Welcome to News Bits, a look at today’s headlines from an anarchist perspective.
From the New York Times: Congress is set to start confirming cabinet nominations this week. Two weeks out from the inauguration, it’s time to start really rubbing it in that the nightmare is, indeed, real and that there’s nothing to wake up from. Eat Arby’s.
Also from the New York Times: The FBI arrested a Volkswagen executive on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Prison riots in Brazil leave 100 inmates dead and a lot of angry, mourning families knocking on the doors of politicians across the country.
From the Washington Post: During a Golden Globes ceremony where a movie literally called “La-La-Land” won in the Best Picture category, notorious radical Meryl Streep took Donald Trump to task. He tweeted about it. Nobody wins.
Also from the Washington Post: The global market plans to fight Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions to the death. And Martin Shkreli was booted from Twitter for trying to get a journalist to be his inauguration date and then sending a horde after her when she noped out. Finally, Margaret Sullivan (our bae) calls on everyone to stop with the damn-fool “Fake News” business.
From National Public Radio: In more than a few states, legislators don’t make enough money to work. Which, I mean, yikes, kind of. We sometimes (quite rightly) like to think of politicians as greedy money-grubbers seeking deals with corporate fat cats, etc. but it’s easy to forget that some folks – regardless of political leanings – run for office with a genuine, if misplaced, sense of duty. Still, they’d probably be more financially stable out of politics. And better people for it, too.
Also from National Public Radio: Orca shows at SeaWorld (specifically in San Diego, not its other sites in Florida and Texas) are about to stop, which is good, but Orca are still being held captive, which is bad. Also, there was a series of suicide bombings in Baghdad this weekend, which is DEFINITELY bad.
From the Los Angeles Times: You’d think that a lot of rain and snow would be good for drought-wracked California, but – listen, I used to live there, if you dry that state out for even a dang minute it becomes susceptible to mudslides the next time the sprinklers go off. So like, this is not a great thing for anyone.
Also from the Los Angeles Times: A US man shot a US diplomat in Mexico. Also they’re using a F*CKING HOWITZER to do avalanche control on Mammoth Mountain. What is this world.
From Politico: Here’s a list of the 30 most-powerful people in Trump’s Washington. I’m just gonna be over here in this corner from now until the nukes get me.
Also from Politico: No but seriously, Trump is creating his own toxic ecosystem right now. He’s planning on giving his advisors a lot of power in the first six months of his presidency. I really don’t have anything to add to that except I hope y’all are ready.
From AnarchistNews: Greek anarchists were arrested and their six-year-old child was taken into state custody last week. Greeks took to the streets in response.
From Infoshop News: Turkish anarchists report that they are being cornered by a combination of the state’s “OHAL” (or post-coup state of emergency) and other regional factors.
From It’s Going Down: Scott Campbell has a great collection of new information from the Mexican #Gasolinazo gas riots. Also, a Neo-Nazi radio show in Georgia was shut down.
From RARE: Lucy Steigerwald has a post up about Donald Trump’s non-relationship to the Fourth Amendment.
From The Nation: John Knefel writes about the rapidly closing window of opportunity to free Guantánamo Bay prisoners.
From Jacobin: Corey Robin writes about the slow death of American institutions and how that factors into Trump’s presidency.
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