- The British aid group Oxfam is in crisis over claims that its former director in Haiti hosted sex parties with prostitutes in the aftermath of that nation’s massive 2010 earthquake. Public disclosure of the scandal in the Times of London led to the resignation of Oxfam’s deputy director Penny Lawrence and the group has lost high profile supporters including South African anti-apartheid leader Desmond Tutu. (“Haitian Oxfam Workers Tried to Warn of Sex Scandal Before,” BBC News, Feb. 13, 2018; “Haitian Oxfam Workers Tried to Warn of Sex Scandal Before,” BBC News, Feb. 16, 2018)
- In early January, Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed a 2013 Obama administration memo directing the U.S. Justice Department to respect the recent liberalization of state marijuana laws. Now Sessions, the Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency are in court defending its crackdown on cannabis against a wide-ranging lawsuit filed by plaintiffs ranging from a U.S. military veteran to a former pro football player.
(“Battle over Legal Marijuana: A Monumental Moment for States’ Rights,” Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 19, 2018; “Meet the Army Vet Taking on Sessions over Medical Marijuana,” New York Post, Feb. 14, 2018) - Midwest progressives have launched a major campaign to defeat Democratic Congressman Dan Lipinski who represents Chicago’s blue-collar southwest side. For a generation, the socially conservative Lipinski family has held Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District seat. A leader of the Blue Dog Coalition of conservative Democrats, Lipinski opposes women’s reproductive rights, Obamacare and a path to citizenship for DACA recipients.
(“Can the Democratic Party’s Left Flank Win in 2018? This Illinois Primary Could Be a Bellwether,” In These Times, Feb. 7, 2018)
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