Sept. 30, 2006

FORT IRWIN, Calif. — Accompanied by his wife and peace movement supporters, Army Specialist Agustín Aguayo surrendered voluntarily to military police at Fort Irwin Army Base in California’s Mojave Desert, Sept. 26, declaring himself ready for court-martial and jail time but not more duty in Iraq.

CLEVELAND — “We’ve swung into high gear,” said Harriet Applegate, Cleveland area coordinator for Take Back Ohio, the effort by organized labor to oust key right-wing Republicans and elect pro-working-family Democratic candidates for governor, the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives.

NEW YORK — After returning from a fund-raising and circulation building trip to New York — which brought in up to $10,000 plus a number of new subscriptions — People’s Weekly World editor Terrie Albano was exuberant, saying that even she was struck by just how appreciated and “indispensable” the paper actually is.

WASHINGTON — As President George W. Bush fended off new charges that the war in Iraq has recruited more terrorists and spread terrorism, scores of religious leaders were arrested on Capitol Hill during sit-ins demanding that lawmakers join in a “Declaration of Peace” to end the war

The Nov. 7 elections are less than 6 weeks away. At stake: Control of the House and Senate and governorships nationwide. A recent poll shows that 75% of voters are disgusted by the Republican majority House and Senate, the highest disapproval rate since 1994. They are frustrated at Bush’s endless Iraq war, by Republican cronyism and corruption, tax giveaways to the rich, cutbacks in vital services, and criminal negligence in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

OAKLAND, Calif. — A vision of Oakland as a model city, where renewable “clean” energy, “green” construction and manufacturing create new, good jobs for urban workers captivated a capacity crowd Sept. 21 as the Oakland Apollo Alliance hosted a panel discussion and “Solutions Salon.

Among 13 propositions on California’s ballot this Nov. 7, two that have attracted particular attention deal with “clean money elections” and incentives for alternative energy.

OXMOOR VALLEY, Ala.: Parents fight for desegregated schools
SACRAMENTO, Calif.: Bring the Guard home, says Democratic gubernatorial candidate
RALEIGH, N.C.: Deputies beat up African American pastor
WASHINGTON: GOP culture of corruption taints drug safety, reading programs
NEW ORLEANS: Where’s FEMA? Try the Superdome

ST. LOUIS — Missouri voters recently won a historic voting rights victory. On Sept. 14 Judge Richard Callahan of the Circuit Court of Cole County in Jefferson City struck down section 115.427 of SB 1014, the Missouri Voter Protection Act (otherwise known as the photo ID law). Callahan called the law unconstitutional.

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