World Notes
Angola: Desperate plight of children; China: Boost developing countries role in UN; Venezuela: Int’l oil firms owe big tax bill; Finland: Paper strike/lockout continues; Pakistan: Troops jail workers
Rigged election blocks Irans path to reform
Iran’s ultraconservative clerical establishment has denied millions of voters the chance to continue on the path of reform by rigging the results of the June 17 presidential election.
Education gets huge boost in Venezuela
Revolution, suggests radical educator Paulo Freire, is “the ultimate teacher … giving first place to the indispensable role of education in the process of forming the New Woman and the New Man.” Although Freire wrote these words almost 30 years ago, in his preface to Jonathan Kozol’s book “Children of the Revolution,” he could have been writing about Venezuela today.
Bush aid to Africa called crumbs
WASHINGTON — Aid groups blasted President George W. Bush for refusing additional development aid for Africa, branding his offer of $674 million during a meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair “crumbs.”
UAW resisting GM onslaught
The United Auto Workers union is digging in its heels to protect its members, their families and communities from General Motors’ drastic job cuts.
Schwarzeneggers popularity sinks after special election call
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s declaration of a Nov. 8 special election is apparently not doing him any good with voters. In a poll taken after his June 13 announcement, the governor’s approval ratings plunged to new lows. The Field Poll found a mere 31 percent of California adults and 37 percent of registered voters approve of Schwarzenegger’s job performance. Support among Republicans is now 66 percent, down from 84 percent three months ago. Most important: backing of nonpartisan voters has sunk to 35 percent from 48 percent in February.
Civil rights groups contest FBI on Lodi arrests
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Northern California and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights have filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to get records related to the arrest of five Lodi, Calif., men on terrorism charges.
National Clips
WASHINGTON: House chips away at Patriot Act; DES MOINES, Iowa: State restores voting rights to ex-offenders; CHICAGO: Defend the right to vote; LEXINGTON, Ky.: Save the mountains
Workers describe roadblocks to getting union
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A congressional forum here on reforming the labor laws that govern union organizing drives spotlighted the obstacles employers put in the way of workers seeking to join a union.
Farmers know bull when they hear it
Conventional wisdom says a conference of 1,400 members of the Future Farmers of America (FAA) at Penn State University in rural State College would be a safe bet for President Bush to sell his plan to privatize Social Security.
