Caring about women and babies
OPINION I recently heard Don Sloan talk about his book on his perspectives on women’s reproductive choices after several decades’ worth of experiences as a doctor who performs abortions. It prompted me to make the following suggestion. To meaningfully address the reproductive choice/ abortion issue, I propose asking thousands of women presenting to abortion clinics this question: “If you could change the world in any way, what changes would it take for you to be able to carry your pregnancy to term?”
EDITORIALS
Women: Image and reality / Make 2005 a peace year
Deaths and injuries at U.S. Steel: Whos to blame?
Accidents continue to happen — more and more frequently — at U.S. Steel. Three workers have died at U.S. Steel mills since September, according to United Steelworkers union officials: a crane operator at the Gary Works (Ind.) in September; a management employee at Gary who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in December; and a union worker who was crushed by a slow-moving train this month at the Granite City Works in Illinois.
New cuts in college aid
WASHINGTON — The president’s recently released 2006 budget will cut education funding. It will increase the maximum Pell Grant award by $100 in each of the next five years, but eliminate over 48 programs in the Department of Education that total $4.2 billion in cuts.
New York City 1, Wal-Mart 0
NEW YORK — The NYC Free Wal-Mart Coalition (NFWC) received a surprisingly quick first victory Feb. 24 when mall developers in Rego Park, Queens, rescinded their offer of a spot for Wal-Mart in a proposed shopping center.
War budget fuels drive for empire
A full accounting of the annual costs of “permanent war” goes far beyond the official defense budget. But that is a good place to start.
Cingular workers OK job actions
ATLANTA — More than 5,300 Cingular Wireless workers voted overwhelmingly Feb. 25 to authorize their union leadership to call legal work actions, including a possible strike, to press their demands upon the giant telecom firm.
You cant shoot a good dog
For 15 weeks, members of Local 11 of The Newspaper Guild-CWA have been on strike against the Youngstown-based Vindicator Printing Co., which refuses to speak to them.
WORLD NOTES
Iraq: Workers strike top hotel / S. Africa: Farm tenants ask for help / Brazil: New rainforest slaying / India: Bank workers will strike March 22 / India: Bank workers will strike March 22
Communists meet at World Social Forum
A fascinating panel at the recent World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, was hosted by the Mauricio Grabois Institute, a theoretical and research center associated with the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB). The Jan. 30 panel was titled “The actual challenges in the struggle for socialism.” Speakers from about 15 countries, including the United States, took part.
