Issue 695 | April 24, 2009
: Sharon Smith If the president can dedicate hundreds of billions to bank bailouts, he certainly has the power to offer real help to the unemployed and those losing their homes.
: Mike Davis Having won the helm in the midst of a hurricane, Barack Obama is steadfastly steering the ship of state on the same catastrophic course as his predecessor.
: Lance Selfa Barack Obama's election was part of a shift from an era of conservative dominance, and that evolution is likely to continue, independent of what Obama does.
: Eric Ruder The barbaric practice of imprisoning people for no other crime than falling into debt is making a comeback in 21st century America.
: Sherry Wolf Different political approaches are emerging inside the LGBT struggle over what our aims should be--and how we should fight to achieve them.
: Roger Dyer As Barack Obama prepares to weigh in on immigration reform, Bay Area activists are proposing progressive legislation of their own.
Activists and supporters of equal-marriage rights celebrated a huge victory this week, as Vermont became the fourth state to recognize same-sex marriage.
: Dave Zirin Now isn't the time to cheerlead Obama because those who oppose him on the right are knuckle-dragging lunatics. Now is the time to agitate.
In a blow to the hopes of his supporters, a federal court once again denied Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis a new trial.
: Bill Fletcher Jr. At present, you would still define Obama as a centrist, but I think there's some wiggle room where forces on the left need to be pushing.
: Conor Tomás Reed CCNY students will take action April 22 with the message: We are walking out today so we don't have to drop out tomorrow.
Whether the statistics show continued recession or a weak recovery, there's one economic fact no one can dispute--things are a lot worse for U.S. workers.
: Elizabeth Schulte Although May Day was founded to honor a U.S. labor struggle, few workers in this country know its origin, because our history is largely untold.
: Adam Turl Employers are worrying about the "Starbucks problem"--the possibility that their employees might follow the example of baristas and join the union.
: Andy Libson United Educators of San Francisco won a victory in blocking layoffs, but union leaders won’t oppose a retrograde state ballot measure, Proposition 1A.
Some 200 people gathered at a church in Harlem for a fundraising event for the strikers at Stella D'oro in the Bronx.
Students and faculty at the University of Vermont walked out in the latest action against the administration’s proposed budget cuts.
: Tom MacMillan Clark University has canceled a speech by Norman Finkelstein, the outspoken supporter of Palestinian rights.
Student activists reacted in disgust and protest to a recent USC promotional campaign for CIA recruiters.
Student activists won a victory when they forced the CIA to cancel its recruitment session at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Over 500 nurses, union workers and health care activists came to Los Angeles to have their voices heard for a national single-payer system.
In response to sweeping cuts, a small group of students and teachers held an overnight protest at Castro Valley High School.
Margo Ramlal-Nankoe's supporters are protesting the decision to deny tenure to an outspoken supporter of Palestinian rights.
Some 200 people gathered in Madison, Wis., on April 4 for a statewide march demanding an end to war and occupation.
About 40 people turned out to demand hearings for dozens of victims of Chicago police torture who remain behind bars.
A coalition of groups turned out at the Egyptian embassy in Washington April 4 to demonstrate for democracy and human rights.
In municipal elections, Gainesville, Fla., had its credentials as one of the most progressive cities in the Southeast put to the test.
Mayor Brian Stratton says he is considering disbanding the city's scandal-ridden police force and asking the state to declare martial law.
: Gillian Russom A new book recounts the struggle of Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers to bring the treatment of farmworkers to national attention.
: Alexander Billet The Gaza Music School--one of the few places where children could learn music in the region--was destroyed by Israeli bombs. Now it will be rebuilt.
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