July 2, 2005

WASHINGTON — Megan Matson, leader of Mainstream Moms, is so angry at military recruiters for invading schools to sign up unwary youth for combat in Iraq that she and her group launched an online movement, “LeaveMyChildAlone.org.”

Sitting around talking, women can sometimes be heard to say, “Is it hot, or is it me?” Same question applied to U.S. jobs, “Is the economy lousy or is it me?” results in the same answer: “It’s lousy.”

CHICAGO — Delegates to the Communist Party USA convention here July 1-3 can’t keep away from a good picket line.

Disabled civil rights activists took over the Capitol office of Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen in Nashville on June 20, saying they intend to remain “as long as necessary.”

LANSING, Mich. — Thousands of teachers, school board members, parents, students, administrators and other education advocates rallied at the State Capitol here June 21 to demand that state legislators stop shifting educational money to greedy private interests.

BALTIMORE — Members of Baltimore Pledge of Resistance went to the district office of Rep. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) June 17 to demand that he speak out against the Iraq war. The group met for several hours with Cardin’s chief administrative aide Chris Lynch.

LOS ANGELES — On June 15, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and five other members of Congress stood up before a House Democratic leadership luncheon in Washington and announced the formation of an official “Out of Iraq Caucus.” Waters said, “The Out of Iraq Working Group is a newly formed effort whose sole purpose is to be the main agitators in the movement to bring our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan.”

As California gears up for the state’s Nov. 8 initiatives-only special election, poll figures show likely voters opposing two of the three ballot measures backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

TAMPA, Fla.: Sami Al-Arian trial begins; DALLAS: Gold Star Mothers admit non-citizen; PHILADELPHIA, Miss.: No new trial for Klansman; WASHINGTON: 13 senators opposed lynching apology; MINNEAPOLIS: Raise minimum wage

Five generations of Leonard Peltier’s family made a strong presence at a hearing in Fargo, N.D., June 15, challenging the federal court’s jurisdiction in putting the Native American activist behind bars.