Irish peace process at the crossroads
The failure in December to secure an agreement on reviving the Good Friday institutions and unsubstantiated police allegations of Irish Republican Army involvement in the $50 million Northern Bank heist have combined to place the Irish peace process in the coldest corner of the political freezer it has occupied in over two years.
Californians protest vs. Wal-Mart
The giant retailer Wal-Mart has set its sights on Rosemead, Calif., a small working-class city on the east side of Los Angeles. What concerns the labor movement most is that this time Wal-Mart seeks to build a “supercenter” that will sell groceries as well as clothing and hardware, competing with union retailers in the food industry. Wal-Mart was a major factor in last year’s supermarket strike.
Dont ask, dont tell challenged
On the heels of a State of the Union address supporting a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage, the Bush administration has asked the U.S. District Court in Boston to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. However, gay and lesbian activists had reason to celebrate this week as a New York judge held that the state’s constitution does not permit the exclusion of same-sex couples from civil marriage.
New Yorkers rally for affordable housing
NEW YORK — On Feb. 2 more than 5,000 people took part in a “Housing Here and Now!” rally outside of City Hall. It was the largest show of support for affordable housing the city has seen in decades. Union members and leaders, city residents, religious groups and elected officials came together to demand city leaders enact a five-point program to put an end to New York City’s housing crisis.
Social Security and Calif. pensions facing very similar threats
As California labor and community organizations mobilize to uphold Social Security, they are seeing a related development in the concerted drive by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to privatize new state workers’ pensions and eliminate state contributions to teachers’ retirement.
Protesters say turn on the heat
CHICAGO — Angry city residents suffering without heat have joined advocates for low-income energy assistance to hold numerous protests to get household heat turned back on in thousands of homes across Chicago. On Jan. 18 they marched on the office of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, demanding he take emergency action.
Gala opening for Chicagos Unity Center
CHICAGO — A new political landmark will throw its doors open here, Feb. 12, for a gala open house. The Unity Center, operated by the Workers Education Society (WES), is a newly renovated “green” building, which is the new home of the People’s Weekly World editorial office.
One familys response to the State of the Union address
When Mr. Bush gave the State of the Union address, he spoke of Iraq as a country which Americans are really proud of, because they voted Jan. 30 — although we well know it is a very immoral situation.
U.S. denies visas to Grammy winners
Ibrahim Ferrer, with the CD “Buenos Hermanos,” and Manuel Galbán and Ry Cooder, with “Mambo Sinuendo,” have both won 2004 Grammys in the Traditional Tropical Music and Instrumental Pop categories, respectively.
U.S. artists defend British whistleblower
An array of high-profile Americans – including Rev. Jesse Jackson, feminist Gloria Steinem, Daniel Ellsberg, and artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Danny Glover and Martin Sheen – released a joint statement Jan. 29 in support of Katharine Gun, a British whistleblower. Gun faces two years in prison in England for alerting the public about U.S. spying on United Nations diplomats aimed at securing U.N. approval for war against Iraq. An excerpt of the statement follows:
