblowers have long provided necessary oversight and accountability in our government. Unfortunately, executive branch leaders from President Roosevelt to President Trump have violated their workforce’s free speech rights, restricting Congress’ oversight capabilities.”
There was a clear opportunity to ensure full protection back in 2009. Yet, according to the NWC, the Senate would not support stronger legislation and the Obama administration “retreated from earlier pledges to support a strong federal employee whistleblower law, and instead explicitly stated in private meetings that they would oppose full court access and due process protections for national security employees.”
Many of these same issues are likely to surface when a Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee marks up the legislation.
“Bottom line is right now these people are not getting justice. Everybody agrees they have these rights, but what’s the point of having the rights if they can’t be vindicated?” Kostyack concluded.


shadowproof--2020-08-12--The Raging Class War Against Poor And Working Class Americans During The COVID-19 Pandemic

The Raging Class War Against Poor And Working Class Americans During The COVID-19 Pandemic From the immense pressure placed on workers to return to low-wage jobs to broken social safety nets that have compounded poverty , food and housing insecurity , and inadequate unemployment benefits , America ’ s poor and working class have borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic .
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States , income inequality was at its highest levels since the U.S. Census Bureau began tracking the widening gap fifty years ago .
These gaps are now more stark and pronounced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which have primarily impacted low-paying industries .
Business closures have been extended , and a workforce where 40 percent of Americans didn ’ t have $ 400 in savings for emergencies before the pandemic has suffered immensely .
Coronavirus cases in California soared toward the end of June , with Los Angeles County emerging as a hot spot in the state .
Health experts have attributed surges in coronavirus cases to several states reopening businesses too soon , with workers recalled to jobs at hotels or restaurants , where they are in constant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a housekeeper at a hotel chain , returned to work at the end of June after she was furloughed when the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. and “ non-essential ” businesses were ordered to shut down .
( Note : The hotel chain will remain unnamed to protect Calderon from potential retaliation . )
She feared she would catch the coronavirus , and though she was provided with masks and disinfectant , Calderon recently tested positive along with her daughter and husband .
“ Living with COVID-19 is something I wouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m really hoping there will be a pause in reopening these hotels , ” Calderon said .
The U.S. Census published a survey conducted from July 16 to July 21 , 2020 , in which nearly 30 million Americans reported not having enough food to eat that week .
Food banks around the U.S. have struggled to meet the demands incited by the pandemic and this food insecurity among Americans is expected to increase over the next few months .
Eviction moratoriums have expired in states throughout the U.S. , with up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eviction from their homes over the next few months .
Nearly 27 million Americans lost their employer-based health insurance during the first two months of the pandemic in the U.S. , according to a May 2020 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation , while health insurance companies have made record profits .
Eighty-seven million Americans were uninsured or underinsured prior to the pandemic , and 42.4 percent of Americans were making less than $ 15 an hour .
According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute , 10.7 percent of the workforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of being recalled to their job prior to the pandemic .
That ’ s 17.6 million Americans forced to find new jobs in a job market where there are currently 14 million more Americans out of work than current job openings Employers continue to fire workers in response to prolonged closures and revenue declines .
Worse , federal relief for Americans who need it most has come to an abrupt halt .
Unemployment benefits— $ 600 per week—expired on July 26 , and action to extend reduced benefits is still in limbo .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were impacted by the loss of these benefits , while thousands of Americans are struggling to obtain any benefits at all due to outdated systems and immense backlogs at state unemployment agencies .
Teresa Reeves , a school bus driver in Fort Walton Beach , Florida , applied for unemployment on June 1 .
She still hasn ’ t received any benefits .
“ We are struggling without my pay as my fiancé is working seven days a week to keep us from getting utilities cut off and the mortgage paid .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a few other things , ” Reeves shared .
Retailers employing “ essential workers ” initially rolled out bonuses or hazard pay bumps for such workers during the first few months of the pandemic , but these raises were cancelled over the past weeks , despite most states in the U.S. still experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases .
Republicans object to extending expanded unemployment benefits , claiming people should not make more on unemployment than they would on the job , and that such benefits disincentivize returning to work .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yale economists found there is no evidence of expanded unemployment benefits disincentivizing Americans returning to work .
Arguments against extending unemployment benefits have relied on disparaging the motives of out-of-work individuals while Americans with wealth and power have benefitted from additional tax breaks and experienced soaring net worth after taking advantage of economic conditions and demands created by the coronavirus pandemic .
Entirely eliminating the $ 600 per week expanded unemployment benefits will result in the loss of an estimated 5.1 million jobs and 3.7 percent in gross domestic product .
If expanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week as proposed by Senate Republicans , it would result in the loss of an estimated 3.4 million jobs over the next year , according to analyses conducted by the Economic Policy Institute .
Unemployment filings are still well above 1 million workers every week .
For 20 straight weeks , unemployment claims have been more than twice the worst week of the 2008 economic recession .
While coronavirus cases and deaths disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic individuals throughout the U.S. , Black and Hispanic workers experience higher unemployment rates .
Workers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic fell ill as outbreaks spread through their workplaces in meat processing plants , Walmart and Target stores , Amazon warehouses , grocery stores , hospitals , throughout the transportation industry , and fast food restaurants .
Thousands of workers took on jobs at essential employers that hired en masse to meet surging demands , such as Amazon and Instacart .
When workers organize and protest for improvements in safety protections , they are fired after doing so .
This happened at companies like Trader Joe ’ s , Amazon , McDonald ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In contrast , wealthy Americans benefited from provisions in the CARES Act , including a $ 135 billion tax break for individuals who make at least half a million dollars annually .
Multi-million dollar federal contracts were awarded for supplies like masks that were either never delivered or funded defective products .
Wall Street ’ s profits have soared to near-record highs in the stock market during the pandemic .
Goldman Sachs reported a 41 percent increase in its revenue in the second quarter compared to 2019 .
Supply agreements between pharmaceutical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccines currently in development with help of federal subsidies have sent pharmaceutical stocks , such as Pfizer , soaring .
Before the pandemic , the average corporate CEO made 278 times more than the average worker , a gap that has widened significantly over the past few decades .
During the first two months of the pandemic , U.S. billionaires boosted their wealth by $ 434 billion according to a report by Americans for Tax Fairness and the Institute for Policy Studies .
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos set a record when his net @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a single day .
According to Bloomberg ’ s billionaire index , Bezos ’ net worth has increased by $ 72.6 billion in 2020 .
Elon Musk ’ s net worth has increased by over $ 40 billion during the pandemic .
Mark Zuckerberg ’ s by $ 17.8 billion .
The Walton Family , the controlling owners of Walmart , added $ 25 billion to their net worth in the past year , totaling $ 215 billion .
Corporations and their executives have issued public relation announcements and campaigns praising essential workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhetoric , while only a small percentage of corporations cut salaries of CEOs and executives , and two-thirds of the corporations that did enact pay cuts for executives were only ten percent reductions of 2019 salaries , according to a survey of about 3,000 public companies conducted by compensation analytics firm , CGLytics .
Health care corporations received billions in federal bailout money , but furloughed thousands of workers while paying executives millions of dollars .
Corporations that filed for bankruptcy protection during the pandemic , including JC Penney , Hertz , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bonuses to corporate executives leading up to the filings .
Nearly 700 companies violated paid sick leave laws for workers who tested positive for coronavirus , and workers still often find themselves without pay while waiting days to receive test results to see if they have to continue quarantining or are to return to work after being exposed to the virus .
For workers who have jobs that are calling them back , many are faced with reduced hours , pay cuts , and a high pressure work environment that includes enacting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing a mask , with the constant fear of catching it on the job .
“ At times the six-feet social distancing in the kitchen is hard because we have to cross paths .
With masks on , we ’ re working in kitchens over 100 degrees .
We ’ re sweating through our clothes the second we walk into our kitchen , ” shared Alison Rozer , a cook at a casino in Biloxi , Mississippi , who returned to work when reopenings began in June 2020 .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m at high risk .
( Note : The casino will remain unnamed to protect Rozer from potential retaliation . )
“ I have asthma , I have cancer , I have heart issues and it makes it really hard to protect myself .
”

From the immense pressure placed on workers to return to low-wage jobs to broken social safety nets that have compounded poverty, food and housing insecurity, and inadequate unemployment benefits, America’s poor and working class have borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, income inequality was at its highest levels since the U.S. Census Bureau began tracking the widening gap fifty years ago.
These gaps are now more stark and pronounced amid job losses in the millions, which have primarily impacted low-paying industries. Business closures have been extended, and a workforce where 40 percent of Americans didn’t have $400 in savings for emergencies before the pandemic has suffered immensely.
Coronavirus cases in California soared toward the end of June, with Los Angeles County emerging as a hot spot in the state.
Health experts have attributed surges in coronavirus cases to several states reopening businesses too soon, with workers recalled to jobs at hotels or restaurants, where they are in constant contact with other people.
Nubia Calderon, a housekeeper at a hotel chain, returned to work at the end of June after she was furloughed when the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. and “non-essential” businesses were ordered to shut down. (Note: The hotel chain will remain unnamed to protect Calderon from potential retaliation.)
She feared she would catch the coronavirus, and though she was provided with masks and disinfectant, Calderon recently tested positive along with her daughter and husband.
“Living with COVID-19 is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I’m really hoping there will be a pause in reopening these hotels,” Calderon said.
The U.S. Census published a survey conducted from July 16 to July 21, 2020, in which nearly 30 million Americans reported not having enough food to eat that week. Food banks around the U.S. have struggled to meet the demand created by the pandemic and this food insecurity among Americans is expected to increase over the next few months.
Eviction moratoriums have expired in states throughout the U.S., with up to 40 million Americans at risk of facing eviction from their homes over the next few months.
Nearly 27 million Americans lost their employer-based health insurance during the first two months of the pandemic in the U.S., according to a May 2020 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, while health insurance companies have made record profits.
Eighty-seven million Americans were uninsured or underinsured prior to the pandemic, and 42.4 percent of Americans were making less than $15 an hour.
According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, 10.7 percent of the workforce in the U.S. had no reasonable chance of being recalled to their job prior to the pandemic. That’s 17.6 million Americans forced to find new jobs in a job market where there are currently 14 million more Americans out of work than current job openings
Employers continue to fire workers in response to prolonged closures and revenue declines.
Worse, federal relief for Americans who need it most has come to an abrupt halt. Unemployment benefits—$600 per week—expired on July 26, and action to extend reduced benefits is still in limbo.
Over 25 million people and their families were impacted by the loss of these benefits, while thousands of Americans are struggling to obtain any benefits at all due to outdated systems and immense backlogs at state unemployment agencies.
Teresa Reeves, a school bus driver in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, applied for unemployment on June 1. She still hasn’t received any benefits.
“We are struggling without my pay as my fiancé is working seven days a week to keep us from getting utilities cut off and the mortgage paid. My mother and sister have helped with food and a few other things,” Reeves shared.
Retailers employing “essential workers” initially rolled out bonuses or hazard pay bumps for such workers during the first few months of the pandemic, but these raises were cancelled over the past weeks, despite most states in the U.S. still experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Republicans object to extending expanded unemployment benefits, claiming people should not make more on unemployment than they would on the job, and that such benefits disincentivize returning to work.
However, a July 2020 report conducted by Yale economists found there is no evidence of expanded unemployment benefits disincentivizing Americans returning to work.
Arguments against extending unemployment benefits have relied on disparaging the motives of out-of-work individuals while Americans with wealth and power have benefitted from additional tax breaks and experienced soaring net worth after taking advantage of economic conditions and demands created by the coronavirus pandemic.
Entirely eliminating the $600 per week expanded unemployment benefits will result in the loss of an estimated 5.1 million jobs and 3.7 percent in gross domestic product. If expanded benefits are cut to $200 per week as proposed by Senate Republicans, it would result in the loss of an estimated 3.4 million jobs over the next year, according to analyses conducted by the Economic Policy Institute.
Unemployment filings are still well above 1 million workers every week. For 20 straight weeks, unemployment claims have been more than twice the worst week of the 2008 economic recession.
While coronavirus cases and deaths disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic individuals throughout the U.S., Black and Hispanic workers experience higher unemployment rates.
Workers in jobs deemed “essential” during the pandemic fell ill as outbreaks spread through their workplaces in meat processing plants, Walmart and Target stores, Amazon warehouses, grocery stores, hospitals, throughout the transportation industry, and fast food restaurants. Thousands of workers took on jobs at essential employers that hired en masse to meet surging demands, such as Amazon and Instacart.
When workers organize and protest for improvements in safety protections, they are fired after doing so. This happened at companies like Trader Joe’s, Amazon, McDonald’s, Dollar General, and UPS.
In contrast, wealthy Americans benefited from provisions in the CARES Act, including a $135 billion tax break for individuals who make at least half a million dollars annually. Multi-million dollar federal contracts were awarded for supplies like masks that were either never delivered or funded defective products.
Wall Street’s profits have soared to near-record highs in the stock market during the pandemic. Goldman Sachs reported a 41 percent increase in its revenue in the second quarter compared to 2019.
Supply agreements between pharmaceutical corporations and the federal government for coronavirus vaccines currently in development with help of federal subsidies have sent pharmaceutical stocks, such as Pfizer, soaring.
Before the pandemic, the average corporate CEO made 278 times more than the average worker, a gap that has widened significantly over the past few decades. During the first two months of the pandemic, U.S. billionaires boosted their wealth by $434 billion according to a report by Americans for Tax Fairness and the Institute for Policy Studies.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos set a record when his net worth jumped by $13 billion in a single day. According to Bloomberg’s billionaire index, Bezos’ net worth has increased by $72.6 billion in 2020. Elon Musk’s net worth has increased by over $40 billion during the pandemic. Mark Zuckerberg’s by $17.8 billion. The Walton Family, the controlling owners of Walmart, added $25 billion to their net worth in the past year, totaling $215 billion.
Corporations and their executives have issued public relation announcements and campaigns praising essential workers as “heroes,” with unifying rhetoric, while only a small percentage of corporations cut salaries of CEOs and executives, and two-thirds of the corporations that did enact pay cuts for executives were only ten percent reductions of 2019 salaries, according to a survey of about 3,000 public companies conducted by compensation analytics firm, CGLytics.
Health care corporations received billions in federal bailout money, but furloughed thousands of workers while paying executives millions of dollars.
Corporations that filed for bankruptcy protection during the pandemic, including JC Penney, Hertz, and Neiman Marcus, approved multi-million dollar payouts and bonuses to corporate executives leading up to the filings.
Nearly 700 companies violated paid sick leave laws for workers who tested positive for coronavirus, and workers still often find themselves without pay while waiting days to receive test results to see if they have to continue quarantining or are to return to work after being exposed to the virus.
For workers who have jobs that are calling them back, many are faced with reduced hours, pay cuts, and a high pressure work environment that includes enacting safety protocols, working full shifts while wearing a mask, with the constant fear of catching it on the job.
“At times the six-feet social distancing in the kitchen is hard because we have to cross paths. With masks on, we’re working in kitchens over 100 degrees. We’re sweating through our clothes the second we walk into our kitchen,” shared Alison Rozer, a cook at a casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, who returned to work when reopenings began in June 2020. “It’s been really tough for me because I’m at high risk. (Note: The casino will remain unnamed to protect Rozer from potential retaliation.)
“I have asthma, I have cancer, I have heart issues and it makes it really hard to protect myself.”


shadowproof--2020-08-12--Protest Song Of The Week: ‘Lockdown’ (Remix) By Anderson .Paak (Ft. JID, Noname & Jay Rock)

Protest Song Of The Week : ‘ Lockdown ’ ( Remix ) By Anderson .Paak ( Ft. JID , Noname & Jay Rock ) The following post was originally published at Ongoing History of Protest Songs .
“ Lockdown ” was released on Juneteenth , a day that commemorates the liberation of slaves on June 19 , 1865 .
Anderson .Paak composed the tune based on his own experience attending Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the murders of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , and countless others at the hand of police officers .
He created a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still a long way to go for justice .
The recently released remixed version features additional poignant verses from JID , Noname , and Jay Rock .
JID ’ s verse includes the hard-hitting line , “ All the black girls missin ’ and endin ’ up inside the coffins .
But you mad when they hashtag # BlackLivesMatter on front your sidewalks.
” It points to the ignorance of the “ All Lives Matter ” crowd .
Noname ’ s verse includes a callback to Billie Holiday ’ s 1939 anti-lynching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lyric , “ Eat their apple pie in the morning then bury the strange fruit.
” The juxtaposing of the American symbol of apple pie with strange fruit is a powerful commentary on how misguided patriotism causes individuals to whitewash over both past and current atrocities .
Jay Rock ’ s verse includes the line “ Knee on our necks , bullets in backs.
” The “ knee on our neck ” isn ’ t just a clear reference to the murder of George Floyd , it could also serve as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be held back by systemic racism .
Altogether , the artists combine for a radically introspective and reflective tune on why people are rising , especially during a pandemic .

The following post was originally published at Ongoing History of Protest Songs.
“Lockdown” was released on Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the liberation of slaves on June 19, 1865.
Anderson .Paak composed the tune based on his own experience attending Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others at the hand of police officers. He created a sad reminder that despite any progress there is still a long way to go for justice.
The recently released remixed version features additional poignant verses from JID, Noname, and Jay Rock.
JID’s verse includes the hard-hitting line, “All the black girls missin’ and endin’ up inside the coffins. But you mad when they hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on front your sidewalks.” It points to the ignorance of the “All Lives Matter” crowd.
Noname’s verse includes a callback to Billie Holiday’s 1939 anti-lynching protest anthem “Strange Fruit” with the lyric, “Eat their apple pie in the morning then bury the strange fruit.” The juxtaposing of the American symbol of apple pie with strange fruit is a powerful commentary on how misguided patriotism causes individuals to whitewash over both past and current atrocities.
Jay Rock’s verse includes the line “Knee on our necks, bullets in backs.” The “knee on our neck” isn’t just a clear reference to the murder of George Floyd, it could also serve as a metaphor of how the Black community continues to be held back by systemic racism.
Altogether, the artists combine for a radically introspective and reflective tune on why people are rising, especially during a pandemic.


shadowproof--2020-08-13--Beyond Prisons Podcast: An Abolitionist Focus Is A Feminine Focus Feat. Dr. Venezia Michalsen

Beyond Prisons Podcast : An Abolitionist Focus Is A Feminine Focus Feat .
Dr. Venezia Michalsen Kim Wilson is joined by Dr. Venezia Michalsen for a conversation about her research on women ’ s experiences with the criminal punishment system on the Beyond Prisons podcast .
Their conversation , which was recorded in February , touches on how women are impacted differently by the system than men and how criminology has focused on studying men ’ s experiences .
They also discuss the ways that women ’ s survival strategies are criminalized , white carceral feminism and punishment , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an American intersectional feminist criminologist whose work focuses on gender and imprisonment and reentry from incarceration .
Venezia received her B.A .
in 1998 from Barnard College and her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice ( 2007 ) from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York ( CUNY ) .
She was the Director of Analysis and Client Information Systems ( ACIS ) at the Women ’ s Prison Association until she began her career as an academic in the Justice Studies Department at Montclair State University ( MSU ) in 2008 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Justice Studies at MSU .
Venezia interrogates the use of incarceration as a response to women ’ s survival strategies in the face of childhood and adult abuse .
She also focuses on women ’ s experiences of re-entry to the community from prison and jail , and in particular on the role of children in women ’ s desistance from criminal behavior after incarceration .
Her first book , Mothering and Desistance in Re-Entry was published in 2019 .
Always an advocate for women who come in contact with the criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent work has involved fighting for abolitionist policies in her home state of Connecticut .
Venezia is the mother of an eight-year-old autistic boy , and her advocacy work for him and other children in special education has led to the formation of Special Education PTA in her town and she is working to increase police training on interactions with disabled people .
In her free time , she loves to ride her bicycle , hike at Sleeping Giant State Park , and lift heavy weights .
Mothering and Desistance in Re-Entry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) “ Abolitionist Feminism as Prisons Close : Fighting the Racist and Misogynist Surveillance ‘ Child Welfare ’ System , ” by Venezia Michalsen Downsizing Prisons : How to Reduce Crime and End Mass Incarceration , by Michael Jacobson ( NYU Press , 2005 ) “ Motherwork Under the State : The Maternal Labor of Formerly Incarcerated Black Women , ” by Susila Gurusami Taylar Nuevelle and Beyond Prison ’ s conversation with Taylar Nuevelle on Knitting in Prison “ Jail will separate 2.3 million mothers from their children this year , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kim Wilson and Brian Sonenstein Support our show and join us on Patreon .
Check out our other donation options as well .
Please listen , subscribe , and rate/review our podcast on Apple Podcast , Spotify , and Google Play Join our mailing list for updates on new episodes , events , and more Kim Wilson is available for speaking engagements and to facilitate workshops .
Please contact beyondprisonspodcast @ gmail.com for more information

Kim Wilson is joined by Dr. Venezia Michalsen for a conversation about her research on women’s experiences with the criminal punishment system on the Beyond Prisons podcast.
Their conversation, which was recorded in February, touches on how women are impacted differently by the system than men and how criminology has focused on studying men’s experiences. They also discuss the ways that women’s survival strategies are criminalized, white carceral feminism and punishment, and much more.
Dr. Venezia Michalsen is an American intersectional feminist criminologist whose work focuses on gender and imprisonment and reentry from incarceration.
Venezia received her B.A. in 1998 from Barnard College and her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice (2007) from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). She was the Director of Analysis and Client Information Systems (ACIS) at the Women’s Prison Association until she began her career as an academic in the Justice Studies Department at Montclair State University (MSU) in 2008. She is currently an Associate Professor of Justice Studies at MSU.
Venezia interrogates the use of incarceration as a response to women’s survival strategies in the face of childhood and adult abuse. She also focuses on women’s experiences of re-entry to the community from prison and jail, and in particular on the role of children in women’s desistance from criminal behavior after incarceration. Her first book, Mothering and Desistance in Re-Entry was published in 2019.
Always an advocate for women who come in contact with the criminal justice system, Venezia’s more recent work has involved fighting for abolitionist policies in her home state of Connecticut. Venezia is the mother of an eight-year-old autistic boy, and her advocacy work for him and other children in special education has led to the formation of Special Education PTA in her town and she is working to increase police training on interactions with disabled people. In her free time, she loves to ride her bicycle, hike at Sleeping Giant State Park, and lift heavy weights.
Episode Resources & Notes
Mothering and Desistance in Re-Entry, by Venezia Michalsen (Routledge, 2019)
“Abolitionist Feminism as Prisons Close: Fighting the Racist and Misogynist Surveillance ‘Child Welfare’ System,” by Venezia Michalsen
“The Newest Jim Crow,” by Michelle Alexander
Downsizing Prisons: How to Reduce Crime and End Mass Incarceration, by Michael Jacobson (NYU Press, 2005)
“Motherwork Under the State: The Maternal Labor of Formerly Incarcerated Black Women,” by Susila Gurusami
Taylar Nuevelle and Beyond Prison’s conversation with Taylar Nuevelle on Knitting in Prison
“Jail will separate 2.3 million mothers from their children this year,” by Prison Policy
Worth Rises
Credits
Created and hosted by Kim Wilson and Brian Sonenstein
Edited by Ellis Maxwell
Website & volunteers managed by Victoria Nam
Theme music by Jared Ware
Support Beyond Prisons
Visit our website at beyond-prisons.com
Support our show and join us on Patreon. Check out our other donation options as well.
Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Play
Join our mailing list for updates on new episodes, events, and more
Send tips, comments, and questions to beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com
Kim Wilson is available for speaking engagements and to facilitate workshops. Please contact beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com for more information
Twitter: @Beyond_Prison
Facebook:@beyondprisonspodcast
Instagram:@beyondprisons


shadowproof--2020-08-14--Dissenter Weekly: Vindicating The Rights Of Federal Whistleblowers

On this edition of the “ Dissenter Weekly , ” host and Shadowproof editor Kevin Gosztola highlights a couple examples @ @ @ @ @ recently in Congress .
Whistleblower advocacy groups have fought for more than a decade for @ @ @ @ @ jury trials .
Yet , in 2012 , when there was an opportunity to expand @ @ @ @ @ Barack Obama and Congress balked at giving federal whistleblowers the same ability to challenge retaliation @ @ @ @ @ sector have .
Gosztola opens the show with a response to a new election-related censorship @ @ @ @ @ Later in the show , Gosztola covers two whistleblower stories—one involving a whistleblowing police officer @ @ @ @ @ put on a Brady list for dishonest cops , the other involving a New Jersey @ @ @ @ @ the whistle on the lack of COVID-19 safety at their facility .
To watch the @ @ @ @ @ above player or go here .
Sign up to receive The Dissenter Newsletter : dissenter.substack.com/subscribe

On this edition of the “Dissenter Weekly,” host and Shadowproof editor Kevin Gosztola highlights a couple examples of federal whistleblower legislation introduced recently in Congress.
Whistleblower advocacy groups have fought for more than a decade for access to the courts and jury trials. Yet, in 2012, when there was an opportunity to expand federal whistleblower protections, President Barack Obama and Congress balked at giving federal whistleblowers the same ability to challenge retaliation that whistleblowers in the private sector have.
Gosztola opens the show with a response to a new election-related censorship policy adopted by YouTube.
Later in the show, Gosztola covers two whistleblower stories—one involving a whistleblowing police officer in Phoenix, who was put on a Brady list for dishonest cops, the other involving a New Jersey National Guard member who blew the whistle on the lack of COVID-19 safety at their facility.
To watch the show, click on the above player or go here.
Sign up to receive The Dissenter Newsletter: dissenter.substack.com/subscribe
This week’s stories:


shadowproof--2020-08-18--Bipartisan Group Of Elites Freak Out As Trump Says He’s Considering A Pardon For Snowden

Bipartisan Group Of Elites Freak Out As Trump Says He ’ s Considering A Pardon For Snowden The bipartisan freakout over the mere possibility that President Donald Trump might pardon Edward Snowden is a reflection of the deep-seated prejudice that exists against the National Security Agency whistleblower .
Prejudice formed among elites immediately after Snowden revealed he was behind disclosures that exposed the United States ’ global mass surveillance programs , which violated people ’ s privacy both domestically and abroad .
It intensified as he was trapped in a Moscow airport after the State Department revoked his passport and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet , with Trump , the hostility has grown even more feverish because—although there is no proof whatsoever—this coalition of neoliberals and neoconservatives sees the hand of Russia President Vladimir Putin behind the sudden interest in Snowden ’ s case .
Days after an exclusive report in the New York Post suggested Trump was considering a pardon , Trump was asked about Snowden .
“ Well , I ’ m gon na look at it .
I mean , I ’ m not that aware of the Snowden situation , but I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , ” Trump replied .
“ There are many , many people—it seems to be a split decision .
There are many people that think that he should be somehow treated differently and other people think he did very bad things.
” Trump added , “ I ’ ve seen people that are very conservative and very liberal , and they agree on the same issue .
They agree both ways .
I ’ m going to take a look at that very strongly , Edward Snowden.
” In 2013 , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This guy is really doing damage to this country , and he ’ s also making us look like dopes .
We can ’ t allow this guy to go out there and give out all our secrets and also embarrass us at every level .
We should get him back and get him back now.
” But what Trump said suggests he never had a firmly held viewpoint on Snowden .
It was all part of his vitriolic opposition to President Barack Obama ’ s administration .
Democratic Representative Adam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Situation Room ” with Wolf Blitzer and said , “ Where is this coming from ?
You know , I have to say it makes you wonder because we know so little of what the president discusses when he talks to Putin , and Snowden is of course finding his safe refuge in Putin ’ s Russia right now.
” Quite a few delusions related to Russia influence in the Trump administration have been perpetuated by Schiff , who is the chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence ( HPSCI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was responsible for ensuring dragnet internet surveillance was not eliminated from a bill for reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act .
According to Demand Progress , a grassroots advocacy organization that fights to protect privacy and civil liberties , Schiff cut “ Dreamers , ” young immigrants protected from deportation , and other immigrants from a proposed protection that apparently “ served as a loophole to protect something else : potential undisclosed surveillance of Americans ’ internet browsing and search histories.
” Snowden revealed an NSA program called XKeyscore that collected “ nearly everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It swept up a person ’ s emails , social media activity , and browser history .
And he also exposed PRISM , which allowed the NSA to access to the servers of companies like Apple , Facebook , Google , Microsoft and other companies to “ collect material including search history , the content of emails , file transfers , and live chats.
” In other words , Schiff is a key defender of the very mass surveillance programs that systematically violate privacy , which Snowden exposed .
Republican Representative Liz Cheney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dick Cheney , declared , “ Edward Snowden is a traitor .
He is responsible for the largest and most damaging release of classified info in US history .
He handed over U.S. secrets to Russian and Chinese intelligence putting our troops and our nation at risk .
Pardoning him would be unconscionable.
” There is zero evidence that China or Russia ever obtained access to documents .
In fact , Snowden did not take copies of the documents with him when he left Hong Kong because he did not think it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nonetheless , this notion from “ former spies ” that Russia tried to “ get their hands ” on “ intelligence ” from Snowden—and that China “ may have already had their turn ” —was first laundered by Blitzer on CNN and by other news media outlets in late June 2013 .
It gradually became part of the shared perspective among elites .
In 2014 , former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused Snowden of effectively colluding with China and Russia .
“ It struck me as—I just have to be honest with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flee to China , because Hong Kong is controlled by China , and that he would then go to Russia , two countries with which we have very difficult cyber-relationships , to put it mildly , ” Clinton stated .
A bipartisan statement from Democratic Representative Adam Smith , chair of the House Armed Services Committee , and Republican Representative , the committee ’ s Ranking Member , condemned Trump for teasing that he would reconsider his position on Snowden .
“ Edward Snowden did enormous harm to our national security and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” they proclaimed .
“ President Trump and [ Defense ] Secretary [ Mark ] Esper have both decried harmful leaks from the Department of Defense and elsewhere in the federal government .
To pardon Snowden now would completely undermine this administration ’ s position and mock our national security workforce who take immense caution in their work to keep us safe.
” They added , “ It would be a serious mistake to pardon anyone who is charged under the Espionage Act , who admits to leaking sensitive information , and who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guest of the Putin regime .
Not only would it mean that Snowden can not be held accountable for his crimes , but it would send a dangerous message to others who are contemplating espionage and the adversaries who would support them.
” The statement was a full-throated defense of the Insider Threat Program in the U.S. government that has further entrenched a two-tiered justice system for leaks , where lower level employees or contractors like Snowden are punished for exposing abuses and high-ranking officials like former CIA Director David Petraeus are allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama national security adviser Susan Rice glibly responded , “ I .
Just .
Can ’ t .
Congratulations GOP .
This is who you are now.
” Rice suggested Russia could be behind the uprising in Minneapolis and other cities after George Floyd was murdered by police .
Fortunately , that conspiracy theory was too kooky for the mass media and never gained traction .
Barry R. McCaffrey , a U.S. Army general who was part of President Bill Clinton ’ s administration , reacted , “ So Putin wants Snowden pardoned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What do the Russians have on Trump ?
” As the New York Times reported in 2008 , McCaffrey is a military propagandist who was “ at the heart of a scandal ” during the Iraq War that involved retired generals hired by ABC , CBS , and NBC , who were recruited by the Pentagon to make their case for war .
He had “ undisclosed ties to companies that benefited ” from the invasion and occupation .
“ Just noting that Trump seems a lot more concerned for Edward Snowden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops whom Putin is targeting , ” neoconservative pundit Bill Kristol remarked .
Kristol was the co-founder of the Project for a New American Century who led the charge in President George W. Bush ’ s administration for the Iraq War .
As late as 2015 , he was still defending the decimation of an entire country that resulted in hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis and thousands of dead U.S. soldiers .
“ Even with the absence of caches of weapons of mass destruction , and the mistakes we made in failing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide security from the beginning for the Iraqi people , we were right to persevere through several difficult years .
We were able to bring the war to a reasonably successful conclusion in 2008 , ” Kristol declared .
The “ reasonably successful conclusion ” led to the birth of ISIS , which terrorized Iraq , Libya , and Syria throughout the past decade .
Furthermore , as Gareth Porter documented , the “ Bountygate ” story was a scandalous effort by Afghan intelligence that the Pentagon exploited to prolong the Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Words How Fucking Batshit Crazy This Is ’ Simon Rosenberg , the founder of the centrist New Democrat Network , reacted , “ Hard to put into words how fucking batshit crazy this is .
For all not up to speed , this is an admission that our President is owned by Putin.
” Attorney Mark Zaid , a pseudo-advocate for whistleblowers who represented the Ukraine call whistleblower , unintelligibly commented , “ Neither Snowden ’ s life nor his limbs were ever at risk except in conspiracy devoted minds .
Oh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives voluntarily since that country has a history of [ government ] assassination of rogue officials.
” Zaid frequently spends his time on Twitter justifying prosecutions of whistleblowers under the Espionage Act because they did not go through the “ proper channels ” and blow the whistle the right way .
Finally , Joshua Geltzer is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and former Justice Department official .
He put together a thread that went viral , which is everything wrong about the conversation on pardoning Snowden .
“ First , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subject , as he so often does .
COVID deaths , voter suppression—there ’ s so much bad for Trump that he wants a topic change to Snowden , ” Geltzer argued .
“ We shouldn ’ t let him .
But we should understand that his motivation goes deeper.
” “ Snowden ’ s narrative is Trump ’ s in a sense : it ’ s all about distrusting U.S. intelligence & law enforcement and portraying them as the enemy .
This is Trump ’ s whole obsession with 2016 counterintelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s story thus aligns with Trump ’ s. ” Geltzer continued , “ Snowden divides and polarizes Americans , and Trump loves any topic that does so .
Trump thrives on a America split , and what ’ s more , disagreeing on basic facts .
Snowden is deeply divisive , even on the facts of what he did , & so he ’ s a useful foil for Trump to polarize us.
” “ Trump is using Snowden to attack the idea of truth itself , as Trump does relentlessly ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s why Trump is emphasizing that some people love and some hate Snowden .
Trump wants you to believe that there ’ s NO right answer—to Snowden and so much more.
” Geltzer concluded , “ So let ’ s deny Trump the distraction he seeks .
Let ’ s stay focused on the deaths and authoritarianism and various Trump misdeeds that must stay front & center .
But let ’ s also understand what Trump ’ s doing so we can thwart it and get ahead of him .
Or he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not three-dimensional chess .
It is possible to support a pardon for Snowden and still defeat Trump , especially since Snowden is not some unabashed Trump supporter .
The American Civil Liberties Union supported a pardon for Snowden because he sparked an “ unprecedented global debate about the proper limits of government spying.
” His whistleblowing transformed privacy laws and standards , the security of the devices we use and how we communicate , and our understanding of how institutions govern citizens .
Snowden is not as divisive as elites want the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by The Economist only found 29 percent of Americans supported prosecution .
Geltzer dismisses “ Snowden ’ s narrative ” as one that inappropriately sows distrust in U.S. intelligence and law enforcement .
But once again , Snowden was vindicated when an Obama-appointed panel recommended several reforms and a federal appeals court concluded the NSA ’ s bulk collection of call records was unconstitutional .
The problem for elites is that they have staked their opposition to defending national security institutions , and Snowden showed they were complicit or involved in systematically violating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to excuse the indefensible .
In their defense of intelligence industrial-complex , they promoted a theory that the Trump campaign engaged in a conspiracy or coordinated with the Russian government to beat Hillary Clinton .
Special Counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation was unable to substantiate this theory to fully discredit and remove Trump from office .
But Trump can point to abuses in how the FBI applied for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) warrant for surveillance against Carter Page , who was a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith pled guilty to “ altering an email about Page to say that he was ‘ not a source ’ for another government agency.
” ( Page was working for the CIA . )
Trump may connect the abuse of FISA warrants to a pardon for Snowden , and if he does , those opposed to Trump should not respond feverishly as neoliberal and neoconservative elites have .
They should recognize how awful it is that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and the Democratic Party establishment have totally abandoned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much ground to right-wing politicians .

Editor’s Note This is the free edition of The Dissenter newsletter, which covers whistleblowers and the obstacles they face in government and corporate institutions. To become a subscriber, visit https://dissenter.substack.com/subscribe
The bipartisan freakout over the mere possibility that President Donald Trump might pardon Edward Snowden is a reflection of the deep-seated prejudice that exists against the National Security Agency whistleblower.
Prejudice formed among elites immediately after Snowden revealed he was behind disclosures that exposed the United States’ global mass surveillance programs, which violated people’s privacy both domestically and abroad. It intensified as he was trapped in a Moscow airport after the State Department revoked his passport and was forced to seek asylum from Russia.
Yet, with Trump, the hostility has grown even more feverish because—although there is no proof whatsoever—this coalition of neoliberals and neoconservatives sees the hand of Russia President Vladimir Putin behind the sudden interest in Snowden’s case.
Days after an exclusive report in the New York Post suggested Trump was considering a pardon, Trump was asked about Snowden.
“Well, I’m gonna look at it. I mean, I’m not that aware of the Snowden situation, but I’m going to start looking at it,” Trump replied. “There are many, many people—it seems to be a split decision. There are many people that think that he should be somehow treated differently and other people think he did very bad things.”
Trump added, “I’ve seen people that are very conservative and very liberal, and they agree on the same issue. They agree both ways. I’m going to take a look at that very strongly, Edward Snowden.”
In 2013, Trump fiercely objected to Snowden’s actions. “This guy is really doing damage to this country, and he’s also making us look like dopes. We can’t allow this guy to go out there and give out all our secrets and also embarrass us at every level. We should get him back and get him back now.”
But what Trump said suggests he never had a firmly held viewpoint on Snowden. It was all part of his vitriolic opposition to President Barack Obama’s administration.
‘Finding His Safe Refuge In Putin’s Russia’
Democratic Representative Adam Schiff appeared on CNN’s “The Situation Room” with Wolf Blitzer and said, “Where is this coming from? You know, I have to say it makes you wonder because we know so little of what the president discusses when he talks to Putin, and Snowden is of course finding his safe refuge in Putin’s Russia right now.”
Quite a few delusions related to Russia influence in the Trump administration have been perpetuated by Schiff, who is the chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). In August, he also was responsible for ensuring dragnet internet surveillance was not eliminated from a bill for reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act.
According to Demand Progress, a grassroots advocacy organization that fights to protect privacy and civil liberties, Schiff cut “Dreamers,” young immigrants protected from deportation, and other immigrants from a proposed protection that apparently “served as a loophole to protect something else: potential undisclosed surveillance of Americans’ internet browsing and search histories.”
Snowden revealed an NSA program called XKeyscore that collected “nearly everything a user does on the internet.” It swept up a person’s emails, social media activity, and browser history. And he also exposed PRISM, which allowed the NSA to access to the servers of companies like Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and other companies to “collect material including search history, the content of emails, file transfers, and live chats.”
In other words, Schiff is a key defender of the very mass surveillance programs that systematically violate privacy, which Snowden exposed.
Republican Representative Liz Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, declared, “Edward Snowden is a traitor. He is responsible for the largest and most damaging release of classified info in US history. He handed over U.S. secrets to Russian and Chinese intelligence putting our troops and our nation at risk. Pardoning him would be unconscionable.”
There is zero evidence that China or Russia ever obtained access to documents. In fact, Snowden did not take copies of the documents with him when he left Hong Kong because he did not think it would be in the “public interest.”
Nonetheless, this notion from “former spies” that Russia tried to “get their hands” on “intelligence” from Snowden—and that China “may have already had their turn”—was first laundered by Blitzer on CNN and by other news media outlets in late June 2013. It gradually became part of the shared perspective among elites.
In 2014, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused Snowden of effectively colluding with China and Russia.
“It struck me as—I just have to be honest with you—as sort of odd that he would flee to China, because Hong Kong is controlled by China, and that he would then go to Russia, two countries with which we have very difficult cyber-relationships, to put it mildly,” Clinton stated.
Pardoning Snowden Would ‘Mock’ The ‘National Security Workforce’
A bipartisan statement from Democratic Representative Adam Smith, chair of the House Armed Services Committee, and Republican Representative, the committee’s Ranking Member, condemned Trump for teasing that he would reconsider his position on Snowden.
“Edward Snowden did enormous harm to our national security and he must stand trial for his actions,” they proclaimed. “President Trump and [Defense] Secretary [Mark] Esper have both decried harmful leaks from the Department of Defense and elsewhere in the federal government. To pardon Snowden now would completely undermine this administration’s position and mock our national security workforce who take immense caution in their work to keep us safe.”
They added, “It would be a serious mistake to pardon anyone who is charged under the Espionage Act, who admits to leaking sensitive information, and who has spent years since then as a guest of the Putin regime. Not only would it mean that Snowden cannot be held accountable for his crimes, but it would send a dangerous message to others who are contemplating espionage and the adversaries who would support them.”
The statement was a full-throated defense of the Insider Threat Program in the U.S. government that has further entrenched a two-tiered justice system for leaks, where lower level employees or contractors like Snowden are punished for exposing abuses and high-ranking officials like former CIA Director David Petraeus are allowed to leak intelligence with impunity.
Former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice glibly responded, “I. Just. Can’t. Congratulations GOP. This is who you are now.”
Rice suggested Russia could be behind the uprising in Minneapolis and other cities after George Floyd was murdered by police. Fortunately, that conspiracy theory was too kooky for the mass media and never gained traction.
‘So Putin Wants Snowden Pardoned’
Barry R. McCaffrey, a U.S. Army general who was part of President Bill Clinton’s administration, reacted, “So Putin wants Snowden pardoned. The world turned upside down. What do the Russians have on Trump?”
As the New York Times reported in 2008, McCaffrey is a military propagandist who was “at the heart of a scandal” during the Iraq War that involved retired generals hired by ABC, CBS, and NBC, who were recruited by the Pentagon to make their case for war. He had “undisclosed ties to companies that benefited” from the invasion and occupation.
“Just noting that Trump seems a lot more concerned for Edward Snowden, whom Putin is harboring, than American troops whom Putin is targeting,” neoconservative pundit Bill Kristol remarked.
Kristol was the co-founder of the Project for a New American Century who led the charge in President George W. Bush’s administration for the Iraq War. As late as 2015, he was still defending the decimation of an entire country that resulted in hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis and thousands of dead U.S. soldiers.
“Even with the absence of caches of weapons of mass destruction, and the mistakes we made in failing to send enough troops at first and to provide security from the beginning for the Iraqi people, we were right to persevere through several difficult years. We were able to bring the war to a reasonably successful conclusion in 2008,” Kristol declared.
The “reasonably successful conclusion” led to the birth of ISIS, which terrorized Iraq, Libya, and Syria throughout the past decade.
Furthermore, as Gareth Porter documented, the “Bountygate” story was a scandalous effort by Afghan intelligence that the Pentagon exploited to prolong the Afghanistan War.
‘Hard To Put Into Words How Fucking Batshit Crazy This Is’
Simon Rosenberg, the founder of the centrist New Democrat Network, reacted, “Hard to put into words how fucking batshit crazy this is. For all not up to speed, this is an admission that our President is owned by Putin.”
Attorney Mark Zaid, a pseudo-advocate for whistleblowers who represented the Ukraine call whistleblower, unintelligibly commented, “Neither Snowden’s life nor his limbs were ever at risk except in conspiracy devoted minds. Oh, and likely in Russia where he now lives voluntarily since that country has a history of [government] assassination of rogue officials.”
Zaid frequently spends his time on Twitter justifying prosecutions of whistleblowers under the Espionage Act because they did not go through the “proper channels” and blow the whistle the right way.
Finally, Joshua Geltzer is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and former Justice Department official. He put together a thread that went viral, which is everything wrong about the conversation on pardoning Snowden.
“First, Trump simply wants to distract by changing the subject, as he so often does. COVID deaths, voter suppression—there’s so much bad for Trump that he wants a topic change to Snowden,” Geltzer argued. “We shouldn’t let him. But we should understand that his motivation goes deeper.”
“Snowden’s narrative is Trump’s in a sense: it’s all about distrusting U.S. intelligence & law enforcement and portraying them as the enemy. This is Trump’s whole obsession with 2016 counterintelligence work, Flynn, etc. Snowden’s story thus aligns with Trump’s.”
Geltzer continued, “Snowden divides and polarizes Americans, and Trump loves any topic that does so. Trump thrives on a America split, and what’s more, disagreeing on basic facts. Snowden is deeply divisive, even on the facts of what he did, & so he’s a useful foil for Trump to polarize us.”
“Trump is using Snowden to attack the idea of truth itself, as Trump does relentlessly (learning from Putin). That’s why Trump is emphasizing that some people love and some hate Snowden. Trump wants you to believe that there’s NO right answer—to Snowden and so much more.”
Geltzer concluded, “So let’s deny Trump the distraction he seeks. Let’s stay focused on the deaths and authoritarianism and various Trump misdeeds that must stay front & center. But let’s also understand what Trump’s doing so we can thwart it and get ahead of him. Or he’ll just do it again.”
This is not three-dimensional chess. It is possible to support a pardon for Snowden and still defeat Trump, especially since Snowden is not some unabashed Trump supporter.
The American Civil Liberties Union supported a pardon for Snowden because he sparked an “unprecedented global debate about the proper limits of government spying.” His whistleblowing transformed privacy laws and standards, the security of the devices we use and how we communicate, and our understanding of how institutions govern citizens.
Snowden is not as divisive as elites want the public to believe. A 2017 poll by The Economist only found 29 percent of Americans supported prosecution.
Geltzer dismisses “Snowden’s narrative” as one that inappropriately sows distrust in U.S. intelligence and law enforcement. But once again, Snowden was vindicated when an Obama-appointed panel recommended several reforms and a federal appeals court concluded the NSA’s bulk collection of call records was unconstitutional.
The problem for elites is that they have staked their opposition to defending national security institutions, and Snowden showed they were complicit or involved in systematically violating the privacy of Americans, which forces them to excuse the indefensible.
In their defense of intelligence industrial-complex, they promoted a theory that the Trump campaign engaged in a conspiracy or coordinated with the Russian government to beat Hillary Clinton. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation was unable to substantiate this theory to fully discredit and remove Trump from office.
But Trump can point to abuses in how the FBI applied for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant for surveillance against Carter Page, who was a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser. He can point to the fact that FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith pled guilty to “altering an email about Page to say that he was ‘not a source’ for another government agency.” (Page was working for the CIA.)
Trump may connect the abuse of FISA warrants to a pardon for Snowden, and if he does, those opposed to Trump should not respond feverishly as neoliberal and neoconservative elites have. They should recognize how awful it is that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and the Democratic Party establishment have totally abandoned the protection of civil liberties and ceded so much ground to right-wing politicians.


shadowproof--2020-08-18--Bangladesh Clothing Factory Workers Face Layoffs As Retail Corporations Cancel Orders During Pandemi

Bangladesh Clothing Factory Workers Face Layoffs As Retail Corporations Cancel Orders During Pandemic

Ajisa Binte Sima worked at a factory in the Sagorika industrial area in Chattogram , Bangladesh , for seven months .
Sima primarily made clothes for retail clothing for Kohl ’ s before she was terminated on June 23 with every other worker at her factory , who were there for less than a year .
She is one of the thousands of factory garment workers in Bangladesh laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic , as clothing retailer corporations in the United States and Europe have canceled orders .
“ I can ’ t pay my house rent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for my family .
This job was my only source of income , ” Sima shared .
“ Because of COVID-19 , work orders decreased , so the factory doesn ’ t need that many workers .
Some buyers didn ’ t pay bills on time .
Others are asking for discounts while thousands of workers like myself are going to bed without food.
” More than $ 3 billion worth of clothing orders in Bangladesh were canceled due to the pandemic .
The cancellations have impacted 2.28 million workers .
Kohl ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders , around $ 50 million from Bangladesh factories , weeks before paying out $ 109 million in dividends to shareholders .
“ The temporary closure of all 1,159 Kohl ’ s stores caused us to significantly reduce our inventory to align with anticipated sales .
As a result , we made the difficult decision to cancel orders with some of our suppliers where we had the contractual right to do so , ” a Kohl ’ s spokesperson told Shadowproof .
The canceled orders mean Bangladeshi workers are faced with wage decreases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked for twenty years at a garment factory in Chattogram , Bangladesh that also produces clothing primarily for Kohl ’ s .
Barua has only received 65 percent of his salary from the factory in recent months and received only 50 percent of his bonus for Eid Mubarak in May 2020 .
“ I haven ’ t been able to pay rent on my house for the past two months , and the owner is pressuring me to come up with the rent , ” Barua said .
According to Barua , garment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 10 hours per week , six days a week .
Many continued working during the pandemic to try to keep up with previous delivery dates and orders .
“ Every day there are a few factories getting closed .
Thousands of workers have lost their jobs and thousands will lose their job within the next couple of months , ” Barua added .
“ Workers are facing a really hard time and some are leaving the city because they are now unable to afford the cost of living in the cities.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear of retaliation as they struggle with unpaid wages and unsafe working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ Salaries have been reduced and bonuses have been halved , ” said a garment factory worker in the Gaizpur division of Dhaka , Bangladesh .
“ Factory management often stock their products in advance from our overtime .
They always have an option to profit .
But during COVID-19 , they said that they have no money as orders are canceled.
” For four years , the worker has been at the garment factory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , primarily Puma .
The worker ’ s factory closed down for a month on March 26 , and despite reopening , they only received 60 percent of their salary for March , April , and May , and have not received payment for the month of June .
They explained workers with less than one year of seniority have not been called back , along with several pregnant women .
During the pandemic , the worker said social distancing is not practiced and overtime has been eliminated , but workers still suffer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any tiredness or make any small mistakes .
“ In Bangladesh , we canceled less than 1.5 percent of our orders and as said , we paid these suppliers for the costs of canceled orders , ” a Puma spokesperson stated .
“ We are working with the Better Work Program of the ILO in Bangladesh to make sure that our suppliers follow all legal requirements , including layoff regulations.
” Another worker , in the Asulia , Baipail area of Dhaka , Bangladesh , makes clothing for several European clothing retail companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March , and they ’ ve only received a portion of wages .
“ I don ’ t have a husband and am facing a serious financial crisis along with my three sons and daughter .
This is very difficult for me to carry the expenses of the family , we ’ re passing days almost half-starving , ” the worker shared .

Ajisa Binte Sima worked at a factory in the Sagorika industrial area in Chattogram, Bangladesh, for seven months. Sima primarily made clothes for retail clothing for Kohl’s before she was terminated on June 23 with every other worker at her factory, who were there for less than a year.
She is one of the thousands of factory garment workers in Bangladesh laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as clothing retailer corporations in the United States and Europe have canceled orders.
“I can’t pay my house rent. I’m having issues getting food for my family. This job was my only source of income,” Sima shared. “Because of COVID-19, work orders decreased, so the factory doesn’t need that many workers. Some buyers didn’t pay bills on time. Others are asking for discounts while thousands of workers like myself are going to bed without food.”
More than $3 billion worth of clothing orders in Bangladesh were canceled due to the pandemic. The cancellations have impacted 2.28 million workers.
Kohl’s alone canceled $150 million in orders, around $50 million from Bangladesh factories, weeks before paying out $109 million in dividends to shareholders.
“The temporary closure of all 1,159 Kohl’s stores caused us to significantly reduce our inventory to align with anticipated sales. As a result, we made the difficult decision to cancel orders with some of our suppliers where we had the contractual right to do so,” a Kohl’s spokesperson told Shadowproof.
The canceled orders mean Bangladeshi workers are faced with wage decreases and unpaid wages.
Rintu Barua has worked for twenty years at a garment factory in Chattogram, Bangladesh that also produces clothing primarily for Kohl’s. Barua has only received 65 percent of his salary from the factory in recent months and received only 50 percent of his bonus for Eid Mubarak in May 2020.
“I haven’t been able to pay rent on my house for the past two months, and the owner is pressuring me to come up with the rent,” Barua said.
According to Barua, garment factory workers in Bangladesh typically work 8 to 10 hours per week, six days a week. Many continued working during the pandemic to try to keep up with previous delivery dates and orders.
“Every day there are a few factories getting closed. Thousands of workers have lost their jobs and thousands will lose their job within the next couple of months,” Barua added. “Workers are facing a really hard time and some are leaving the city because they are now unable to afford the cost of living in the cities.”
Some workers requested they remain anonymous for fear of retaliation as they struggle with unpaid wages and unsafe working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Salaries have been reduced and bonuses have been halved,” said a garment factory worker in the Gaizpur division of Dhaka, Bangladesh. “Factory management often stock their products in advance from our overtime. They always have an option to profit. But during COVID-19, they said that they have no money as orders are canceled.”
For four years, the worker has been at the garment factory in Gaizpur making clothes for several companies, primarily Puma.
The worker’s factory closed down for a month on March 26, and despite reopening, they only received 60 percent of their salary for March, April, and May, and have not received payment for the month of June.
They explained workers with less than one year of seniority have not been called back, along with several pregnant women.
During the pandemic, the worker said social distancing is not practiced and overtime has been eliminated, but workers still suffer verbal abuse from supervisors if they show any tiredness or make any small mistakes.
“In Bangladesh, we canceled less than 1.5 percent of our orders and as said, we paid these suppliers for the costs of canceled orders,” a Puma spokesperson stated. “We are working with the Better Work Program of the ILO in Bangladesh to make sure that our suppliers follow all legal requirements, including layoff regulations.”
Another worker, in the Asulia, Baipail area of Dhaka, Bangladesh, makes clothing for several European clothing retail companies. Their factory has been closed since March, and they’ve only received a portion of wages.
“I don’t have a husband and am facing a serious financial crisis along with my three sons and daughter. This is very difficult for me to carry the expenses of the family, we’re passing days almost half-starving,” the worker shared.


shadowproof--2020-08-19--Open Call For Submissions On Black Lives Matter Organizing, Police Abolition

Following the publication of several excellent articles from our open call in June , Shadowproof continues its coverage of the movement to abolish the prison industrial complex .
We ’ re seeking another round of contributions from independent journalists on the following topics : • Perspectives on “ looting ” from abolitionist organizers and people who live in communities impacted by policing , while placing the act and popular narratives around it within their proper economic , political , racial , social , and other contexts .
• The attempted cooptation of the Black Lives Matter movement by politicians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agendas , as well as the use of abolitionist language and framing for non-abolitionist ends .
• Grassroots candidates who have made defunding the police , dismantling the prison industrial complex , or broader principles of abolition a central part of their election campaigns .
We ’ re especially interested in campaigns at the city and county level .
We are still accepting pitches on the following topics from June : • Grassroots abolitionist organizing to take power and resources away from policing , prisons , or other arms of the carceral state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) • Examples of transformative justice , community accountability , and other non-carceral anti-violence processes that exist in most impacted communities • Critical analysis of reformist-reforms and exploration of non-reformist ( abolitionist ) reform proposals around the country Shadowproof is primarily interested in reported pieces and will give priority to journalists who have demonstrated an understanding of and experience with the abolition movement .
We are looking for reporting that examines issues involving abolition or reflects the work of abolitionist organizing .
We would also like to note that Shadowproof is committed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are open to discussing anonymity and other ways to protect individuals featured in our reporting , as we acknowledge the sensitive and often dangerous nature of anti-violence organizing .
Please review our freelance submission guidelines before pitching Shadowproof .
We look forward to hearing your ideas !

Following the publication of several excellent articles from our open call in June, Shadowproof continues its coverage of the movement to abolish the prison industrial complex.
We’re seeking another round of contributions from independent journalists on the following topics:
Perspectives on “looting” from abolitionist organizers and people who live in communities impacted by policing, while placing the act and popular narratives around it within their proper economic, political, racial, social, and other contexts.
The attempted cooptation of the Black Lives Matter movement by politicians, corporations, and movement groups with different agendas, as well as the use of abolitionist language and framing for non-abolitionist ends.
Grassroots candidates who have made defunding the police, dismantling the prison industrial complex, or broader principles of abolition a central part of their election campaigns. We’re especially interested in campaigns at the city and county level.
We are still accepting pitches on the following topics from June:
Grassroots abolitionist organizing to take power and resources away from policing, prisons, or other arms of the carceral state (like defunding police, etc.)
Examples of transformative justice, community accountability, and other non-carceral anti-violence processes that exist in most impacted communities
Critical analysis of reformist-reforms and exploration of non-reformist (abolitionist) reform proposals around the country
Shadowproof is primarily interested in reported pieces and will give priority to journalists who have demonstrated an understanding of and experience with the abolition movement. We are looking for reporting that examines issues involving abolition or reflects the work of abolitionist organizing.
We would also like to note that Shadowproof is committed to the safety and privacy of our sources. We are open to discussing anonymity and other ways to protect individuals featured in our reporting, as we acknowledge the sensitive and often dangerous nature of anti-violence organizing.
Please review our freelance submission guidelines before pitching Shadowproof. We look forward to hearing your ideas!


shadowproof--2020-08-19--Protest Song Of The Week: ‘Freedom Groove’ By Keleketla!

Protest Song Of The Week : ‘ Freedom Groove ’ By Keleketla !
Toyi toyi was the dance of the Mau Mau people in Kenya , as they fought against British colonialism .
The dance was embraced by the South Africa anti-apartheid movement as a nonviolent means of challenging systems of oppression .
The collaborative music project “ Keleketla !
” embraces the call-and response tradition of toyi toyi , as well as the way music and politics can feed off each other to produce a transcendent experience .
As described at the project ’ s Bandcamp page , recording @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to include musicians from Johannesburg , London , Los Angeles , West Papua , and Lagos , Nigeria .
Afrobeat architect Tony Allen , Dele Sosimi , West Papuan activist Benny Wenda , and L.A. spoken word pioneers The Watts Prophets contributed to the project .
“ Freedom Groove ” is the product of an “ off-the-cuff jam session ” between Allen and Matt Black , who is part of Coldcut .
“ Allen ’ s drum part was taken to build a new track , overlaid with fat , battle-cry brass from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom from The Watts Prophets.
” Father Amde Hamilton speaks over an afrobeat rhythm punctuated with electronic ambient noises and jazz riffs : Humanity Screams to be free But fails to see The change of order needed to be Cause there ain ’ t nothing free Nothing on Earth in the universe is free All must follow an order to be Hamilton confronts materialist notions of freedom while proclaiming that freedom is within a person .
It manifests with love and harmony spread outward into society .
“ That ’ s what free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tracks on the album , it fuses styles of music and incorporates motifs from around the world to represent the geographically diverse lineup .
This was one of the final projects , where Allen played drums , before his death on April 30 .
“ Keleketla !
” harnesses the spiritual power of music to rise above injustice .
As an extension of struggles for liberation , past and present , it appeals to us to decolonize our minds so our souls may be free .
Listen to “ Freedom Groove ” @

Toyi toyi was the dance of the Mau Mau people in Kenya, as they fought against British colonialism. The dance was embraced by the South Africa anti-apartheid movement as a nonviolent means of challenging systems of oppression.
The collaborative music project “Keleketla!” embraces the call-and response tradition of toyi toyi, as well as the way music and politics can feed off each other to produce a transcendent experience.
As described at the project’s Bandcamp page, recording sessions in South Africa and London expanded to include musicians from Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, West Papua, and Lagos, Nigeria.
Afrobeat architect Tony Allen, Dele Sosimi, West Papuan activist Benny Wenda, and L.A. spoken word pioneers The Watts Prophets contributed to the project.
“Freedom Groove” is the product of an “off-the-cuff jam session” between Allen and Matt Black, who is part of Coldcut. “Allen’s drum part was taken to build a new track, overlaid with fat, battle-cry brass from Antibalas, and a powerful call to freedom from The Watts Prophets.”
Father Amde Hamilton speaks over an afrobeat rhythm punctuated with electronic ambient noises and jazz riffs:
Humanity
Screams to be free
But fails to see
The change of order needed to be
Cause there ain’t nothing free
Nothing on Earth in the universe is free
All must follow an order to be
Hamilton confronts materialist notions of freedom while proclaiming that freedom is within a person. It manifests with love and harmony spread outward into society. “That’s what free means to me.”
Like most of the tracks on the album, it fuses styles of music and incorporates motifs from around the world to represent the geographically diverse lineup.
This was one of the final projects, where Allen played drums, before his death on April 30.
“Keleketla!” harnesses the spiritual power of music to rise above injustice. As an extension of struggles for liberation, past and present, it appeals to us to decolonize our minds so our souls may be free.
Listen to “Freedom Groove”:
Keleketla! by Keleketla!