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Support Kit’s Journalism During The Texas Legislature Special Session
Support Resistance Journalism! Image shows activists gathering in the Texas Capitol in July 2013. (Kit O'Connell)
July 17, 2017
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Support Kit’s Journalism During The Texas Legislature Special Session

Posted in Archive, Journalism, and Website

First off, thanks as always to all my supporters!

On Tuesday, the Texas legislature will re-open for a special session in which the Republicans hope to force through a host of regressive laws targeting transgender rights, abortion access, public workers’ unions, education funding and much more. 

In response, activists and organizers are forming massive coalitions and planning near daily protests, rallies, and lobbying on behalf of progressive causes. Texas, once again, will be a proving ground for both the inhumane agenda of the far right and the resistance tactics of the left.

Read moreSupport Kit’s Journalism During The Texas Legislature Special Session
Trump’s Budget Suckerpunches The Poor & Disabled; Democrats Respond With A Whimper
A huge "15" sculpture is held over a crowd of Fight For 15 activists in Columbus, Ohio on April 14, 2015. (Flickr / Stephen L, CC NC license)
May 30, 2017
Kit
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Trump’s Budget Suckerpunches The Poor & Disabled; Democrats Respond With A Whimper

Posted in Archive, Journalism, and Lee Camp

Pres. Donald Trump’s proposed budget would slash the social safety net to ribbons, while continuing the process of dismantling or privatizing virtually all parts of the U.S. government that don’t directly benefit the war machine.

In response, Bernie Sanders and the Democrats have come out SWINGING with a comprehensive and radical list of human-rights centered amendments. They’re even threatening to SHUT DOWN the government! …Just kidding. They promised to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2024.

Read moreTrump’s Budget Suckerpunches The Poor & Disabled; Democrats Respond With A Whimper
Protests & Events In Austin For Donald Trump’s Inauguration
A Black Lives Matter protest gathers at the Texas State Capitol, December 13, 2014. (Kit O'Connell, CC)
January 18, 2017
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Protests & Events In Austin For Donald Trump’s Inauguration

Posted in Archive, Austin, and Creative Commons

You don’t have to go to Washington, D.C. to resist Donald Trump. Here in Austin, we’ve got a full weekend of protest — and some fun events to round it out.

Heres’s a list of every protest, rally, or inauguration-related event I know of in Austin. You can jump in the comments with links if you know about anything else I’ve missed.

I’m not endorsing any of these events, but I’ll be covering them when I can. Keep an eye on my Twitter for updates and my Facebook for live coverage.

Read moreProtests & Events In Austin For Donald Trump’s Inauguration
Obama Dismantles NSEERS Travel Registry To Thwart Trump’s Anti-Muslim Plans
A busy security line at the Orlando airport. January 29, 2010. (Flickr / frankieleon, CC )
December 30, 2016
Kit
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Obama Dismantles NSEERS Travel Registry To Thwart Trump’s Anti-Muslim Plans

Posted in Archive, Journalism, and MintPress News

President Barack Obama has dismantled an inactive anti-terrorism program in an apparent attempt to block the incoming administration from using it against Muslim immigrants and travelers in the United States.

One of President-elect Donald Trump’s most controversial moves during his campaign was his promise to build a registry of Muslims living in the United States, but a similar program to track immigrants and visitors has existed in the country for the past decade.

Established under President George W. Bush after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System required men over 16 from 24 Muslim-majority countries and North Korea to register with the Department of Homeland Security upon entering the United States.

Under pressure from civil liberties activists and advocates for immigrants, DHS suspended NSEERs in May 2011. On Dec. 22, Obama acted to formally end the program.

Read moreObama Dismantles NSEERS Travel Registry To Thwart Trump’s Anti-Muslim Plans
Drexel University Abandons Professor After Attacks Over Satirical ‘White Genocide’ Tweets
An ornate archway at Drexel University. June 5, 2005. (Flickr / Connery, CC NC ND)
December 30, 2016
Kit
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Drexel University Abandons Professor After Attacks Over Satirical ‘White Genocide’ Tweets

Posted in Archive, Journalism, and MintPress News

George Ciccariello-Maher, a professor at Drexel University, is facing death threats after a series of satirical tweets about “white genocide,” a concept invented by white supremacists.

The university is also facing criticism for its refusal to wholeheartedly support the free speech rights of its employee in the midst of an onslaught of complaints driven, in part, by far-right news outlets like Breitbart.

“All I Want for Christmas is White Genocide,” Ciccariello-Maher tweeted on Saturday, according to a report published Monday by The Philadelphia Inquirer. A second tweet created on Sunday read: “To clarify: when the whites were massacred during the Haitian revolution, that was a good thing indeed.”

Ciccariello-Maher teaches in Drexel’s Department of History and Politics. According to his university bio, he often appears in the media to comment on “social movements, particularly in Latin America” and also frequently writes about “race, racism, prisons and policing in the U.S. and internationally.”

Read moreDrexel University Abandons Professor After Attacks Over Satirical ‘White Genocide’ Tweets
Unprecedented Legislative Coup Happening Now In North Carolina
At a Moral Monday protest in Raleigh, North Carolina, a sign reads "Let the people vote!" November 28, 2016. (Flickr / Pilar Timpane)
December 17, 2016
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Unprecedented Legislative Coup Happening Now In North Carolina

Posted in Archive, Journalism, and Lee Camp

Inside the North Carolina House, protesters chanted as police arrested them one by one.

For the second day in a row, the chambers were cleared and the public was banned from viewing a legislative coup in progress.

The North Carolina GOP, facing the defeat of incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory on November 8, are doing everything they can to hold onto power, even if it means literally rewriting state law.

Read moreUnprecedented Legislative Coup Happening Now In North Carolina