A dark day in Texas

View in browser   September 1, 2021 It was a dark day in Texas. In the span of just a few hours on Tuesday, the state's Republican-controlled state legislature passed a sweeping voter suppression bill that will help solidify the GOP's anti-democratic hold on power for years to come, even as Texas becomes younger, more diverse, and Democratic. The most restrictive abortion ban in the country took effect soon after, effectively ending legal abortion in Texas. By refusing to take action on the six-week abortion ban, which also allows private citizens to sue abortion providers and anyone who "abets" pregnant people hoping to obtain the procedure, abortion rights advocates fear that the US Supreme Court all but signaled it was willing to overturn Roe v. Wade. This year has been packed with seemingly endless bad news—and what's happening in Texas hits especially hard. Still, today, I have to urge you to read my colleague Becca Andrews' gut-wrenching look at the consequences of such restrictive bans. As Becca so devastatingly put it, while people worry about a world in which abortion access is no longer protected, the women of Mississippi have already been living it. Read her feature and understand what's at stake in Texas and far beyond. —Inae Oh Advertisement   Texas Republicans Pass Voting Restrictions to Solidify Anti-Democratic Hold on Power As Texas becomes more diverse, conservatives have held on by shaping the electorate to their advantage. BY ARI BERMAN   What's on the line in the California recall? BY LIL KALISH The real reason people are treating themselves with horse dewormer BY KIERA BUTLER There's no proof sunscreen prevents cancer in Black people. Why do doctors keep pushing it? BY ROWAN JACOBSEN The cost of the post-9/11 security state is $21 trillion, report finds BY AJ VICENS Advertisement   How Flint closed the gap between Black and white suffering under COVID It took a strong dose of social medicine.   Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. Donate SOME GOOD NEWS, FOR ONCE $7.5 Million in Stolen Wages Is Ordered Back to Hundreds of Ripped-Off Construction Workers More than 400 construction workers in New York City are recouping $7.5 million in wages after a city investigation found that dozens of contractors had ripped them off. The office that made the announcement, the Bureau of Labor Law, has also debarred 60 of the contractors. "Contractors who cheat workers and cut corners can never be tolerated, and especially not during a global pandemic," said Kyle Bragg, president of the Service Employees International Union, echoing the statement by City Comptroller Scott Stringer: "During the economic hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's more important than ever that workers get the wages they are rightfully owed." A city website has been launched with a directory of affected workers for anyone unsure of whether they're entitled to the millions in wages, and a phone campaign is picking up pace to contact as many of the workers as possible. The news lands during Labor Rights Week, which runs through Friday. If you've got stories of collective action, accountability, and results beyond the week, let us know at recharge@motherjones.com. —Daniel King Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by forwarding it to a friend or sharing it on Facebook and Twitter. Donate Subscribe This message was sent to franchmaverickk.secretwords123@blogger.com. To change the messages you receive from us, you can edit your email preferences or unsubscribe from all mailings. For advertising opportunities see our online media kit. Were you forwarded this email? Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today. www.MotherJones.com PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755