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Between the Lines
"Between the Lines" is a national, half-hour program that provides a platform for individuals and spokespersons from progressive organizations generally ignored or marginalized by the mainstream media.
“There is a narrow path to victory here for progressives and the path goes through six states. Right now the Senate is only 50 to 49. That means we need to hold the Democrats and get one Republican vote. … That’s not easy, but it’s definitely doable.”– Elliott Mincberg, senior fellow with People for the American Way, on how to stem the tide of Trump’s Supreme Court conservative justice appointments.
Trump Can Cement Extremist Supreme Court Majority for a Generation
Interview with Elliott Mincberg, senior fellow with the People for the American Way, conducted by Scott Harris
President Trump welcomed the news that Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy would be retiring before the critical midterm election this November. Trump is now moving quickly to nominate a successor to replace Kennedy, which creates an opportunity to cement in place a conservative majority on the high court for a generation to come. Nominees he’ll be considering come from a list compiled by the right-wing Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation. Although he was appointed by a Republican president, Kennedy had a reputation of being a moderate voice on the court due to his alliance with liberal justices on key cases involving gay rights, abortion and affirmative action. However, Kennedy more often than not sided with conservatives, most notably writing the controversial 2010 Citizens United ruling that struck down limits on corporations’ campaign spending and in the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder case that gutted the Voting Rights Act. Story continues
‘Janus’ SCOTUS Ruling Not About Free Speech, But a Drive to ‘Crush the Power of Organized Workers’
Interview with Bill Fletcher Jr., labor activist and former president of TransAfrica Forum, conducted by Scott Harris
Following a pattern of decisions hostile to the U.S. labor movement, the Supreme Court ruled on June 27 that public sector unions could no longer charge “agency” or “fair share” fees to employees who decline to join the union, but who continue to benefit from the contracts unions must negotiate with management on their behalf. The case, Janus v. AFSCME decided by a 5-4 vote, overturned a 40-year-old precedent set by the high court in the 1977 Abood v. Detroit Board of Education case. Story continues
1400-Mile Bike Ride Urges Freedom for Indigenous Political Prisoner Leonard Peltier
Interview with Jim Toren, founder of Footprints for Peace, conducted by Melinda Tuhus
Leonard Peltier is probably the best known indigenous individual held behind bars in the U.S. In 1977, he was convicted of killing two FBI agents during a period of extreme violence on the Pine Ridge Lakota Sioux reservation in South Dakota and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. His trial was rife with improprieties, including perjury by key witnesses for the prosecution, the withholding of evidence in his favor and more. He has consistently been turned down for parole and President Barack Obama declined to grant Peltier clemency before leaving office. Story continues
This week’s summary of under-reported news
Compiled by Bob Nixon
Amid the Trump regime’s brutal crackdown on migrants from Central America, detainees have been subjected to forced labor, a pernicious form of human trafficking. According to In These Times, magazine private prison corporations who operate most of the nation’s immigrant detention centers, are illegally forcing migrants to work for sub-minimum wages. (“ICE Accused of Overseeing Human Trafficking,” In These Times, May 29, 2018)
Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram, now an affiliate of the Islamic State, emerged as a murderous threat over the last decade in the Lake Chad basin. Its name literally means “western education is forbidden.” According to the United Nations Children’s Fund the Islamist movement has kidnapped over a thousand children and killed over 2300 teachers. The group gained international attention when it kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in Chibok in 2014. (“Fighting Boko Haram with Books,” Christian Science Monitor, June 19, 2018; “Nigeria: Blast Kills Dozens, Boko Haram Militants Blamed,” DW.com, June 17, 2018)
Minutes after the tragic crash of a Cuban airliner as it took off from Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport, state run media was filled with breaking news updates and cell phone videos reporting on the crash that killed 112 people, the worst airline crash in Cuba in decades. (“Cuba Loosens Grip on Media, Allowing for More Independent Reporting,” Christian Science Monitor, June 21, 2018)
