Money and Computing
Jo Freeman Reviews: Mythologies of State and Monopoly Power by Michael E. Tigar
If you want some provocative thinking in these days of the doldrums, read Tigar's five mythologies. His chapter on race starts with the 1944 Supreme Court decision upholding the war-time internment of Japanese Americans on the West Coast. The Court accepted the myth that these Americans might help the Japanese government even though there was no supporting evidence. Of course, he discusses the myths behind "separate but equal" and why it was so hard to end that doctrine. Tigar draws upon his own experience in his discussion of the criminal justice system as he represented many criminal defendants in different states. He believes that "fair trial" is one of the myths of the system, though he writes about several such myths. more »
Will COVID-19 Shape the 2020 Election? UC Berkeley Scholars Conclude That It Will Be An Election Without Precedent
Examining an array of issues, from presidential approval ratings, the Constitution, election law, unemployment rates to the security of digital voting, the scholars concluded it was still too uncertain to draw any sweeping conclusions. Except that November 2020 will be an election without precedent. “The Trump administration has decided to make an enormous policy and political bet, and the bet is that they can re-open the economy, and the economy will come back in time for the election, and that COVID-19 won’t re-erupt in a way that will either stifle those efforts or kill lots of people,” said Henry Brady, dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy. more »
One State's Approach: Nourish New York Initiative and Rent Relief; Funding Will Be Distributed Regionally to Food Banks and Emergency Food Providers Based on Need
Through Nourish New York, the State is providing funding to New York food banks so they can purchase excess products, such as fruits and vegetables, from New York farmers and surplus dairy products from New York dairy manufacturers, to distribute directly to communities. Food banks are expected to receive funding and begin purchasing this week. Emergency food providers can spend the money allocated to them by doing any of the following: Setting up food-drive through events/giveaways; Distributing dairy vouchers that can be redeemed in grocery stores for products like cheese, yogurt, milk, sour cream, and butter, throughout the state, and/or;
Purchasing products directly from New York dairy/food manufacturers for their feeding programs. Gov. Cuomo extends rent relief moratorium, no evictions through August 20 and security deposits may be used to pay rent.. more »
Fact Check: Nancy Pelosi Has Not Said She's Going to Resign if President Trump Is Re-elected
FactCheck.org's Weekly Update: "In this video, we take a look at COVID-19 antibody tests, which can reveal whether someone was previously infected with the novel coronavirus — and explain why a positive or negative result may not always be so easy to interpret. President Trump falsely claimed that his administration was not initially able to meet the increasing demand for ventilators to treat COVID-19 patients because "we weren’t left ventilators by a previous administration." "FactCheck.org monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major US political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding." more »