Monthly Archives: April 2019

No Time to Wait: Let’s Make a Green New Deal!

Posted on 04/12/2019 by Patricia Simpson

As a series of intergovernmental panels and the March 15 global wave of student strikes remind us, the environmental crisis is no longer a thing of the future. It is our here and now, exacting a toll on the world’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, labor | Comments Off on No Time to Wait: Let’s Make a Green New Deal!

Open Rebuttal to Sen. Duckworth

Posted on 04/12/2019 by Sheri Daley

In a February 7 letter responding to my concerns about Senate Bill 1 (S.1), the Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019, Senator Tammy Duckworth offered a defense of her support for this bill. I believe that … Continue reading →

Posted in Boycott, Free Speech, Israel/Palestine | Comments Off on Open Rebuttal to Sen. Duckworth

Courtwatch Corner: By Reason of Insanity

Posted on 04/12/2019 by Isra Rahman

              On January 4, 2019, Dominique Smith was sentenced to 25 years in prison for robbing someone of a frozen pizza and six dollars at gunpoint, but no one was hurt. The next day, … Continue reading →

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Think Heliocentrically, Act Locally

Posted on 04/12/2019 by Robert E. McGrath

“We are building solar at all scales.” Scott R. Tess, Urbana’s Environmental Sustainability Manager The Big Picture Solar power from photovoltaic (PV) panels has been around for a long time now, and the technology is definitely ready for prime time. Here, … Continue reading →

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Securitization in the Heartland: For-Profit Immigration Detention

Posted on 04/12/2019 by Janice Jayes

Dwight, IL, Population 4200. On March 11 the Dwight Village Board voted to move forward with the construction of a privately owned $20 million ICE detention facility on the edge of the town, which is 75 miles north of Champaign-Urbana. … Continue reading →

Posted in Immigration, incarceration | Comments Off on Securitization in the Heartland: For-Profit Immigration Detention

What Can We Learn from the Yellow Vests?

Posted on 04/12/2019 by Richard Esbenshade

The last Saturday in March marked “Act XX” for the the Gilets Jaunes or Yellow Vests protests, the 20th consecutive weekend citizens have marched in the tens of thousands and occupied traffic roundabouts across France. Since hundreds of thousands mobilized … Continue reading →

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Vietnam Today: Did Anyone “Win” the Vietnam War?

Posted on 04/12/2019 by Al Kagan

Going to college during the Vietnam War transformed my life. Because of my sheltered upbringing, I was rudely awakened. I learned the meaning of imperialism, and with that the lack of justice at home in a class- and race-based hierarchical … Continue reading →

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Illinois Prison Phone Rates Are Lowest Following Grassroots Activism

Posted on 04/12/2019 by Brian Dolinar

“There were a lot of times my sons tried calling me,” recalled Annette Taylor, who regularly receives calls from her two sons in prison, “but there was no money on the account.” Those were some of the “hardest calls,” she … Continue reading →

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