Voter Supression et al

New Voter Suppression Laws in 17 States Will Have Major Impact on 2016 Election
MP3 Interview with Adam Gitlin, counsel with the Brennan Center for Justice Democracy program, conducted by Scott Harris

voters
Since the 2010 midterm election, 22 states, most of them controlled by the Republican party, have passed an assortment of new laws that make it more difficult for specific groups of citizens to vote. Seventeen states will have new voting restriction laws in place for the first time in a presidential election, in November 2016. These measures include restrictive voter ID laws, reduction in the days and hours of early voting, and obstacles placed on registering new voters and accessing absentee ballots. New voter suppression laws in these states were made possible in large part by the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling, which gutted a key section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Story continues

Syrian-born Architect Responds to His Nation’s Bloody War Through Art
MP3 Interview with Mohamad Hafez, Syrian-born artist and architect, conducted by Melinda Tuhus

syria
The war in Syria has entered its sixth year, and despite a partial ceasefire in place for a few months that somewhat reduced the daily number of fatalities and injuries, late April attacks by both the Assad government and some rebel groups in the city of Aleppo caused the deaths of more than 200 Syrians. The United Nations and humanitarian groups have estimated that more than 300,000 Syrians have been killed in the war thus far – with more than 11 million refugees and internally displaced persons since 2011 – more than half the country’s prewar population. Story continues

Sanders Supporters Initiate Discussions to Transform Campaign into Progressive Movement
MP3 Interview with Jesse Myerson, independent journalist, conducted by Scott Harris

bernie
With the current delegate count favoring Hillary Clinton to win the Democratic Party nomination, many disappointed supporters of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign are now focusing on a larger goal. Activists who have dedicated the last year to winning primary elections for the Vermont senator are now discussing the potential of transforming their unexpectedly strong campaign into an enduring progressive movement. Story continues

This week’s summary of under-reported news
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Compiled by Bob Nixon

In early March, Honduran indigenous environmental activist Berta Caceres was assassinated by a masked man who broke into her home. Two weeks later, her colleague Nelson Garcia was killed, putting pressure on the Obama White House to pursue justice for dozens of murdered activists, journalists and labor leaders in Honduras since a 2009 coup. Four men linked to Caceres murder were arrested by Honduran police on May 2nd, but Caceres’s family members have asked for an independent investigation by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, a demand rejected by the government.(“Honduras Arrests 4 Men in Killing of Berta Cáceres, Indigenous Activist,” New York Times, May 2, 2016)
The Nu River, China’s last wild river winds through a remote area of southwestern China near the border with Myanmar. It is now the scene of a fierce battle between a state-owned electric company and environmentalists. For the time being, it appears green activists are winning the day as many in China see the area as a future magnet for tourism.(“Will China Save Its Last Undammed River?” Christan Science Monitor, April 10, 2016)
In high school, Baltimore resident Destiny Watford raised local concern about the health impact of a proposed massive waste to energy incinerator slated for her Curtis Bay neighborhood. The plant would have emitted over one thousand pounds of lead into the air annually.(“One Student’s Fight for Clean Air in Baltimore,” The American Prospect, April 20, 2016; “The Folly of Burning Trash for Clean Energy,” The Goldman Prize, April 2016)

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