Today on Sojourner Truth:
Officials are reporting that there is a new COVID-19 case in Southern California every six seconds. Hospitals, medical staff and funeral homes are so overwhelmed in the region that the Department of Defense has had to step in to assist. The virus is out of control in Southern California, but that did not mean that elected officials took action to stop several super spreader events from taking place over the past few days. We speak with Pastor Cue of the Church Without Walls about community push-back against events organized by Christian right evangelist Sean Feucht.
On Monday, January 5, a British judge rejected the United States request to extradite Assange, reportedly saying he was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected defense arguments that Assange faces a politically motivated U.S. prosecution because of his journalism. However, she said Assange's declining mental health would likely worsen under the conditions of near total isolation he would face in a U.S. prison. Lawyers for Washington said they would appeal the decision, with the U.S. Department of Justice adding that it would continue to seek Assange's extradition. Our guest is Kevin Gosztola, a writer and publisher for Shadowproof. He curates a subscription newsletter, The Dissenter, and hosts The Dissenter Weekly. Both cover whistleblower stories extensively. He also co-hosts the Unauthorized Disclosure weekly podcast and contributed a chapter to the book, In Defense Of Julian Assange from OR Books.
Also, the Black arts world mourns the passing of John Outterbridge, a Black artist and cultural leader whose work influenced a generation. Our guest is Michael Massenburg, a teaching artist, community organizer and activist for various organizations and causes.
