It’s time once again for news and views that you can peruse! It’s another Weekly Reader! Got a hot story of your own? Want a shout-out for your blog? Got your op-ed published in the local newspaper? Well, just drop by the comments and let me know about it!
Bodies in Seats (from The Verge-WARNING! THIS IS EXTREMELY DISTURBING AND DETAILS PHYSICAL HARM/ABUSE AGAINST ANIMALS AND HUMANS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!): “Facebook executives have maintained that the working conditions described to me by dozens of contractors do not accurately reflect the daily lives of the majority of its workers. But after publishing my story about Phoenix, I received dozens of messages from other contractors around the world, many of whom reported having similar experiences. The largest single group of messages I received came from current and former Facebook contractors in Tampa. Many of them have worked closely with employees at the Phoenix site, and believe working conditions in Florida are even more grim.”
The Burdens We Carry (from Longreads): “Earlier that morning, I spoke to my mother on the phone. We talked about how she’d slept the night before, what I ate for breakfast, her plans for the day. I was getting ready for work, brushing my teeth, donning a denim dress with a sleeveless top printed with elephants underneath which I would later throw out in the dumpster behind my apartment, unable to stand the sight of it. Although I was now an adult, I was still in the habit of calling my mom four or five times a day. It was comforting. I think the last thing I said to her was, “Talk to you later.” I can’t remember what she said, but occasionally she would end the call with “I love you.” I hope this is what happened.”
Facebook ban on white nationalism too narrow, say auditors (from The Guardian): “Madihha Ahussain, of Muslim Advocates, a civil rights group, said that the audit report “shows that on issues regarding content moderation and the increased threat of white nationalist violence, the company has failed to take meaningful action. The murder of 51 Muslims in Christchurch, broadcast all over the world on Facebook Live, made it clear that this is a life and death matter. Still, the company has yet to take serious action to protect our community.””
Hundreds of members of religious groups protest Trump immigration policies in Milwaukee (from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel): “Trump tweeted last week that ICE was going to escalate the number of arrests and removals of undocumented immigrants starting this week. Then Saturday, he tweeted that he would halt the escalation for two weeks to see if Democrats and Republicans could pass legislation “to work out a solution to the Asylum and Loophole problems at the Southern Border.”
Blackmon said public protests against the immigration policies are necessary.”
Accused of Rape, Teenager Is Treated Gently by a Judge. It’s a Familiar Story. (from The New York Times via MSN): “As Judge Troiano’s comments became widely known to the public this week, they were met with outrage and calls for him to be barred from the bench. But there was also widespread frustration that variations of the same scenario seem to play out on a loop in the nation’s criminal justice system, allowing people with markers of privilege — whether in education, wealth or race — to be given light treatment, probation or short sentences.”
Trump labor secretary who cut Epstein deal plans to slash funds for sex trafficking victims (from The Guardian): “The bureau’s budget would fall from $68m last year to just $18.5m. The proposed reduction is so drastic that experts say it would effectively kill off many federal efforts to curb sex trafficking and put the lives of large numbers of children at risk.
ILAB has the task of countering human trafficking, child labor and forced labor across the US and around the world. Its mission is “to promote a fair global playing field for workers” and it is seen as a crucial leader in efforts to crack down on the sex trafficking of minors.”
13-Year-Old Scientist’s Research Shows Hand Dryers Can Hurt Kids’ Ears (from NPR): “She discovered that Xlerator hand dryers and two types of Dyson Airblade hand dryers posed the greatest threats to children’s hearing. These types all exceed 100 decibels — a volume that can lead to “learning disabilities, attention difficulties, and ruptured ear drums,” according to the study.”
Border agency knew about secret Facebook group for years (from Politico): “Border Patrol leadership knew about photos posted to the group as far back as 2016, when agents reported them, according to a current Homeland Security official. The images — several of which were provided to POLITICO — show agents engaging in conduct that includes simulating sex acts and taking selfies while defecating. A former DHS official said he was aware of the Facebook group during the past year.”
Concentration Camps Existed Long Before Auschwitz (from The Smithsonian Magazine): “These camps did not rise out of nowhere. Forced labor had existed for centuries around the world, and the parallel institutions of Native American reservations and Spanish missions set the stage for relocating vulnerable residents away from their homes and forcing them to stay elsewhere. But it was not until the technology of barbed wire and automatic weapons that a small guard force could impose mass detention. With that shift, a new institution came into being, and the phrase “concentration camps” entered the world.”
Attorneys: Texas border facility is neglecting migrant kids (from The AP): ““In my 22 years of doing visits with children in detention, I have never heard of this level of inhumanity,” said Holly Cooper, who co-directs University of California, Davis’ Immigration Law Clinic and represents detained youth.”
We went to a border detention center for children. What we saw was awful (from CNN): “The situation we found is unacceptable. US Border Patrol is holding many children, including some who are much too young to take care of themselves, in jail-like border facilities for weeks at a time without contact with family members, regular access to showers, clean clothes, toothbrushes, or proper beds. Many are sick. Many, including children as young as 2 or 3, have been separated from adult caretakers without any provisions for their care besides the unrelated older children also being held in detention.”
That’s all for this week. Drop by again for even more summer reading material for the beach, pool, camping, or whatever. Until then, happy reading!
Iacon East 