Compiled by Bob Nixon Nonviolent independent Kashmir activist sentenced to life in prison Does inflation or abortion matter more in swing states Trailer park residents take on venture capitalists

• Violence has been on the rise in the disputed Kashmir region after a leading non-violent independence activist, Yasin Malik, was sentenced to life in prison by an Indian special court. Malik had founded the now banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front which renounced violence in the 1990s and had engaged in talks with India and Pakistan over Kashmir’s status. He was arrested in 2019 by Indian security forces and convicted in May of illegally raising funds, membership in a terrorist organization, criminal conspiracy and sedition.

(“India Sentences Kashmir Rebel Yasin Malik to Life Imprisonment,” Al-Jazeera, May 25, 2022; “As Kashmir Hindus Face Targeted Killings, Hundreds Flee Valley,” Al Jazeera, June 2, 2022)

• In anticipation of the Supreme Court’s expected repeal of the 1973 Roe vs Wade abortion ruling, Democratic activists are working for a big turnout in this November’s mid-term election in the western swing states of Arizona and Nevada, with large blocks of pro-choice voters. Progressive labor unions and Latino community organizations have already started knocking on doors to get out the vote. But the American Prospect reports that despite the union’s efforts in Nevada, the state’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Cortez Masto, running for re-election, is trailing in recent polls due to voter anger about surging inflation.

(“Inflation? Abortion? Which Matters More in Swing States,” American Prospect, June 9, 2022)

• In recent years, an inrush of tourists, remote workers and investors has driven land and housing prices out of control in much of the West. As gentrification impacts small towns and rural communities, investors are now buying up mobile home properties. Two such investors even started “Mobile Home University,” to sell online courses teaching others how to take advantage of this emerging market. In a blog post titled, “How to Make Huge Returns on Mobile Home Parks,” co-founder Frank Rolfe sums up the strategy. He advises his student investors that “it costs $3,000 to move a mobile home. Most tenants can’t afford to leave when you raise their rents.”

(“Trailer Park Residents Take on Venture Capitalists and Win,” In These Times, June 3, 2022 )

This week’s News Summary was narrated by Anna Manzo

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