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Last week, Amazon workers made history by launching the largest strike at Amazon in American history. And this movement is just getting started.

Meanwhile, the documentary film UNION, which depicts the organizing efforts that led to the formation of Amazon Labor Union in Staten Island, New York, has been short-listed for an Academy Award! This means that out of more than 14,000 films made last year, UNION is now one of just 15 finalists in contention for a nomination for Best Documentary Feature.

We’re not surprised. The film is incredible, giving a rarely-seen window into what on-the-ground organizing at Amazon is really like.

Shelves with albums saying Hip Hop is History

Biblioteque De LAnnee: Hip Hop is History - By Questlove.

Questlove’s book was a bridge between Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary and Kamala’s 90 day campaign. The Tonight Show’s music director drums for legendary Roots and knows our Woman VP of the United States of America.

Women don’t forget Kamala as VP hadn’t occurred until 2020. In 2022, Black Thought and Dangermouse released my favorite record.

Roots are for humanity and for the upliftment of Africa. Progress exists.

Hip Hop Album of the Year: Kurious - Magician 

Kurious exuded 1993 cool in 2024. Kurious was friends with MF Doom. Magician resembles a calmer version of Operation Doomsday. During Magician, Kurious sounds like drinking with yr neighbor and sharing conversation while lining up skins.

Wartorn area of Gaza

People in Palestine have to endure a new hell every day and have faced life-threatening conditions in Gaza and even in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since October 7. That includes journalists, medics, and first responders, who are civilian heroes on the front lines and who face such danger every day.

Here are some examples:

Two days ago, on December 26, five journalists were murdered, and their bodies were burned after the Israeli Death Forces (IDF) targeted their broadcast vehicle near Al-Awda Hospital in Al-Nuseirat Camp, Central Gaza.

The martyred journalists were:

Joe Biden at desk signing something

Before Biden leaves office, he may want to consider drafting hundreds of pardons for his supporters and allies.  These pardons do not have to be announced publicly, but Biden can have them in a back file just in case they are needed or requested later.

Trump has made it clear that people will be investigated and prosecuted on the basis of revenge rather than in the name of justice.  Supporters of Biden and the Democrats may be targeted not because they did anything wrong, but because they opposed Trump and the Republican agenda in some way.

Now many of Biden 's wealthy supporters can afford to defend themselves in court for years because they have the resources. The Clintons, the Pelosis, George Soros, and others can let their legal teams defend them and have frivolous charges dismissed.

Hunter Biden

Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution grants the power of the pardon to the president--probably the most absolute power granted in the document. Designed as a tool for justice and mercy, it has at times sparked intense public controversy. The recent pardon of President Biden’s son, Hunter, and the commutations granted to federal death row inmates has, once again, rekindled the need to reexamine this power.

The concept of the pardon was adopted from the British monarchy, where it was a royal prerogative rooted in the belief that sovereigns could temper justice with mercy. In Federalist No. 74, Alexander Hamilton defended the power by arguing that the pardon was necessary to provide “exceptions in favor of unfortunate guilt” and to serve the public good, especially during times of rebellion or unrest.  

Woman meditating outside

Sunday, December 29, 5:30-6:30pm
Old First Presbyterian Church, 1101 Bryden Rd., Enter the church via the rear door.

A twenty-to-thirty-minute silent meditation will be followed by discussion and refreshments. The benefits of meditation are innumerable. These include greater mental clarity, a reduction in stress, improved emotional balance, and increased spiritual development. Meditation benefits everyone. Different meditation practices will be presented, throughout the year, by practitioners of those traditions. This group will meet each Sunday, 5:30-6:30pm.

For more information, call or text 614-619-0784.

Hosted by Old First Presbyterian Church.

When Donald Trump again warms the throne in Washington on Martin Luther King Day, each of the three evils that King worked to abolish will get a major boost: racism, extreme materialism, and militarism.

Racism

While Trumplickers post-election propose recruiting abroad certain highly educated potential immigrants (and defunding and further destroying U.S. education — including by writing racism — not to mention critical thinking — out of history books while shaping them in a fundamentally racist vision), they’re also pushing for a military campaign to seize and deport the wrong kind of immigrants and refugees, and threatening any cities that dare to protect their residents. While Democratic emperors eagerly fuel genocide, they don’t campaign for office on racism. So, there will be attention paid to this one. But consider the next two interlocking evils as well.

The story of the Israeli war on Gaza can be epitomized in the story of the Israeli war on Beit Lahia, a small Palestinian town in the northern part of the Strip.  

 When Israel launched its ground operations in Gaza, Beit Lahia was already largely destroyed due to many days of relentless Israeli bombardment which killed thousands. 

 Still, the border Gaza town resisted, leading to a hermetic Israeli siege, which was never lifted, even when the Israeli military redeployed out of much of northern Gaza in January 2024. 

 Beit Lahia is largely an isolated town, a short distance away from the fence separating besieged Gaza from Israel. It is surrounded mostly by agricultural areas that make it nearly impossible to defend. 

 Yet, a year of grisly Israeli war and genocide in Gaza did not end the fighting there. To the contrary, 2024 has ended where it started, with intense fighting on all fronts in Gaza, with Beit Lahia, a town that was supposedly 'conquered' earlier, still leading the fight. 

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