AI Whistleblower Found Dead
Suchir Balaji was found dead in his apartment in San Francisco at the end of November. Belaji worked for Open AI as a researcher until he quit in August. On October 23, he posted a blog post and tweet about how generative AI does not fall under fair use and does in fact violate the Copyright Act. His death was ruled a suicide.
Jail to Deny HIV Medicines to Inmates
The contractor that provides medical care to inmates in the Mesa County jail says they won’t pay for abortions or HIV drugs. The Sheriff’s office said there had been 58 pregnant inmates in 2024. NaphCare is an Alabama based company that specializes in Correctional Health Care. Inmate health costs locally are expected to rise from $5.7 million per year to $7 million per year by 2029.
New Zine Project in the Grand Valley
We want to extend a hearty welcome to The Grand Valley Zine Club. They expect to meet monthly to compile a collaborative zine each month. Email to get more details on how to participate. grayscalerainbowzine@gmail.com
Deputy Arrested for Human Trafficking
Ivan Sundheim, a former El Paso County Sheriff Deputy was arrested in Texas on December 10 and charged with human trafficking which took place while he was serving as a deputy.
Strike!
As of December 12, there have been 318 labor actions in 478 locations across America in 2024. Bus drivers in Fresno, California struck for two days on December 17. Amazon workers across the country struck just days before Christmas, with strikers arrested in New York. Starbucks’ workers are on strike in nine states and dozens of locations. A month-long strike at an IKEA distribution center in Pennsylvania continues. Thousands of Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton hotel workers in San Francisco are on the picket-line. 2300 Kaiser Permanente behavioral health professionals have been on strike since October. Unions are one of the very few organizations in America with the capacity to resist. Join a union. Stand in solidarity, never cross a picket line. We are all in this together.
Aspen Meadows Resort Promises to Not Abuse Immigrant Workers Anymore
Aspen Journalism broke a story that is likely just the tip of the iceberg, about worker discrimination, pay discrimination, and substandard housing and worse. The for profit corporation promises they won’t do it anymore.
People’s March 2024
The annual women’s march is now a People’s March and is in coordination with protests around the nation. Marches are planned in Durango, Grand Junction, and Glenwood Springs! See you in the streets on January 18th!
Soup Kitchen Turns Away the Hungry
For the first time in the 50-year history of the Catholic Outreach Soup Kitchen is turning people away hungry for not providing a name. This crackdown is in preparation of the institution of the Clarity ID system at service providers around the city, which will under the guise of ‘accountability,’ will make resources harder to access for many.
Zionist Settlers Moving into Syria
+972 Magazine provides some of the best journalism coming out of the conflict zone. They are reporting that on the tails of Israeli troops moving in and taking territory in recently ‘liberated’ Syria, settlers are looking to seize as much land as possible. In leaked Whatsapp messages one member of Uri Tsafon said “We have to conquer and destroy. As much as possible, and as quickly as possible.” Uri Tsafon was formed earlier this year to organize Zionist settlement in southern Lebanon.
By-Standards Step In and Stop Vigilante
Setting an example for the rest of us, by-standards jumped in when Patrick Egan assaulted a KJCT/KKCO news employee. The initial confrontation took place at 25rd and Hwy 6 & 50, where Egan demanded paperwork to prove the unnamed victim was in the US legally. Egan then followed the victim to the news station. The victim had called ahead, letting coworkers know that they were under threat. They were smart and MOVED TOWARDS WITNESSES! At the news station Egan tackled the victim and choked them until co-workers took action saving their co-worker and then PHYSICALLY RESTRAINED the man until police arrived. Egan has been charged with a hate crime, and sits in Mesa County Jail on a $20,000 bond. Egan was driving a Sunshine Taxi at the time and has since lost his job.
$116 Million ‘Rape Club’ Settlement
The federal government has agreed to pay $116 million dollars to over 100 former inmates and survivors of systemic sexual harassment and assault at the Women’s Federal Prison in Dublin California. The facility was the scene of rampant daily, sexual harassment and violence committed by guards. “We were sentenced to prison, we were not sentenced to be assaulted and abused,” Aimee Chavi told NPR.
The Revolutionist 