A conversation with the great Ben Katchor.

"The thing is, wealth doesn’t corrupt you just criminally, it also corrupts your tastes. You don’t look at things, you don’t study things, you become, you know, an

Can’t get over Dr. Susan Moore’s death.

It’s on my mind heavy.

Being sick is bad enough - fatigue, pain, shortness of breath. I imagine that to be a member of the majority caste in this country is to be able to just be sick. To be able to focus energy on getting well and maybe (because medical capitalism) how to pay.

There is so much more on the minds of Black patients - considering if the hospital you go to will treat you well (or at all). To have to, in the midst of the emotional and cytokine storm of infection, muster strength to fight for adequate care. To trade rest for diligence.

To have to calculate how a care provider might interpret how you express emotion & pain-too calm & you must be lying, too hysterical & you might invite the non-therapeutic intervention of armed security guards

To second guess fully disclosing your living situation, finances, diet and ability to afford and adhere to medications because of the potential consequences of the judgement that might follow.

Back at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this morning attempting to monitor a call over hearing in the case of @wikileaks publisher Julian Assange. This is the last such hearing scheduled before the extradition decision will be given on 4 January.

Thread. 1/

The goal posts for access constantly shift at this court, in a completely arbitrary manner. We are currently being told by a court official that no journalists will be allowed in (told they can access the Cloud Video Platform) and only two people can access the public gallery. 2/

At times, even under Covid measures, four journalists have been allowed into the well of this same courtroom, and five people into the public gallery. Two in total today is completely arbitrary. We’re told the access restrictions are the judge’s decision. 3/

We’re hearing that two seats in court are being held for @AusHouseLondon, so we circle back to the same issue as the “VIP” seats held in the September proceedings at the Old Bailey, when these “VIP” diplomats never took their seats, but they were held back from the public. 4/

Again, the only way for professional NGO observers to access these hearings (and do our job) is in person, as the court will not give us remote access. This is not only a barrier to open justice, but the court is creating unnecessary Covid risks as London heads towards Tier 3. 5/

Bombay HC refers to SC judgment in Arnab Goswami case during the hearing of Varavara Rao's case.

"Now we have a judgment(Arnab case) wherein it has been clarified that HC can grant bail in writ. Earlier there was a grey area. Now the law has been made clear", Justice Shinde says

'Arnab's case was on different facts', submits ASG Anil Singh for NIA @NIA_India

"Earlier both of us were pondering whether under 226 bail can be granted, but the position has been clarified now", Justice Shinde replies.

#BombayHighCourt
#VaravaraRao

"Nanavati hospital report is deficient in a number of areas, they have been conspicuously silent on a number of issues"- Anand Grover submits for Varavara Rao.
#BombayHighCourt
#VaravaraRao

VV Rao has had ailments from the beginning, they do not have the infrastructure in jail in terms of medical facilities and he keeps getting unwell/sick since the conditions are such, that is why he cannot stay in jail - Grover

#BombayHighCourt
#VaravaraRao

Once he goes back to jail he will again get sick seeing the ailments he is suffering from, so we will be back to court again as he will get sick - Grover

#BombayHighCourt
#VaravaraRao

Now that CBI has charged the 4 Hathras accused for gang rape and murder, let us look at how the ‘honor killing, no rape’ narrative was echoed by the entire BJP ecosystem. Thread 1/n👇

Republic: “now that it appears there was no rape, leave alone gang rape...some people are suggesting it could be case of honor killing. Needs to be investigated.” 2/n

BJP Mahila Morcha’s national social media in charge. Wherever there is misleading narrative being built, you are sure to find her there. 3/n.

BJP loyalists started getting ‘hints’. One with ‘facts’ in the handle name even declared “Hathras- No Rape” 4/n

BJP supporters dutifully circulated a random video as ‘new facts coming out’. 5/n

Cuomo releasing private personnel documents of the woman who accused him of sexual harassment moments prior isn’t just retaliation, it’s a warning.

This is the man who opened a corruption commission then closed it when the evidence led to him, he has a lot hide.

Cuomo is a man who renamed a bridge after his father with the intent to use it as a campaign boost with his name, even as his own CNN host brother told the world he shouldn’t because his dad would have hated it.

Cuomo is a man who is sitting on billions in funds meant for our starving public schools, ignoring a court order to distribute it to schools while handing tax cuts to his Trump donors. Even COVID didn’t change his mind.

When Trump decided not to provide PPE, Cuomo chose twitter and CNN cameras in a tough guy act and got nothing while other governors worked quietly to create a buyers coalition and cornered the market to purchase PPE from under Trump successfully.

While New York had among the worst COVID outcomes of any other state, Cuomo spent his time writing a book about how he single handedly defeated it. That was when he wasn’t giving his rich donors a pass while they killed New York’s seniors in nursing homes.