Behind the Bastards
It Could Happen Here Weekly 176
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- GoDaddy Arrow facilitates entrepreneurship by helping users create logos, websites, and social media content without extensive skills or teams.
- Investing in children's financial literacy through tools like Greenlight can significantly enhance their future financial competence and security.
- Federal cuts to library funding jeopardize vital community services, particularly affecting rural and underserved populations reliant on public resources.
- Public libraries serve as essential social safety nets, providing educational and technological resources crucial for personal and professional development.
- Recent deportations by ICE, justified by social media activity, raise urgent concerns about free speech and unjust targeting of individuals.
Deep dives
GoDaddy Arrow for Business Startup
Starting a business might seem daunting, but one doesn't need a full team or extensive tech skills to get going. GoDaddy Arrow is introduced as a powerful AI tool designed to assist entrepreneurs in various aspects of their startup journey. With GoDaddy Arrow, users can create unique logos, develop custom websites, and generate social media posts, along with maintaining a social media calendar. This service is available at an affordable rate, promoting accessibility for aspiring business owners.
Financial Education for Kids
It's important to invest in children's financial literacy for their future success. With Greenlight, parents can teach their kids crucial skills such as earning, saving, and investing. This approach emphasizes that investing in financial education is as vital as other extracurricular activities that enrich children's lives. By starting this education early, parents can set their children on a path to financial competence.
Library Funding Cuts and Social Safety Nets
Discussions reveal deep concerns about ongoing federal cuts to library funding and their implications. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) plays a crucial role in distributing funds to libraries for essential programs, particularly for rural and underserved communities. The absence of these funds jeopardizes summer reading programs, job training services, and public access to resources such as the internet. The degradation of library services could negatively impact many, especially in economically marginalized areas.
Impact of Library Services on Communities
Public libraries often function as critical social safety nets, particularly in underprivileged neighborhoods. They not only provide books and media but also offer technological resources and community programs that aid in educational and professional development. Libraries serve as places for learning and social interaction, especially for youth who may lack safe spaces outside of school. If funding cuts continue, vital services like digital literacy training and community events may be lost, further isolating already vulnerable populations.
Political Context of Library Funding Cuts
The latest library funding cuts reflect a broader political trend prioritizing policing and punitive measures over community support services. City officials, including those perceived as progressive, have made budget decisions that increase police funding while cutting resources for essential social services like libraries. This political climate fosters an environment where public libraries, which provide invaluable resources and community support, face significant threats to their existence. Such decisions reveal a systemic undervaluation of the role libraries play in fostering community well-being.
Consequences of Social Media on Immigrant Deportations
Recent actions by ICE have demonstrated a troubling trend in deportations targeting individuals based on social media activity. This includes students and scholars who express pro-Palestine sentiments, often leading to deportations under dubious legal precepts. The reliance on social media as a tool for surveillance raises critical concerns about free speech and the chilling effects of political dissent. As authorities increasingly use online activity as justification for deportation, the implications for immigrants are severe and alarming.
Habeas Corpus and Immigration Rights
Habeas corpus is a fundamental legal principle requiring that individuals detained by the state must be brought before a court to determine the legality of their detention. Recent cases have spotlighted the government’s troubling attempts to manipulate this principle by asserting they can deport individuals from the U.S. to other countries without due process. Such practices not only violate constitutional rights but also signal a broader pattern of targeting vulnerable populations, often with little accountability. The erosion of habeas protections represents a significant threat to justice and civil liberties.
Deportation and National Security Concerns
The Trump administration has been accused of using national security as a pretext to justify the deportation of individuals participating in pro-Palestine protests. Many affected individuals have been permanent residents with no criminal records, yet the state justifies their deportations by alleging they pose a threat to foreign policy interests. This arbitrary application of national security rhetoric leaves many in a precarious situation, with the potential for widespread deportations based on minimal evidence of wrongdoing. Such actions blur the line between legitimate security concerns and political repression.
The Role of Doxing in Targeting Activists
Doxing has emerged as a tactic used against activists, providing authorities with information that helps identify and target individuals for deportation. Right-wing organizations like Canary Mission compile profiles on supposed activists, equating dissent against U.S. foreign policy with supporting terrorism. As a result, individuals who publicly voice their political beliefs have increasingly found themselves at risk of deportation or harassment from government authorities. This alarming trend raises significant concerns about freedom of expression and the protection of activists.
All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file.
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The Library Funding Cliff
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Anarchism In Uruguay feat. Andrew, Pt. 2
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RFK Jr. Breaks the Medical System
- How ICE Is Targeting Students for Deportation
-
Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #10
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Sources/Links:
RFK Jr. Breaks the Medical System
https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/autism/114853
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/28/health/fda-vaccine-peter-marks-resigns/index.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/31/trump-administration-hiv-research-grant-cuts
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-to-gut-vaccine-promotion-and-hiv-prevention-office-sources-say/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1839225/
https://www.axios.com/2025/03/29/rfk-jr-body-shames-west-virginia-governor
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/31/health/vaccine-grants-cancelled-pediatricians/index.html
https://taggs.hhs.gov/Content/Data/HHS_Grants_Terminated.pdf
How ICE Is Targeting Students for Deportation
https://apnews.com/article/columbia-university-mahmoud-khalil-ice-15014bcbb921f21a9f704d5acdcae7a8
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/15/nyregion/columbia-student-kristi-noem-video.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/nyregion/columbia-university-protester-chung-deportation.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/25/columbia-gaza-protester-yunseo-chung-lawsuit
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/nyregion/columbia-student-ice-suit-yunseo-chung.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/us/politics/cornell-student-momodou-taal.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/us/rumeysa-ozturk-tufts-student-detained.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/us/israel-gaza-student-protests-canary-mission.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/14/israel-betar-deportation-list-trump
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-administration-takes-aim-immigrant-students-rcna198346
https://x.com/janashortal/status/1905759411248734353
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SGz224raVR8mHMzC6q-6EUiNcBKD6BSK/view
Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #10
https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-stokes-trade-war-world-reels-tariff-shock-2025-04-03/
https://www.theverge.com/news/642620/trump-tariffs-formula-ai-chatgpt-gemini-claude-grok
https://x.com/USBPChief/status/1907398210064437404
https://x.com/ReichlinMelnick/status/1907488012239302953
https://x.com/ReichlinMelnick/status/1907411257927311619
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.578815/gov.uscourts.mdd.578815.11.0.pdf
https://x.com/JDVance/status/1906934067607556440
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/04/01/us/elections/results-wisconsin-supreme-court.html
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/02/business/tesla-sales/index.html
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