May 24, 2003

DES MOINES – Nearly 1,000 union leaders and activists from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees got a close-up look at the Democratic presidential candidates at the union’s first-time Presidential Town Hall here on May 16 and 17.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate voted 51 to 43 to lift a ban on research on so-called “low yield” nuclear weapons, caving in to Bush administration plans to develop a new generation of “usable” nuclear warheads as part of George W. Bush’s preemptive war doctrine.

DALLAS – Jimmy Wheaton thinks that the Communist Party’s nationwide distribution and membership drive is coming at a good time. “There are a lot of people like me who have been meaning to get active. They’re taking a look at the situation out there now and deciding what I decided.”

Since the unexpected closure on May 9, HotHouse, the Center for International Performance and Exhibition, has worked around the clock to understand and respond to the allegations levied against it by the City of Chicago. To date the HotHouse has renewed a number of licenses and is in the process of applying for others.

The U.S. occupation boss in Iraq, Paul Bremer, has again delayed the formation of what he now calls an “interim Iraqi authority.” He projected mid-July as a likely date – more than a month later than originally planned.

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Machinists Union members voted by a three-to-one margin May 21 to end their strike against Stanley Works and accept a revised offer from management. Workers voted at a morning meeting here.

News Analysis


Under the guise of fighting terrorism, a wide-ranging attack on immigrants has been launched nation wide. Spearheading this attack is state legislation denying driver’s licenses to immigrants. This emotionally charged issue has become a major battle in the current legislative session in Connecticut.

Civil liberties groups hailed passage yesterday evening of a pro-civil liberties resolution by the Baltimore City Council, making the largest city in Maryland the 108th community nationwide to officially express concern over unnecessary erosions of basic privacy and personal liberty in post-Sept. 11 America.

An interview with Ken Riley

The following interview with Kenneth Riley Jr., president of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) Local 1422 in Charleston, S.C., took place during the recent convention of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).

KIBBUTZ BEIT OREM, Israel – The Bush administration calls their plan for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian crisis a “roadmap.” But U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Jerusalem and Ramallah, and departed.