Ziggy West

Must-read piece on "End Times Schooling" by @jessehagopian.bsky.social who has done so much to unleash the liberatory power of education.

Keeley Schenwar Memorial Essay Prize The annual prize is awarded to two writers who are currently or formerly incarcerated.

Dear Truthout Community, there are only 2 months until the deadline for submissions to the fifth annual Keeley Schenwar Memorial Essay Prize: May 20, 2025. Please share with writers who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated.

They Came for Mahmoud Khalil in the Night, and They Will Come for Us, Too We must treat attacks on our communities as an effort to silence every voice of dissent, because those are the stakes.

"As protests and support efforts for Khalil continue, we should all uplift demands for his freedom."

Trump’s DOJ Moves to Dismiss Idaho Emergency Abortion Case Dismissing the case “will leave the health and lives of pregnant Idahoans hanging in the balance,” said an ACLU officer.

Since the Supreme Court’s decision, health care providers in Idaho have been able to perform emergency abortions as the lawsuit progressed through the courts. However, Politico reports that such care may be in jeopardy now that the Trump administration is moving to dismiss the case.

Leaked Memo Details How Intrusive Anti-Trans Passport Policy Will Be Implemented “These rules make it more difficult for transgender people to obtain a passport,” said researcher Allison Chapman.

“Trump’s order will … prevent transgender and intersex people from obtaining new passports, visas, and trusted traveler documents that reflect who they are and how they are perceived in the world.”

Can’t say this enough. Alternative media are really stepping up to fill the void left by mainstream media. They need all the support we can give them. Explore on your own, follow BlueSky accounts that post useful content, share and comment widely.

Keeley Schenwar Memorial Essay Prize The annual prize is awarded to two writers who are currently or formerly incarcerated.

Submissions open today for the Keeley Schenwar Memorial Essay Prize. This prize uplifts the work of writers who are currently & formerly incarcerated.
truthout.org/articles/kee...
Spread the word!

The prize honors my sister, who died five years ago after many years in and out of incarceration. 💔

Federal Court Blocks Transfer of 3 Trans Women to Men’s Prisons Following Trump Order Trans people face a heightened risk of violence when confined in prison facilities that don’t align with their gender.

On Tuesday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the White House from transferring three transgender women to men’s prisons and denying them gender-affirming health care in compliance with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order.

We Aren’t Powerless in the Face of Trump’s Outrageous, Anti-Trans Edicts We can’t prevent all of this administration’s harms, but we can greatly diminish their impacts if we organize.

My latest reprinted in @truthout.org. “For those of us who care deeply about trans children and trans communities, it’s important to stay focused on what the moment demands of us.”

Very flattered to be included among such good company in this episode! Here's our discussion of media capitulation under Trump: www.projectcensored.org/economic-pil...

Denver Schools Face Federal Inquiry Over All-Gender Restroom “I hope that DPS and other schools fight back for their students,” said Z Williams, a trans activist in Denver.

The Trump administration’s Department of Education has launched an investigation into Denver Public Schools after students at a school implemented an all-gender multi-stall restroom.

That shit ain't Star Trek.

To begin with, this is terrible. But second, and I cannot emphasize this enough, please support credible and proven alternate media.

Trump Launches Ethically Murky Crypto Coin Days Before Entering Office By Monday afternoon, the $TRUMP coin was worth around $53 per individual share.

Trump and Melania launched crypto coins days before reentering the White House, making billions and opening a portal to untraceable payoffs from corporate and foreign actors.

A Call to Media Organizations: Don’t Back Down in the Face of Trump’s Threats Trump’s attacks on press freedom aren’t separate from his attacks on oppressed communities. We must resist them all.

A crucial read from @truthout.org: "With these choices, corporate media outlets make a rightward societal shift appear inevitable. Movement media’s role is to resist that tendency, and offer an alternative. We have a responsibility to remind people of what we have lost, and what we could still win."

A Call to Media Organizations: Don’t Back Down in the Face of Trump’s Threats Trump’s attacks on press freedom aren’t separate from his attacks on oppressed communities. We must resist them all.

Media organizations can't capitulate to a second Trump administration.

@mayaschenwar.bsky.social, @ziggywest.bsky.social and I wrote for @truthout about how journalism needs to be grounded in accountability and solidarity more urgently than ever.

A Call to Media Organizations: Don’t Back Down in the Face of Trump’s Threats Trump’s attacks on press freedom aren’t separate from his attacks on oppressed communities. We must resist them all.

Media organizations must refuse to acquiesce to fascism's demands.

I co-wrote this op-ed with @neginowl.bsky.social & @ziggywest.bsky.social about how those of us in media must ground our journalism in accountability and solidarity.

truthout.org/articles/a-c...

Definitely have that we all died during Y2K and we're about to enter the 8th circle of hell feeling this morning.

Gaza Ceasefire Deal Announced After 466 Days of Genocide and 46,000 Dead The deal is slated to begin on Sunday, Qatar’s prime minister said, beginning with a 6-week cessation of hostilities.

Gaza Ceasefire Deal Announced After 466 Days of Genocide and 46,000 Dead truthout.org/articles/gaz...

In Gaza, Ceasefire Will Be a Chance to Finally Breathe No longer fearing constant bombing, I can begin to mourn all I have lost in Gaza.

"For the first time, after a year of longing, I’ll stand by my mother’s and grandmother’s graves. I’ll tell them how deeply I’ve missed them and how much I wished they were still with us, knowing how desperately they had waited for this moment." -- Shahad Ali writing for us in @truthout.org today

Palestine Explore Truthout’s coverage of Palestine with uncompromised news, analysis, and interviews.

When the ceasefire was announced we took in collective sighs of relief and grief. Although the violence of occupation may not be over, we are looking back over the past 466 days of genocide and mourning those who were killed, the fellow journalists targeted, the medics who died saving others.

Big Agriculture Is Leading Us Into the Bird Flu Abyss The federal government’s deference to agriculture industry interests has put the US at risk of a public health crisis.

We might have just rung in a new year, but it feels like an epidemiological Groundhog Day.

Instead of trying to buy Greenland, which Denmark has repeatedly said is not for sale, maybe our elected officials could pass universal healthcare, which Americans overwhelmingly support.

Just a thought.

My colleague @samculture.bsky.social wrote this piece, and I had to reach out and tell her that this article made me want to see Wicked when I hadn't previously planned to.

Biden Approves Another $8 Billion Arms Sale to Israel as Genocide Continues The president has used his final days in office to guarantee the continuation of Israel’s genocidal assault in Gaza.

“We strongly condemn the Biden administration for its unbelievable and criminal decision to send another $8 billion worth of American weapons to the government of indicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu instead of using American leverage to force an end to the genocide in Gaza."

Gaza’s Population Has Plunged at Least 6 Percent in 15 Months of Genocide The population has declined by 160,000 people since October 2023, with at least 45,000 people killed by Israeli attacks.

"The official death toll is currently over 45,000 people, including 17,500 children. PCBS estimates that there are 11,000 Palestinians missing and presumed dead, while at least 100,000 have fled the besieged region."

Yes, the person making food at McDonalds full time should be able to pay for rent and groceries with their paycheck.

Way too much important information in this interview to quote. Please watch!

Billionaire Wealth Soared in 2024. So Did Child Hunger. Roughly 35 kids were born into hunger every minute this year as billionaire wealth reached a record $14 trillion.

Oxfam has estimated that eradicating world hunger entirely would require nations to contribute $31.7 billion more to global efforts to combat food insecurity — a fraction of the collective wealth of the planet’s 2,682 billionaires.

Lately, I’ve been sleeping five hours on a good night. I’m sure many of you can relate.