Last night’s Republican National Convention brought more speeches from Trump’s employees and family members, including First Lady Melania Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The topic of “school choice” has been referenced often during the RNC—that’s part of a major push from Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to privatize education. 

In Portsmouth, Virginia, Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke has been charged with a misdemeanor for calling for the resignation of the city’s police chief. She’s not alone. We discuss how the legal system in Virginia and elsewhere is being used against activists and elected officials, who are mostly Black, to suppress political speech. 

Mass Defense Fund: www.nlg.org/massdefenseprogram/ 

And in headlines: updates on Jacob Blake, California farmworkers face grueling work conditions made worse by extreme weather, and the Whitney Museum does fake activism.