In thousands of movies and tv shows, a future is imagined in which full-grown adult humans with less self-control than toddlers both get into fist fights at the drop of a hat and possess the technology to obliterate entire cities or planets at the touch of a button. The fantasy of living in outerspace certainly does not help us preserve the one place we know how to live. But the most damaging fantasy here is that of maintaining widespread acceptance of violence and continuing to exist into an age of easy annihilation by the decision of a random person or of a machine. Our current luck — the number of times we have nearly had a nuclear war and avoided it — is almost unbelievable. The luck that would be required for much of science fiction to exist is not believable at all.
Nuclear Danger
Countless observers believe that we are right now closer to nuclear war than ever before. There are a number of reasons to take this seriously:
In 2014, the Central Ohio Worker Center (COWC) was formed to help build a stronger Central Ohio for low wage and immigrant workers. As we wrap up 2024, the list of accomplishments and contributions are numerous. Ten years of May Day Celebrations have taken place, each year the event has grown and transformed into what it is today: a celebration and resource fair featuring dancing, local unions, legal support, delicious food, government agencies, kids activities including a huge book give-away from our friends at the Ohio Federation of Teachers, other non profits, and community. In 2024, 300 people came through the doors to help celebrate workers. Supporting the passage of the Wage Theft Ordinance has been one of the biggest accomplishments the center has seen. With years of advocacy, the ordinance passed in September 2020. It is one of the strongest municipal wage theft ordinances in the country.
Today, the RISE Together Innovation Institute expressed deep concern over Governor Mike DeWine’s proposal to reintroduce work requirements for Medicaid recipients in Ohio. This policy threatens to undermine the health and economic stability of thousands of Franklin County residents who are already struggling to make ends meet.
“All of us should have the healthcare we need when we get sick,” said Danielle Sydnor, CEO of RISE Together Innovation Institute. “Governor DeWine’s proposal will take away healthcare from thousands of people who are already struggling to make ends meet. Instead of expanding opportunity and making sure people are healthy, this policy will make it harder for people to get the healthcare they need.”
Potential Harms to Franklin County Residents
Residents will lose healthcare coverage: In 2019, the Commonwealth Fund estimated between 121,000 and 163,000 adults in Ohio could lose Medicaid coverage in Ohio due to Medicaid work requirements.1 That number is likely higher today since more adults without dependents are participating in Medicaid.
This is a press release from Smart Elections, published on Substack and elsewhere- editor.
This is a press release from Smart Elections, published on Substack and elsewhere- editor.
This is a press release from Smart Elections, published on Substack and elsewhere- editor.
Israel is getting ready to annex the occupied Palestinian West Bank. The annexation will be a major step backward on the road to Palestinian freedom and will likely serve as a catalyst for a new Palestinian uprising.
Though annexation has been on the Israeli agenda for years, this time around a 'great opportunity' - in the words of extremist Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich - has presented itself and, from an Israeli point of view, cannot be missed.
“I hope we’ll have a great opportunity with the new US administration to create full normalization (of the Israeli occupation)," the minister was quoted as saying by Israeli media.
This is not the first time that Smotrich, among other Israeli extremists, has made the connection between Trump's advent to the White House and the illegal expansion of Israel’s borders.
If we don’t talk about these issues, it will be much harder to solve them. The first step is to have the courage to express our doubts.
Drop-off By State & By County