Natasha Explains It All

A recent interview I watched with @AGoodWitchOfficial and the fact that Ohio just became the 24th state to legalize marijuana sparked this episode. I share some thoughts on why legalization is good policy and that the continued illegality of marijuana at the federal level and in some states, as well as criminal court policies, actually exacerbate the opioid epidemic.

Plus, I share some fun stats about where listeners of Natasha Explains It All are tuning in from around the world.

If you want to learn more about drug policy in the US, I recommend checking out the Drug Policy Alliance.

You can watch the A Good Witch interview on What's Underneath here.

Today I share my first foreign title, still currently unavailable in English: Pequena Coreografia do Adeus (Little Choreography of the Goodbye) by Brazilian author and poet Aline Bei. This book, written as one long poem, is beautiful and painful. It is about how a family (particularly the daughter) navigates a divorce. Aline Bei plays a lot with format to convey meaning, which reminds me of another excellent book I read recently, Maps of our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer.

Click here for an interview with Aline Bei about the book.

You can buy Pequena Coreografia do Adeus here and Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies here.

Oakland is giving out grants for individuals, groups, and orgs to host free public events to build community and safety. I talk about this initiative (deadline is October 12th!) and share personal stories about the importance of public spaces. We can be part of the solution!

For more info on the Activate Oakland grants, check out the grant website and read this Oaklandside article.

In this episode I also mention the Trash Falcons and the Urban Compassion Project, two groups doing fantastic work to beautify Oakland that are always looking for volunteers.

If you live or work in Oakland, CA, you've likely noticed illegal dumping/blight/trash heaps. One organization -- founded by a formerly unhoused Oakland native -- is tackling this problem, one cleanup at a time. The Urban Compassion Project does weekly clean ups around the city (in addition to other awesome work) and is always looking for volunteers and donations. Please consider supporting.

Check out the Urban Compassion Project at www.urbancompassionproject.org, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/urbanparkcleanup and on Instagram @urbancompassionproject

The real-life novela of Spanish soccer federation head Rubiales clinging desperately to power following his sexual misconduct at the Women's World Cup trophy ceremony continues. Let us hope that #SeAcabó.

For more:

I brought World Cup glory to Spain, so I can kiss whomever I want by Sally Jenkins: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/08/26/luis-rubiales-spanish-soccer-kiss/

When a sports administrator like Rubiales thinks he's a rock star, it's time to get rid of him by Malachy Clerkin: https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2023/08/25/malachy-clerkin-when-a-sports-administrator-like-rubiales-thinks-hes-a-rock-star-its-time-to-get-rid/

David Squires on … Luis Rubiales and the gaslighting scandal in Spanish football: https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2023/aug/29/david-squires-on-luis-rubiales-and-the-gaslighting-scandal-in-spanish-football

It took Luis Rubiales’ public behavior to validate Spain players’ concerns by Claire Watkins: https://justwomenssports.com/reads/spain-womens-soccer-luis-rubiales-fifa-world-cup-kiss/

The Women's World Cup just wrapped up and was filled with excitement, firsts, and joy. But it was also mired by sexism and sexual harassment, taking focus and energy away from the incredible accomplishments of these incredible athletes. I explore the situations faced by the Spanish and Zambian national teams and hope for a day where women players can just focus on winning.

A recent survey of Brazilians found that the vast majority of Brazilians believe Brazil is a racist nation, but only a small minority believe that they themselves hold discriminatory views. I share more about this survey and make comparisons to American attitudes on race.

Cited during the episode:

Instituto Peregum: https://peregum.org.br/

The Seta Project: projetoseta.org.br

Boletim Folha podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/br/podcast/boletim-folha/id1501368386

2021 Gallup study: https://news.gallup.com/poll/352544/larger-majority-says-racism-against-black-people-widespread.aspx

2023 Pew Research Center study: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/08/10/views-of-the-countrys-progress-on-racial-equality/

On Nov. 7th, Ohioans will have the chance to vote on a constitutional amendment to protect reproductive rights. This amendment is polling very well, with about 59% of the public in support. Upset by this, Republican legislators have added an election on August 8th to vote on Issue 1, which would change the threshold to amend the state constitution by referendum from 50% + 1 vote to 60% — virtually guaranteeing that the Nov. reproductive rights measure will fail.

We need to stop Issue 1 by boosting turnout for the August 8th election (which is a historically low turnout time, which is why they picked it). In this episode, I talk about how.

#VoteNoInAugust

To find your polling place: VoteOhio.gov

To volunteer to help spread the word, visit PostcardsToVoters.org

To read more about what's at stake, check out this Indivisible piece

To support abortion funds in Ohio, visit the Abortion Fund of Ohio

The City of Atlanta wants to spend $90 million in taxpayer dollars to tear down forest and build a police training center, where they will build a mock city for training for urban warfare, engage in explosions testing, have shooting ranges, and controlled building burns. This proposal is deeply unpopular among Atlanta residents, who want the money to be spent on several other areas where there are pressing needs, including education and healthcare. The major supporters of Cop City are major corporations - not the actual residents who will be targeted by the police trained at Cop City.

The good news is community organizers have organized an opportunity to put Cop City to a public vote. By August 14th, they need to collect 70,000 signatures from registered voters in Atlanta to secure a referendum on the November 7th ballot on whether Cop City should be funded.

Let's spread the word!

https://www.copcityvote.com - all the info you need about the petition and signature gathering

https://stopcop.city/ - all the info you need about what Cop City is

Also check out @copcityvote and @cpdaction for more and @atlantabeltlinehatesyou for great memes about #NoCopCity

You can also donate to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund at https://atlsolidarity.org/

To learn more about the major corporations backing Cop City, check out: https://news.littlesis.org/2022/11/15/meet-the-major-corporations-and-cultural-institutions-helping-build-cop-city-in-atlanta/

#StopCopCity

Today's episode focuses on one of the Supreme Court cases decided last week, 303 Creative v. Elenis, which held that businesses can refuse service to gay customers. This case is bad news, and in this episode, I explain why.

I also mention the website www.oyez.org, where you can listen to all Supreme Court oral arguments and read the opinions (the decisions of the justices).