Current Reading
Pew Research Center, October, 2022, “Midterm Voting Intentions Are Divided, Economic Gloom Persists"
With less than three weeks to go until the midterm elections, registered voters’ preferences are nearly evenly divided: 41% say they favor the Democratic candidates in their districts, while a nearly identical percentage (40%) support Republican candidates; 18% are not sure how they will vote or favor candidates other than Republicans or Democrats. And those supporting GOP candidates are somewhat more engaged this election than their Democratic counterparts: They are more likely to have thought “a lot” about the election and to say the outcome “really matters.” As has been the case all year, the economy is clearly the top issue for voters; fully 79% say it will be very important to their voting decisions – the highest share among 18 issues included on the survey. The public continues to take a dim view of current economic conditions. Just 17% of U.S. adults say the economy is in excellent or good shape, little changed from the 13% who said this in July. more »
Defendant Jack Owuor in ‘Grandparent Scam’ Network Sentenced for RICO Conspiracy Targeting Elderly Americans
"The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue and prosecute groups that target elderly and vulnerable Americans through extortion, fraud, and impersonating their loved ones.""The department’s extensive and broad-based efforts to combat elder fraud seek to halt the widespread losses seniors suffer from fraud schemes. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves." more »
Jo Freeman Reviews Fierce and Fearless: Patsy Takemoto Mink, First Woman of Color in Congress
"She fought for women in poverty to get more benefits, against nuclear testing and war in general. Her thumbprint appeared on virtually all legislation to improve the status of women... She quickly moved from supporting candidates to becoming one. Service in various offices eventually led to her election to the U.S. House in 1964... Above all this book is a story of women’s entry into politics, progressing from tokens to major players. They banged on glass ceilings and pushed open stuck doors. In this effort, Rep. Patsy Mink was often leading the charge."
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Jo Freeman Writes: The Lost Promise, American Universities in the 1960s by Ellen Schrecker
Jo Freeman Writes: "This is a book about protests – which is the historical memory of what the 1960s was all about. It is also a book about professors. They are the prime subjects of the author’s chapters, even though students were often the prime actors. World War II made the difference. That conflict brought government money to scientists and the G.I. bill brought tuition payments to veterans. Money moved colleges and universities from being a finishing school for gentlemen to being a 'multiversity' where the 'knowledge industry' was a major source of revenue, progress, prestige and upward mobility."
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