This week, The New York Times reports that inmates and employees at ten federal prisons “were exposed to toxic metals and other hazardous substances while processing electronic waste for recycling, a four-year investigation by the Justice Department’s inspector general found.”read more

Fourteen activists who were subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury wonder what the FBI will do next.read more

Last month, the FBI raided two homes in Chicago and five in Minneapolis, and an anti-war committee office. According to the FBI, the goal of the raids was to seek evidence “concerning the material support for terrorism.” The FBI hasn’t filed any charges, but the FBI did subpoena 14 activists in Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan.read more

Today is a National Call-In Day to support anti-war and international solidarity activists who are scheduled to appear before a grand jury in Chicago.read more

Today is a National Call-In Day to support anti-war and international solidarity activists who are scheduled to appear before a grand jury in Chicago.
U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald is in charge of the Northern District of Illinois and is responsible for this investigation. His number is (312) 353-5300.read more

In Madison, President Obama returned to his soaring rhetoric of 2008 and the campus audience gave him a lusty endorsement. But even Obama couldn’t charm everyone.read more

President Barack Obama rolled into Madison, Wisconsin, on a crisp fall afternoon to rally his base for the upcoming midterm election. He spoke on the stairs of U.W.-Madison’s Memorial Library to an energetic crowd of 26,500 people


“I don’t know about you, but I’m fired up,” he said when he took the stage to a roar of applause.


Obama was noticeably looser in his speech than in previous visits during the presidential campaign. Casually dressed in a light blue dress shirt with rolled sleeves and no tie, the President warmed up the audience with tales of his youth.read more

French workers organized a second round of strikes on September 23 against pension reform. President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to hike the retirement age from 60 to 62; full retirement benefits would kick in at 67, instead of 65.

Sound familiar?read more

It’s going to take more than a pink jersey to make me believe that the NFL takes women seriously.read more

Football season is upon us and the National Football League is out to woo female fans. It’s launching a new line of women’s apparel, meant to be “both fashionable and sporty.”
According to The New York Times, the marketing blitz will feature print ads that say, “Who Says Football Isn’t Pretty?”
The female fan base of the NFL is huge—more than 45 million women watch NFL games each weekend, myself included.read more

White Sox coach Ozzie Guillen got into hot water this week for pointing out the different treatment foreign players receive from Major League Baseball. But it’s not chance that players from the DR are treated shabbily; it’s practically corporate policy.read more

White Sox coach Ozzie Guillen got into hot water this week for pointing out the different treatment foreign players receive from Major League Baseball.read more

The oil industry spills again, this time in Michigan. What’s so striking is how formulaic the oil spill story has become.read more

The oil industry spills again, this time in Michigan. Pipelines owned by Enbridge Energy Partners leaked crude into the Kalamazoo River. The EPA estimates more than 1 million gallons have been spilled.
Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has criticized both Enbridge and the EPA for their inadequate response to the crisis. She warned of a “tragedy of epic proportions” if the oil reaches Lake Michigan, a distinct possibility.
What’s so striking is how formulaic the oil spill story has become.read more

Jackson has long denied knowledge or involvement of the alleged scheme to buy the Senate seat. But a few weeks ago, the federal prosecutors publicly suggested for the first time that Jackson was aware of efforts by his allies to swap campaign cash for his appointment.read more