The War on Crime, not crime itself, fueled Detroit’s post-1967 decline | Michigan Radio

Heather Ann Thompson has been in the news recently because of the success of her new book, Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and its Legacy, a nonfiction finalist this year for the National Book Award.

But Thompson is also a nationally respected expert on mass incarceration and through her research has reached some provocative conclusions about the role Michigan’s criminal laws have played in Detroit’s slow-motion economic collapse in the decades following the 1967 uprisings.

For the most part, academics attribute the city’s abandonment, poverty and decay to the disappearance of high-paying industrial jobs, white flight, discrimination in housing and employment, and government decisions that favored suburban development.

Thompson, though, argues that historians and others have missed an additional cause of Detroit’s unraveling: the rise since the mid-1960s of aggressive policing in black neighborhoods, along with laws that vastly increased prison sentences and the subsequent explosion of Michigan’s inmate population. That resulted in large numbers of people — mostly black males — yanked out of Detroit, orphaned children and collapsing neighborhoods.

(Listen to our special documentary and hear more from Thompson on the history of crime in Detroit: Our neighborhoods, our streets: the march to peace in Detroit: http://michiganradio.org/post/war-crime-not-crime-itself-fueled-detroits-post-1967-decline

It’s Not Philanthropy, It’s Ideological and Class Warfare: How the DeVos Family Foundation contributions complement their political donations – Part II

It’s Not Philanthropy, It’s Ideological and Class Warfare: How the DeVos Family Foundation contributions complement their political donations – Part II
by Jeff Smith (GRIID)
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Last week we looked at how the DeVos Family uses their vast financial resources to influence elections and purchase policy, particularly at the local and state level. We also began the process of investigating how their political funding is complemented by their philanthropic contributions.

We presented recent examples of the DeVos Family’s efforts to influence the 2016 elections and compared that specifically with the Richard & Helen DeVos Foundation contributions. It seems rather clear that in addition to the DeVos Family’s commitment to a patriarchal/heterosexist brand of christianity, their philanthropic giving also supports projects which furthers their deep commitment to Neoliberal Capitalism.

Since last week, it has been reported by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network that nine members of the DeVos Family have been the largest contributors to the House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) in the most recent election cycle. Each of the nine members of the DeVos Family have contributed $40,000 to the HRCC, for a combined $360,000. The $360,000 that the DeVos Family has contributed to the HRCC was just for the period of July 21 through October 20.

What we will look at in Part II is the remaining DeVos Family foundations and where they have directed their funding to demonstrate how it fits within their ideological and class warfare framework.

Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy

Last week we looked at how the DeVos Family uses their vast financial resources to influence elections and purchase policy, particularly at the local and state level. We also began the process of investigating how their political funding is complemented by their philanthropic contributions.

We presented recent examples of the DeVos Family’s efforts to influence the 2016 elections and compared that specifically with the Richard & Helen DeVos Foundation contributions. It seems rather clear that in addition to the DeVos Family’s commitment to a patriarchal/heterosexist brand of christianity, their philanthropic giving also supports projects which furthers their deep commitment to Neoliberal Capitalism.

Since last week, it has been reported by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network that nine members of the DeVos Family have been the largest contributors to the House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) in the most recent election cycle. Each of the nine members of the DeVos Family have…

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Daylight saving time: Research on health, car accidents and energy usage

“Spring forward, fall back.” Like clockwork, we follow this humble command twice a year. But what is it doing to our health and wellbeing?

The idea behind daylight saving time (DST) — when we move our clocks forward by one hour for the warmer months, giving us an extra hour on an autumn Sunday and losing us one in spring — is to make better use of daylight and conserve energy. A later sunset during the long summer days means less need for indoor lighting in the evening. The idea has been around for centuries. Some credit a 1784 essay by Benjamin Franklin.

Germany was the first country to adopt DST, in 1916, to save energy during World War I. Other countries quickly followed. In the 1970s, during the Arab oil embargo, the U.S. Congress approved an emergency yearlong DST. In 2005, the Energy Policy Act extended the observance of DST in the United States by four weeks. Americans (except in Arizona and Hawaii, which do not use DST) now set their clocks forward on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November.

Yet academic research shows largely negative impacts on health, which have stoked controversy in recent decades and led some to question if this century-old tradition still merits support. Indeed, some countries, like Argentina and Russia, have dropped DST altogether.

The spring is most dangerous: In the first few days after we lose an hour of sleep, researchers have shown increases in car accidents and heart attacks. Those phenomena may decrease for a few days after the fall switch, when we are given that extra hour of sleep. Another study reports a mild health boost in the fall, though a 2016 study in Epidemiology found increased depressive episodes in the autumn, when the change means we are suddenly leaving work in the dark.

People with small children report higher levels of unhappiness during the spring transition, when they lose an hour of sleep. Without DST, though, parents worry about children leaving for school on dark winter mornings. Crime drops after the spring change.

As for energy consumption, in a 2008 study carried out shortly after the last federal change to the daylight saving schedule, the U.S. Department of Energy found annual energy usage fell about 0.03 percent. That may not sound like much, but it is enough to power 100,000 homes for a year. Other research found savings higher in regions far from the equator, where the length of the day varies considerably throughout the year. Yet usage near the equator, where the amount of daylight varies little, actually increased after the clocks were switched, they found.

Other resources:

A tip sheet from the Department of Energy details more history behind DST and suggests that Benjamin Franklin was joking when he proposed changing our clocks.

The Associated Press style is to use “daylight saving time,” not “savings,” without caps or hyphens. This is often known as summer time. Capitalize when speaking about usage within a particular time zone: Eastern Daylight Time, Pacific Daylight Time. In the winter, we use “standard time” — Eastern Standard Time — sometimes known as “winter time.”

The website timeanddate.com lists countries and the dates they change their clocks. Many — including China and Russia — do not change at all.

Other resources:

A tip sheet from the Department of Energy details more history behind DST and suggests that Benjamin Franklin was joking when he proposed changing our clocks.

The Associated Press style is to use “daylight saving time,” not “savings,” without caps or hyphens. This is often known as summer time. Capitalize when speaking about usage within a particular time zone: Eastern Daylight Time, Pacific Daylight Time. In the winter, we use “standard time” — Eastern Standard Time — sometimes known as “winter time.”

The website timeanddate.com lists countries and the dates they change their clocks. Many — including China and Russia — do not change at all.

Selected studies can be found here:

http://journalistsresource.org/studies/environment/energy/daylight-savings-time-health-accidents-energy

 

Millions in political donations fueled by matching bonuses at Boston law firm | OpenSecrets Blog

Michael Thornton and his wife made more than $1 million in campaign contributions between 2009 and 2014; he received “bonuses” covering most of it. (Globe photo)

A joint investigation by the Center for Responsive Politics and The Boston Globe’s Spotlight team has revealed just how important it is to keep following the money:

We found a law firm that paid its partners millions of dollars in
“bonuses” to reimburse them for their campaign contributions.

The Thornton Law Firm, a small personal injury firm in Boston, stepped up its contributions when Congress was considering revamping how claims by asbestos victims were adjudicated. According to former firm employees, partners started complaining about the amount of money they were being asked to give, and that’s when the reimbursement system was started.

From 2010 through 2014, for example, three partners received bonuses totaling approximately $1.4 million – many of which matched their donations exactly and were given within a few days of the contributions.

In the 2014 campaign cycle alone, Thornton was the 10^th ranked law firm nationally for contributions to federal candidates – despite having only nine or 10 partners during this period!

The bonus system appears to be a prohibited attempt to hide the true source of the contributions – the law firm itself. Reimbursing donors is “among the most serious campaign violations in the view of both the Federal Election Commission and the Department of Justice,” said Dan Petalas, former Acting General Counsel of the FEC. Thornton, through a spokesman, said the system was carefully managed and complied with applicable laws.

There’s no indication that any of the politicians who received money from Thornton, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid and lone Republican Lindsey Graham, knew anything about the law firm’s reimbursement practices.

Within 48 hours of the story’s publication, several recipients, among them Russ Feingold and Katie McGinty, indicated that they would be returning the donations. There also have been numerous calls for investigations by the Federal Elections Commission and state-level election authorities.

You can read the joint investigation here: Millions in political donations fueled by matching bonuses at Boston law firm | OpenSecrets Blog

CURMUDGUCATION: Welcome to Charter Cafeteria

The slightly-cranky voice navigating the world of educational “reform” while trying to still pursue the mission of providing quality education.

Source: CURMUDGUCATION: Welcome to Charter Cafeteria

Welcome to Charter Cafeteria

Welcome to the new Charter Choice Cafeteria! Can I help you?

Wow! It’s so clean and shiny here. And is that…. is that steak??

Why yes. We believe that all students should have the chance to eat steak for lunch.

Well, that’s great. My usual public cafeteria only has meatloaf every other day, and it’s not so good. So I would really love steak for lunch. Can I just–

Just a second. Charter Choice Cafeteria is only open to a few students. You need your Lunchtime Strivers Club Card to eat in here.

Well, how do I get one of those?

Just put in your application for the CCC lottery. You fill out these six forms available between the hours of 9 and 10 at our downtown office. Then submit them at the proper address and later we’ll hold a drawing– you have someone who’ll take care of all that for you, right?  Here’s a flier.

Um, I guess. You know, nobody on this flier really looks like me. Anyway, do you serve steak every day?

The steak is today’s meal. We serve other things the rest of the week that are totally as good as any steak, at least as far as you know. Very steak-like.

Sure. Hey– that rail seems awfully close to the serving counter. Don’t students have a hard time squeezing through there?

We find that some students don’t fit easily into the serving line that we have created for our meals here. We find that students with a certain background need that extra guidance; any students who find that they don’t fit well in our serving line are certainly free to return to the regular public cafeteria if that’s what they think is best.

My buddy just tweeted from that cafeteria. He says that they’ve stopped serving desert and condiments because they’re budget has been cut to fund you guys!

It is shameful how the public cafeteria is not giving all students access to an excellent high-performing meal.

Can I talk to somebody about this?

Our cafeteria manager is located in offices at this number. But they are two time zones away, so make sure you check the time before you call. I’m sure you’ll be able to leave a message with their office staff.

But our cafeteria manager is right there. When we want to complain we just holler and she comes out to talk to us.

Oh, we don’t allow any of that here. Any students who break any of our rules for decorum and proper obedience are subject to strong and immediate disciplinary action.

So let me get this straight. If I can manage to fill out this application for the lottery and I am lucky enough to be selected and I fit in your serving line and I don’t get thrown out for acting uppity then I might get to eat something that sort of resembles steak on some days– and I can never complain to the management. Otherwise, I just have to go eat at the public cafeteria where they have even less to offer because they also have to pay for everything you’re doing over here.

Exactly. Because every student deserves a chance to eat steak.

But just a chance?

Well, sure. You didn’t think anyone was going to spend the money to make sure that every single student actually got to eat steak, did you? We can’t waste money trying to actually help all students. You get a chance, and a few students actually get steak, or at least something kind of like it. What more do you want?

Posted by Peter Greene at Monday, October 31, 2016