Keep Philly Cool; Open the Pools!
PHILADELPHIA — A group of some 100 citizens of Philadelphia of different generations from communities across the city demonstrated at City Hall yesterday with a simple demand: “Open our pools!” Their signs and chants left little doubt about their message: “Turn on the Tap!” — “Mayor Nutter, Turn on the Water!”
Hate crimes law 10 years overdue, critics charge
Legislation to protect victims of attack based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disabilities reached the Senate floor July 15 with a good chance of being signed into law. Current hate crimes law applies to acts of violence motivated by prejudice against a person’s race, color, national origin, or religion. Under the new proposal hate crimes law will be expanded to include sexual orientation, disability and gender.
House bill: Taxes the wealthy to keep America healthy
The health care bill presented by the House leadership this week pays for the health insurance of the 20 percent of the people who cannot afford it with a surtax on the richest 1 percent. Nothing like this has ever emerged from the leadership of a U.S. Congress.
Crowd to Calif. gov: Dont let our state go up in smoke!
SAN FRANCISCO ― “Cutting services is not a quick fix. We need to tax the big oil companies, we need to restore the vehicle license tax. We need to increase revenues, we can’t live off cutting services for those who need them the most.” Fidel Valenzuela, a community organizer with the Hayward-based Community Resources for Independent Living, was in the crowd outside California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office here, with a delegation from his organization.
Community groups slam banks, back consumer agency
ST. LOUIS -- Darryl Moore, a local ACORN member, pointed up at the Wells Fargo-Wachovia Securities building here on July 14 and said, 'They're sticking us up. They're using our tax dollars to pay for public relations, lobbying campaigns and TV ads that are against common sense financial reforms.'
Senate committee advances health reform
A public option as part of health reform cleared a major legislative hurdle today, July 15, with passage of the Quality, Affordable Health Coverage for All Americans Act in the Senate HELP Committee. The bill would expand health care coverage for tens of millions of Americans who currently lack insurance and will provide tens of millions more with more choices about which health plan suits them best.
Groups denounce Rush Limbaugh's Sotomayor comments
Rush Limbaugh’s recent comment calling Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor a “racist” and lacking “intellectual depth” is sparking new movements in several places around the country.
REVIEW Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
The magic of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series isn’t so much the actual use of magic—wizards and witches, spells and potions. Instead, what sets her series apart from other, lesser works of fantasy are the deeply progressive, even subversive, messages implicit in the nearly 3,800 pages that comprise the complete series.
Hurt remains after club kicks Black, Latino kids out of pool
PHILADELPHIA — A class action complaint filed in federal court against the Valley Club in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., on behalf of an African American mother charges that her four children and others were denied swimming privileges due to the color of their skin.
EDITORIAL Jobs needed now
President Obama flew to Warren, Mich., July 14, to unveil his plan to pump billions of federal dollars into the nation’s community colleges so they can prepare youth for the “jobs of the future.”
