Hurricanes and harvey: oct. 9th- oct. 16th

10/15/2017 0 Comments

Hurricanes and harvey: oct. 9th- oct. 16th

We're not gonna lie: this week was a weird news week. We're here to explain and empower.

WHAT went down

Fire in Northern California & Relief for Puerto Rico: Natural disaster struck once again in this terrifying season of heartbreak. The wildfires in Northern California were extremely destructive, and if you have the means, please donate to help. Additionally, Puerto Rico is still suffering, so, if possible, find ways to help by raising money, donating or calling Congress (see last week's list for specifics). Need a particularly exciting way to get involved? Buy Almost Like Praying, a song performed by an amazing array of Latinx artists, and all the proceeds will go to Hispanic Federation, an extremely trustworthy and direct charity for hurricane relief. An even easier way to get involved? Follow the For Puerto Rico Por Puerto Rico playlist on Spotify, and they'll donate for every follow.
Resources: ABC News Wildfire Aid; Hispanic Federation

Harvey Weinstein Scandal: Recently, yet another horror story about a famous, public, and male figure has surfaced. An article published by the New York Times last Thursday detailed sexual assault and harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein from many women spanning across three decades. A common thread throughout each woman’s experience was that Weinstein would invite them up to his hotel room, supposedly to discuss a potential role for them in one of his new movies. Instead of talking about their professional experiences or résumes, Weinstein would demand sexual favors in exchange for a lead role or career-changing opportunity. Among the string of women who have come forward are Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Rose McGowan. Judd described his actions as “coercive bargaining.”
The response was quick and relatively harsh; three days after the story was published, Weinstein was fired by the board of his own company, and Bafta (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) suspended his membership three days after that. However, according to Kathy DeClesis, assistant to Bob Weinstein (Harvey’s brother) in the early 1990s, “It wasn’t a secret to the inner circle.” And unlike other men such as Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly whose careers have been ruined by sexual assault allegations, Weinstein is a longtime Democratic donor and a generally liberal person. What does that say about the toxic culture of Hollywood, and what does it say about the sexism and purely unacceptable conduct that people are willing to overlook because the perpetrator is powerful?
For more info on what happened, read this timeline on how the scandal unfolded.
What you can do: There's not necessarily a way to speak out against Weinstein himself, but here's a rad organization to check out that does tons of work for sexual assault survivors: http://www.risenow.us

EPA Coal Rollback: The Environmental Protection Agency has officially said that they plan to make an effort to roll back parts of the Obama administration's plan for slowing climate change. Chief on their list? Easing limitations on coal usage in factories that use them. Coal is a major factor in global warming and has proven to be extremely detrimental to the environment, and the laws put in place by the Obama administration tried to make the effects smaller. The EPA cited the reason for this as the restrictions were "unrealistic." Outrageous? We know.
What you can do: Speak out! Call your reps:
Script: Hi, my name is _______. I'm calling to ask you to do anything you can to stop the Obama administration's climate protection plans from being repealed. Our earth's safety is in danger, and our country, as a major world power and consumer, must do our part to prevent global warming from worsening. Please keep this in mind as you make decisions about coal limitations, the Paris agreement and all other climate action programs.
Numbers: 877-251-4575 (EPA); 202-224-3121 (Capitol)
Resources: earthjustice.org; mrfcj.org