The coming year feels like an important one. Democrats have the chance to pass the For the People Act, which will reverse decades of right-wing voter suppression, steering the US away from the baked-in antimajoritarian characteristics of its politics
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At the same time, a successful vaccine rollout (assuming variants can be controlled) will mean widespread "re-openings," most notably in cities, where we find the highest concentrations of virus-incompatible stuff: mass transit, elevators, theaters and "cozy" cafes.
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Cities are of huge political significance. The rise and rise of inequality has been attended by skyrocketing rents in cities, largely driven by money-launderers and speculators who turned housing stock into empty safe deposit boxes in the sky.
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On Fri, I published an article about @SDonziger, an environmental lawyer who won a historic victory over @Chevron, only to find himself disbarred and held under house arrest through a conspiracy between Chevron and two corporate-friendly NY judges.
I wrote, "Donziger is the only person in the entire USA who is in pre-trial detention for a misdemeanor." I was quoting @jackholmes0's @esquire interview with Donziger: "I'm the only person in the entire country held on a misdemeanor pre-trial."
This is incorrect. Many, many people in America are in pre-trial detention over a misdemeanor. I don't know if Donziger misspoke (perhaps he meant he's had the longest pre-trial misdemeanor detention, at ~600 days, or maybe he was misquoted).
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