NBN Book of the Day - Steven Press, “Blood and Diamonds: Germany’s Imperial Ambitions in Africa” (Harvard UP, 2021)

Since the late 1990s, activists have campaigned to remove "conflict diamonds" from jewelry shops and department stores. But if the problem of conflict diamonds--gems extracted from war zones--has only recently generated attention, it is not a new one. Nor are conflict diamonds an exception in an otherwise honest industry. The modern diamond business, Steven Press shows, owes its origins to imperial wars and has never escaped its legacy of exploitation.

In Blood and Diamonds: Germany's Imperial Ambitions in Africa (Harvard UP, 2021), Press traces the interaction of the mass-market diamond and German colonial domination in Africa. Starting in the 1880s, Germans hunted for diamonds in Southwest Africa. In the decades that followed, Germans waged brutal wars to control the territory, culminating in the genocide of the Herero and Nama peoples and the unearthing of vast mineral riches. Press follows the trail of the diamonds from the sands of the Namib Desert to government ministries and corporate boardrooms in Berlin and London and on to the retail counters of New York and Chicago. As Africans working in terrifying conditions extracted unprecedented supplies of diamonds, European cartels maintained the illusion that the stones were scarce, propelling the nascent US market for diamond engagement rings. Convinced by advertisers that diamonds were both valuable and romantically significant, American purchasers unwittingly funded German imperial ambitions into the era of the world wars.

Amid today's global frenzy of mass consumption, Press's history offers an unsettling reminder that cheap luxury often depends on an alliance between corporate power and state violence.

Jill Massino is a scholar of modern Eastern Europe with a focus on Romania, gender, and everyday life.

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The NewsWorthy - Severe Storm Damage, Brawl Breaks Out & Monster Hunters Wanted- Tuesday, August 8, 2023

The news to know for Tuesday, August 8, 2023!

We're telling you about severe weather impacting millions of Americans and thousands of travel plans. 

And weather caused thousands of teenagers from around the world to evacuate a big, international event.

Also, we'll explain the special election in Ohio today that will be closely watched around the country.

Plus, a new strike is hoping to shut down the city of Los Angeles, PayPal has a new digital token, and you now have a chance to become a "monster hunter."

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Opening Arguments - OA790: The Trump Prosecutions: A Tale of Two Courtooms

Liz and Andrew compare and contrast procedural motions in both the Southern District of Florida (the document retention case) and the District of Columbia (the conspiracy to overthrow the elections case). What does a motion for a protective order tell us about how Special Counsel Jack Smith intends to prosecute both cases? Listen and find out!

In the Patreon bonus, Liz updates us on developments in the E. Jean Carroll trial.

Notes US v. Trump (SDFL documents) docket https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652/

Cannon 8/7 order striking pleadings https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652.100.0_1.pdf

TRUMP RESPONSE TO PROTECTIVE ORDER https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149.14.0_5.pdf

Fed R. Crim. P. 6 https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcrmp/rule_6

OA 788 https://openargs.com/oa788-all-my-conflicts-a-discussion-of-trumps-lawyers-more-feat-mitchell-epner/

-Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

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-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com

Chapo Trap House - 756 – Call Your Mother feat. Adam Friedland (8/8/23)

Host of The Adam Friedland Show, Adam Friedland, returns to the show with a real alpha energy, asserting dominance of the podcast space with his new Talk Show Hosting kino. We discuss good food, old friends, work, war, being on the computer and much more. Subscribe to The Adam Friedland Show: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAdamFriedlandShow https://www.patreon.com/cumtown/posts CANADA: Toronto is basically sold out, but tickets still available for the Montreal show on Sat. Aug 19. https://www.chapotraphouse.com/live

What A Day - Oh Hi Go Vote

Donald Trump’s lawyers argued on Monday that prosecutors are infringing on Trump's First Amendment rights by asking him not to discuss the case over his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. That comes after special counsel Jack Smith on Friday asked for a protective order that limits disclosure of discovery material in the case, and referenced Trump's incendiary social media post.

Ohioans head to the polls today to vote on a ballot measure that could make it harder to amend the state’s constitution. The outcome of Issue 1 could have a huge impact on voters' ability to enshrine abortion rights within their state’s constitution.

In headlines: the final sentence has been handed down in the murder of George Floyd, the leaders of eight South American nations meet today to protect the Amazon rainforest, and more than 11,000 Los Angeles city workers hold a 24 hours strike.

Plus, we talk to author Lydia Kiesling about her new book, Mobility.

Show Notes:

The Daily Signal - State Schools Chief Seeks Answers on District’s Reported Ties to Chinese Government

Parents Defending Education’s new report, “Little Red Classrooms,” offers some worrisome information about China’s reach in U.S. K-12 schools through so-called Confucius Classrooms.

The report notes that Parents Defending Education “uncovered contracts that show Confucius Classrooms, or other Chinese government-backed programming, are still in operation” in a number of schools throughout the U.S., including Tulsa Public Schools in Oklahoma. 

“On July 11, 2022, the Tulsa Public Schools board of education approved entering into an agreement with the Confucius Classroom Coordination Offices, which [operate] out of the International Leadership of Texas Global nonprofit,” the report says. “The Chinese International Education Foundation would cover the cost of the program. Carver Middle School offers students a ‘Confucius Connection’ through its ‘Global Awareness’ programming.”

Ryan Walters, Oklahoma state superintendent of public instruction, says, “What we did is, we — immediately upon finding this out — we have required the district to turn over any contracts, any curriculum, anything that’s been handed out through this course.”

“So, we are actively compiling that from the district right now to do a deep dive into, ‘Hey, what was the Chinese government trying to get in this classroom? What were the teachers discussing in these classes?'” Walters says, adding:

So that’s what we’ve required of the district right now. So, we are going to be looking for that information to have a better understanding of what was being funneled into these classrooms.

Walters joins today’s episode of “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the Parents Defending Education report, whether he has spoken with any teachers, parents, or students at Tulsa’s Carver Middle School, and Tulsa Public Schools’ response to his Twitter video, “China will not be allowed in Oklahoma schools.”


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Slate Books - How To!: Generation Dread: Finding Purpose In an Age of Climate Crisis.

As the massive Caldor fire blazed towards South Lake Tahoe in 2021, Joyce knew she had to get out. “The sky was red. It was like hell on earth,” she remembers. Her family got to safety and her house was miraculously spared. But, even now, it can be jarring to remember the fire. Climate-related extreme weather events are on the rise and another disaster is seemingly right around the corner. Especially with freakish flash floods, a scorching heatwave and wildfire smoke blanketing much of the country. On this episode of How To!, guest-host Cheyna Roth brings on Dr. Britt Wray, author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose In an Age of Climate Crisis. Dr. Wray explains why we need to treat climate anxiety differently and how we can create resilience both internally and within our communities as we face climate change, together. 


Resources Mentioned: 

Climate Psychology Alliance

Climate Psychiatry Alliance

Good Grief Network

Climate Awakening

Gen Dread Substack


If you liked this episode, check out: How To Save the Planet (And Still Use a Plastic Straw)


Do you have a question we can help you solve? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.


Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, Kevin Bendis, and Jabari Butler.


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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Judges on the Trump Trials

Who are the judges presiding over Donald Trump’s trials and what can the prosecution—and defense—expect, based on what’s happened already?


Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer covering courts and the law for Slate Magazine


If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

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Pod Save America - Judge May Shush Trump….in America??

Donald Trump threatens witnesses and attacks Jack Smith while his lawyer tests out some novel defense arguments on all five Sunday shows. Mike Pence says he’s open to testifying against Trump. Ron DeSantis finally admits that Joe Biden won the election. Then, Desiree Tims from Innovation Ohio joins to talk about the crucial abortion rights vote happening on Tuesday. And later, Elijah is back for another round of Take Appreciators.

 

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.