https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqiz_gVt5-c
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
History Minute (038): Dividing black and white
There were many occasions when poor whites were "caught" supporting efforts of enslaved people to free themselves.
In return, blacks helped whites in need. One black runaway told of a slave woman who had received fifty lashes of the whip for giving food to a white neighbor who was poor and sick.
When the Brunswick canal was built in Georgia, the black slaves and white Irish workers were segregated, the excuse being that they would do violence against one another. That may well have been true, but Fanny Kemble, the famous actress and wife of a planter, wrote in her journal:
"But the Irish are not only quarrelers, and rioters, and fighters, and drinkers, and despisers of n_____s*—they are a passionate, impulsive, warm-hearted, generous people, much given to powerful indignations, which break out suddenly when not compelled to smoulder sullenly—pestilent sympathizers too, and with a sufficient dose of American atmospheric air in their lungs, properly mixed with a right proportion of ardent spirits, there is no saying but what they might actually take to sympathy with the slaves, and I leave you to judge of the possible consequences. You perceive, I am sure, that they can by no means be allowed to work together on the Brunswick Canal."
Excerpt From
A People's History of the United States
Howard Zinn
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(*In the text quoted above, as a courtesy, we have suppressed the racial slur that appears in the original.)
US senator slams Republicans’ silence on Trump’s violent threats to Democrats
Kelly noted that both Donald Trump and Republican legislators had previously asked Democrats to moderate their language after the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September, asking: "What happened to that?"
Five key findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society
Year-long investigation into multimillion-dollar business exposed serious concerns, from dangerous medical claims to FBS-linked stillbirths…
History Minute (039): Slave control: turning poor whites against blacks, with the help of Christianity
Quoting Zinn:
The need for slave control led to an ingenious device, paying poor whites—themselves so troublesome for two hundred years of southern history—to be overseers of black labor and therefore buffers for black hatred.
Religion was used for control. A book consulted by many planters was the Cotton Plantation Record and Account Book, which gave these instructions to overseers: "You will find that an hour devoted every Sabbath morning to their moral and religious instruction would prove a great aid to you in bringing about a better state of things amongst the Negroes."
Excerpt From
A People's History of the United States
Howard Zinn
US and Ukraine promise ‘updated’ peace framework after criticism of pro-Russian points in original plan
The US and Ukraine said they had created an "updated and refined peace framework" to end the war with Russia, hours after European countries proposed their own radical alternative that omitted some of the pro-Russia points made in an original US-backed document that was leaked last week...
Many prominent Maga personalities on X are based outside US, new tool reveals
"This is easily one of the greatest days on this platform," wrote liberal influencer Harry Sisson. "Seeing all of these MAGA accounts get exposed as foreign actors trying to destroy the United States is a complete vindication of Democrats, like myself and many on here, who have been warning about this."…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/23/rightwing-influencers-outside-us-x-twitter-tool
Mamdani reiterates Trump is a ‘fascist’ just days after cordial meeting
Speaking to NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, the New York City mayor-elect was asked if he still considered Trump a threat to democracy. "Everything that I've said in the past I continue to believe," Mamdani replied. "I think it is important in our politics that we don't shy away from where we have disagreements."…
The U.S. relies on immigrant physicians. What if they no longer want to come? : Shots - Health News : NPR
Immigrants make up a significant proportion of all the country's doctors. New policies are making it harder and less appealing for foreign-born physicians to come to the U.S...
Comey, James cases dismissed as judge disqualifies interim US attorney Lindsey Halligan - POLITICO
A judge concluded Halligan's appointment violated laws that limit the ability of DOJ to install top prosecutors without Senate confirmation...
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/24/james-comey-letitia-james-cases-lindsey-halligan-00666896
‘Morale Has Never Been Lower’: House Republican Goes Scorched Earth on Trump White House and Speaker Johnson
"More explosive early resignations are coming. It's a tinder box. Morale has never been lower. Mike Johnson will be stripped of his gavel and they will lose the majority before this term is out."
ICE detained teenaged US citizen during school lunch break, family says
Despite telling the officers he was an American citizen, one of them broke the driver's side window and detained him. In a video shared to the outlet by Cesar Jimenez, Christian can reportedly be heard asserting his citizenship while an officer responds "get out of the car" and "I don't care."
Christian Jimenez was taken to the ICE facility in south Portland and released shortly before 7pm the same day, his brother said. Cesar Jimenez added that authorities are now attempting to charge Christian with "interference or obstruction of investigation"...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/23/ice-oregon-student-citizen-detained-immigration
The Education Department gave another agency power to distribute its money. It hasn't gone well. - POLITICO
"Labor is not positioned to do this work," said Amy Loyd, the Education Department's former assistant secretary of career, technical, and adult education during the Biden administration.
"This is not their core purpose and their core mission. And they may have a crush of smart ED people coming over, but I can't imagine that this is going to be something that is going to improve student outcomes by any stretch," added Loyd, who leads the All4Ed education policy advocacy organization. "This is going to do net harm to our states, to our locals, and to our kids."
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