City of Baltimore charges Wells Fargo with racist lending practices
Charges of premeditated racist discrimination by the nation's top banks were given additional boost by the city of Baltimore which filed affidavits recently in a suit against Well Fargo for steering minorities to purchase sub-prime loans. Similar suits have been filed in several states including Texas, Tennessee and California and by the the NAACP alleging racial bias in predatory lending. The case was initially presented last January. The complaint runs some 825 pages.
Julian Bond testifies in support of immigration rights of same-sex couples
Julian Bond, NAACP chairman, testified yesterday in support of the Uniting American Families Act before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill would give gay and lesbian U.S. citizens and permanent residents the right to sponsor their foreign-born permanent partners for legal residency in the U.S. The act does not provide any other benefits and all other immigration requirements must be met.
US court stalls sale of Chrysler to Fiat
Three Indiana state pension and construction funds filed emergency papers at the US High Court today to force the Supreme Court to block Chrysler's sale to Fiat so they can appeal in the hope of getting a better deal.
Death Row inmate Troy Davis denied opportunity to prove innocence
Congressional leaders and civil rights groups are calling for intervention in the case of Troy Davis, who currently sits on death row in Georgia for a murder he may not have committed.
Congress to cap interest rates on consumer loans
Congress is considering passing a bill that will cap interest rates on consumer loans at 36 percent to prevent lenders from taking advantage of people who rely on these kinds of loans to meet basic needs or to cover unexpected expenses, like car repairs or vital medical procedures, many of whom are minorities and low-income people.
Pres. Obama's weekly address: Healthcare reform now
Over the past few days, I’ve been traveling through the Middle East and Europe working to renew our alliances, enhance our common security, and propose a new partnership between the United States and the Muslim world.
A common person's guide to the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
On May 21st, following months of work, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACESA), a 932-page piece of climate legislation. There have been mixed reactions from environmental and climate groups, but most groups are in agreement that it needs to be strengthened going forward. For some groups the problems they see with the bill have led to their public withdrawal of support. These groups include Greenpeace USA, Public Citizen and Friends of the Earth. The Chesapeake Climate Action Network also does not support the bill in current form.
In memory of Ron Takaki
Ron Takaki was a gentle unassuming man, a remarkable lecturer with a sometimes whimsical sense of humor. As a scholar and teacher, he played a major role in the development of ethnic studies and a multicultural approach to understanding the United States as a civilization and its place in the world.
Grassroots laborers plough common ground
SEATTLE, Washington, Jun 5 (IPS) - The hiring hall for Hod Carriers and General Labourers Local 242 is in the basement of the Seattle Labour Temple, a two-story tan-brick building of early-20th century vintage. You walk down a flight of well-worn red-tile stairs and through the double doors.
Hundreds rally to stop Illinois budget cuts
CHICAGO – Hundreds representing dozens of local community groups here rallied in front of the downtown James R. Thompson Center June 4 against the “doomsday” budget cuts that were approved by the Illinois General Assembly late last month.
