Dear Progressive Reader,
We are now just a little more than a week away from the certification by the Electoral College of Joe Biden’s victory last month. While Donald Trump continues to contest the results in various court filings, rallies, and on his favorite Twitter, his actual path to overturning the result has narrowed to the point of almost imperceptibility. So, he seems to be choosing the route of sabotage instead.
Reese Erlich reports this week on the dangers created for an incoming Biden Administration by the recent assassination in Iran of a nuclear scientist, and Stephen Zunes writes about the implications of Secretary of State Pompeo’s recent visit to Israel. But, as Mark Fiore illustrates, even while Trump works to disrupt all aspects of an orderly transition of power, he is still raising piles of cash from his supporters for something or other. And Mathew Foresta investigates the way established commercial retailers are cashing in on the merchandise of right-wing extremists.
In spite of the rocky road to a new presidency, many groups and activists are turning their focus to ensuring that an incoming Democratic administration will hold true to the most progressive elements of this year’s party platform. Tina Gerhardt looks this week at ways in which Biden should move to address our most existential crisis, the climate. Rann Miller examines ways in which Biden must support our public schools. And both Eleanor Bader and Ed Rampell look at new films that address the issues of tenants’ rights and homelessness that must be addressed at both the local and federal level.
COVID-19 continues to shape every aspect of our daily lives and work environment. As hopes for a vaccine accelerate, Mike Ervin cautions about the ways in which distribution might be prioritized. Arvind Dilawar highlights efforts to get inmates released from unhealthy prison environments. And Amazon worker Rina Cummings pens an op-ed for our Progressive Media Project about the dangers faced by workers in an industry that has made $70 billion for its owner Jeff Bezos since the pandemic began. (The Progressive Media Project has already held five workshops this year training new writers in the techniques of getting their voice, and their issues, into print. You can contact our office for more details or to support this work.)
Finally, our Annual Campaign is underway. Please consider supporting this independent progressive journalistic voice if you are able to help with a donation of any size. We do this for you, our readers, but it is no exaggeration to say that we could not do it without you.
Keep reading, and we will keep bringing you important articles on these and other issues of our time.
Sincerely,
Norman Stockwell
Publisher
P.S. – On Tuesday December 15 at 7:00pm CST we will be hosting a live book event with journalist John Nichols for his new book - The Fight for the Soul of the Democratic Party: The Enduring Legacy of Henry Wallace's Anti-Fascist, Anti-Racist Politics. Please plan to join us via Youtube or Facebook Live.
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