International

Breaking News, Michael Jackson is Still Dead!

Written by Jill Garvey

I love Michael Jackson’s music, but what I love more is intelligent, relevant information about the rest of the world. I made a loose decision a few weeks ago not to cover the Iranian uprising on our little blog, as it was receiving extensive mainstream and independent press. But how very ironic and sadly typical that this protest movement (that effects the entire world) is dethroned in the hearts and minds of Americans (literally in an instant) by a pop star.

This is a strange opportunity to see just how being a journalist in this nation differs from being a journalist elsewhere. In other places journalists fear for their lives. Seeking, exposing, and distributing the… Read more

March Against 1968 Riot Cops Reunion

Written by Cloee Cooper

On June 26th, 2009, over a hundred people gathered in protest at the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) in Chicago. Beyond the police barricade, the FOP held their 1968 Riot Cop Reunion. Outside, people stood with signs, “Fight Racism, Stop Police Brutality”. The officers who cracked heads at the 1968 Democratic Convention and the Division Street riots of 1966, and murdered Black Panthers Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were celebrating with today’s police. According to the protestors, “the police are still occupying our communities and repressing our rallies”.

Chicago Copwatch in conjunction with other Chicago activists and organizations organized a rally and march to highlight the violence of the Chicago police in the 1960s, as… Read more

Health

Reviewed: Food, Inc.

Written by Jill Garvey

Even as someone who has extensive knowledge of the US food system, this film was shocking. An extremely absorbing two-hour look into the US food system from seed to sale. From the farmers whose every decision is controlled by giant corporations to the mother who lost her little boy to E. Coli, Food, Inc. keeps the focus on real people. Nice to see too, a film that goes beyond the usual complaints about Wal-Mart and gets down to the hidden culprits, like Monsanto, Smithfield, Tyson, the FDA, etc.

“You look at the labels and you see farmer this, farmer that. It’s really just three or four companies that are controlling the meat.… Read more

Politics

State Budget Cuts Leave Women Without Essential Services

Written by Guest Blogger

by Juan Calixto

The current Illinois state budget cuts are causing stress and panic in our neighborhoods and communities. Services that are crucial for children, youth, and families are being cut, if not eliminated across the State to balance the state’s $9 billion deficit. Effective July 1, 2009, those agency’s providing critical services to Illinois residents will have to operate with less resources or close their doors altogether.

Specifically to Mujeres Latinas en Acción, budget cuts would drastically cut four of our programs, leaving families without essential services in domestic violence, sexual assault, teen program and child care. This means between 3,000 and 4,500 women that would not receive services including court advocacy, and… Read more

“Banks Got Bailed Out, We Got Sold Out”

Written by Katie Bezrouch

Photos by Brian Heiser

There was a national day of action to oppose Wells Fargo on Tuesday. In 22 cities across the country religious leaders, union workers, and citizens gathered to stand face to face with a huge bank, to let them know that their irresponsible actions will not go by unnoticed.

In Chicago we gathered outside the North Avenue location at noon. It was a wonderful array of people; diverse in age and ethnicity. Most everyone was smiling and exchanging knowledge, a sentiment of brotherly harmony suspended in the air. We marched in a circular pattern in front of the Wells Fargo building, which was generously fitted with picture windows, shouting… Read more

Health

Tobacco Workers’ Lives At Risk, Reynolds Gets Richer

Written by Jill Garvey

The hardships heaped upon tobacco harvesters are too many to list. Between exposure to heat, pesticides, nicotine, and discrimination, the lives of hundreds of workers in tobacco-producing states like North Carolina are at risk. RJ Reynolds, which controls the tobacco industry and ultimately controls the conditions for farmworkers, is one of the largest tobacco companies, producing one out of every three cigarettes sold in the US.

With their immense wealth, Reynolds could easily make a difference, but has chosen not to respond to the pleas of workers. Farmworkers Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) has repeatedly requested that Reynolds CEO, Suan Ivey meet with workers and… Read more

Politics

Paging Governor Sanford

Written by Amy Spicer

“I don’t know how this thing got blown out of proportion,”

A gem of a quote from South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford in a news conference addressing his week-long disappearance. Really, you don’t? Kind of a skewed perspective. Let’s break it down:
You just admitted to lying to your staff, the media, the lieutenant governor, and the people of South Carolina.

  • You admitted to having an ongoing affair of over a year with a woman you’ve been working with on a Christian Bible Study no less.
  • You left your state without a leader or a plan for a transfer of power in the event of an emergency.
  • You showed not just egregious judgment

… Read more

Politics

Tell Obama and Congress to Move on Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Written by Jill Garvey

President Obama has invited Congressional leaders to the White House tomorrow for a working session on immigration reform. In the last few weeks the Reform Immigration FOR America campaign has urged supporters to contact Congress, and the response was overwhelming. 200,000 faxes, 30,000 phone calls, and 3,300 personal notes poured into the capital.

But to move this beyond just a few high-profile meetings and turn it into workable solutions, Congress needs to continue to hear from you. I sent a personal email to my representative today:

Dear Representative,

Working as a school administrator three years ago I watched helplessly as the family of one of my students was… Read more

Keep the Klan Kleaning

Written by Rev. David L. Ostendorf

Just when you thought that the Klan had been swept away by the tidal wave of racist anti-immigrant activity across the nation (that is, by the “mainstream” groups that stole the anti-immigrant mantra from under the hood) the robed warriors of the Springfield, Missouri area’s National Socialist Movement have once again triumphed in their abiding commitment to keep America clean.

A half-mile of roadsides outside Springfield will still be the Klan’s to clean in the adopt-a-highway program, complete (we presume) with a nice rainbow sign denoting their obligation. Naturally, Missouri officials have never been too supportive of the idea, but they lost that battle some time ago in the courts. Their most recent efforts to… Read more

Politics

What is So “Progressive” About Progressives for Immigration Reform? Um, Nothing.

Written by Jill Garvey

FAIR front group Progressives for Immigration Reform (PFIR) is continuing to inject itself into mainstream political discourse.

The John Tanton Network of anti-immigrant groups has a long history of trying to hoodwink the public, so it comes as no surprise that they’ve started an organization of fake progressives. This lame-duck group just released a “study” on self-identified liberals and their feelings on immigration.

Leah Durant, PFIR Executive Director and former Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) legal analyst, actually quoted herself in PFIR’s press release:

“The results of this poll demonstrate what many on the political left have known for some time. Immigration is not a partisan issue. There

… Read more