Ep. 44: Houseless Residents Ticketed by KDPS, Ottawa Becomes ”Constitutional” County, Fascism in the U.S. and Ukraine, and More

We begin with a round-up of local stories affecting the city of Kalamazoo and the state of Michigan- how new enforcement of ordinances is putting pressure on houseless residents, how young people in Kalamazoo are responding to the climate crisis, legal fallout for individuals who pushed the "Stop the Steal" narrative in 2020, and more.

Norah then joins the conversation to look at how Ottawa has voted to become a "constitutional" county. We look at the movement behind this vote and how it often uses the fig-leaf of the constitution to grow a broader right-wing anti-government coalition and ask, constitutional rights for whom, exactly?

As commissioners in Ottawa crow about the tyrannical government we look at the tyrannical government in action and the violations of human rights occurring in ICE detention centers.

We talk about an important story from The Nation that sketches out how the Western Media has largely used their platform to rehabilitate the Neo-Nazi Azov Battalion in Ukraine- even many outlets that had highlighted their fascist bonafides over the course of the last decade. We talk about what this means from a media scrutiny lens and the deeper implications for U.S. imperialism.

We close out with a brief discussion about several bills that could further censor and deter freedom of movement on the internet.

01:30- 10:00 KDPS Ticketing of Houseless Residents Escalates

10:10- 16:25 Megan Maddock Resigns From KPS Board

17:15- 23:30 Local Climate March in Kzoo

23:35- 27:50 WWMT Frames UPS Strike as Hurting Local Businesses
28:10- 37:30 False Trump Electors Face Felony Charges in Michigan

38:40- 51:10 Ottawa Becomes "Constitutional" County
51:20- 1:05:20 Humans Rights Abuses on Immigrants by ICE
1:05:30- 1:26:30 The Whitewashing of the Neo-Nazi Azov Battalion by Western Media
1:26:40- 1:31:30 Internet Censorship and Control

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

More homeless people ticketed in parks as Kalamazoo ramps up enforcement
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2023/07/more-homeless-people-ticketed-in-parks-as-kalamazoo-ramps-up-enforcement.html

 

Kalamazoo school board member resigns; 2nd departure in 6 weeks
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2023/07/kalamazoo-school-board-member-resigns-2nd-departure-in-6-weeks.html

 

‘Right now’: masked marchers demand climate crisis action
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2023/07/right-now-masked-marchers-demand-climate-crisis-action.html

 

Potential UPS strike threatens small businesses in Kalamazoo 
https://wwmt.com/news/local/ups-union-workers-strike-delaying-package-deliveries-new-contract-agreement-lanas-boutique-industry-employees

 

16 false Trump electors face felony charges in Michigan
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/michigan/2023/07/18/michigan-donald-trump-fake-electors-charged-felonies-attorney-general-dana-nessel/70427042007/

 

Ottawa County becomes ‘constitutional county’
https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/05/ottawa-county-becomes-constitutional-county.html

 

Chicago police officers investigated for abusing migrant youth forced to sleep in police stations
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/07/15/dhir-j15.html

 

“Immensely Invisible”: Immigrant Women in ICE Jails Face Sexual Abuse Despite Reforms, Report Reveals
https://www.democracynow.org/2023/7/21/maria_hinojosa_immensely_invisible_ice_detention

 

DOJ Threatens to Sue Texas Gov. Abbott for Installing Barrels Wrapped in Razor Wire in Rio Grande
https://www.democracynow.org/2023/7/24/texas_border_abbott

 

The Western Media Is Whitewashing the Azov Battalion
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/azov-battalion-neo-nazi/

 

You Can Help Stop These Bad Internet Bills
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/07/you-can-help-stop-these-bad-internet-bills

 

Background Music by Quantum Fleek