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US Targeted Killing Rules Conflate Legality and Politics

Marjorie Cohn Truthout
Under the guise of increased transparency, the administration has revealed partial information about its targeted killing program. But much remains classified. And what we do know does not comply with the law.

California’s $15 Minimum Wage Earthquake!

Martin J. Bennett BeyondChron
The California minimum wage earthquake is shaking up state and national politics. There is a powerful lesson from the $15 minimum-wage campaign: only a grassroots movement from below based upon a bold vision for structural reform can change public opinion and pressure government to act.

'The Get Down' is the Queer Hip-Hop History We've Been Waiting For

Jamilah King Mic
Hip-hop has always been queer. Some of its very first hitmakers were part of, if not closely adjacent to, queer communities, and some of its first musical and technical innovations premiered at gay clubs. But it's not the history fans usually read.

Workers School Lifts Up Southern Organizing

Dante Strobino Workers World
The Southern Workers Assembly has been building the Southern Workers School as an important institution to train and develop rank-and-file workers to organize the South. The school has held eight sessions since March tackling issues and basic organizing skills such as learning how to map your workplace and tips for one-on-one discussions with co-workers.

The Significance of Simone Manuel's Swim is Clear if You Know Jim Crow

Kevin B. Blackistone Washington Post
There is a reason why 70 percent of black teenagers, like those who died in Shreveport, and 60 percent of Hispanic teenagers can’t swim. But it isn’t due to some genetic disorder, as some actually believe. It is because of abject irrational racism and Jim Crow and its vestiges.

Domestic Workers in Ill. Win Bill of Rights: “Years of Organizing Have Finally Paid Off”

Parker Asmann In These Times
Worldwide, 90 percent of domestic workers—the vast majority of whom are women—do not have access to any kind of social security coverage, according to the International Labour Organization. In the United States, an estimated 95 percent of domestic workers are female, foreign born and/ or persons of color. They frequently lack protections and face near constant adversity.

Nuclear Power Plant? Or Storage Dump for Hot Radioactive Waste?

Robert Alvarez Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
The basic approach undertaken in this country for the storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel needs to be fundamentally revamped. Instead of waiting for problems to arise, the NRC and the Energy Department need to develop a transparent and comprehensive road map identifying the key elements of—and especially the unknowns associated with—interim storage, transportation, repackaging, and final disposal of all nuclear fuel.

Jammed Cells Expose the Physics of Cancer

Gabriel Popkin Quanta
The subtle mechanics of densely packed cells may help explain why some cancerous tumors stay put while others break off and spread through the body.

A Second Chance? Women In US Prisons Need a First One

Christia Mercer The Guardian
The US imprisons more women, both per capita and in absolute numbers, than any other country. As shocking as the statistics are, they don’t reflect the uniquely horrible circumstances many incarcerated women faced before their convictions. And, according to a report released Wednesday, women are also the fastest growing demographic in our jails, where people are booked and held pending trial, greatly exacerbating the societal disadvantages these women already face.