Voters lash out at Blair over Iraq war
LONDON — It wasn’t long ago that a visibly annoyed British Prime Minister Tony Blair called on people in the country to “move on” from the issue of the Iraq war. Unfortunately for him, the results of the May 5 British general election suggest that he will forever be tarnished by the conflict. click here for Spanish text
Activists slam remark by Mexicos president
NEW YORK — The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) has strongly objected to a recent remark by Mexican President Vicente Fox that Mexican immigrants in the United States do jobs “that not even Blacks want to do.” Characterizing the comment as racist, the coalition called on Fox “to clearly and unequivocally retract his remark,” noting that his statement “ironically implies support for a system that exploits both Blacks and Mexicans.”
Calif. gov finds money, but not for human needs
When he announced revised budget proposals on May 13, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was looking at $4 billion in revenue that wasn’t in the original budget last January. But instead of returning $2 billion borrowed last year from education funds and removing cuts to health care and other human needs, much of the additional revenue is earmarked for highway improvement.
Villaraigosa scores historic win in L.A.
LOS ANGELES — Antonio Villaraigosa became the first labor organizer ever elected mayor of Los Angeles, winning a whopping 58.66 percent of the May 17 vote to defeat incumbent Mayor James Hahn.
Hike in homeless aid urged
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Advocates for the homeless and members of the clergy held an interfaith service at a tent city here May 9 to bring attention to the growing plight of homeless men, women and children in Rhode Island. They also appealed for increased state support for affordable housing and services.
Bush opens forests to corporate plunder
BOSTON — The Bush administration is receiving a barrage of criticism from public officials, environmentalists and outdoors groups for opening up federal wilderness lands to timber, mining, oil and gas drilling corporations, as well as to tourism development companies.
Anti-terrorist warriors in a bind over Posada
“The Bush administration doesn’t know how to get out of this tangled and embarrassing situation,” Fidel Castro said May 1. “While they have been playing with terrorism, fomenting it, supporting it and nurturing it, it comes as no surprise that they now have a time bomb on their hands.” click here for Spanish text
U.S. policy in Korea: the view of the South
UNITED NATIONS — The Bush administration has provoked the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula and caused untold suffering for Koreans on both sides of the 38th parallel, representatives of Solidarity for Peace and Reunification in Korea (SPARK) said at a forum held here May 6. click here for related article
Victory for sailor who said no to war
In a significant victory for Iraq war resisters, a Navy judge decided not to send sailor Pablo Paredes to jail for refusing to board a ship bound for Iraq. click here for related article click here for Spanish text
Texans celebrate May Day
AUSTIN, Texas — Workers, students and their families assembled on May 1 here to celebrate working-class solidarity and rejuvenate themselves for the ongoing struggle for social justice. The event was sponsored by the Industrial Workers of the World and the Monkeywrench Books collective, and featured talks on the history of May Day, songs, children and workers’ theater.
