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In Japan, earthquake-born tidal waves engulfed backup safety systems at the Fukushima reactor complex. Half a world away in Madera County, local officials were giving their unanimous support for plans to build nuclear reactors in the San Joaquin Valley. Never mind the reactor core meltdowns and airborne radiation. Never mind the seawater and soil contamination. Never mind the state moratorium on new nuclear power plants. Nothing was going to deter the hard-charging Fresno Nuclear Energy Group LLC from bringing its nuclear dreams to fruition. In fact, it is doubling down on the bet.
Despite the tragic nuclear nightmare unfolding …[Read the details]
(Editor’s note: This article is a reprint with permission of an editorial that appeared in the May 2, 2011, issue of The Nation magazine, www.thenation.com).
President Obama’s speech unveiling his deficit reduction plan contained few big surprises—by its very premise, it was destined to preserve the faulty assumptions behind the whole deficit discussion—but some of his words were welcome. The president called Social Security and Medicare fundamental American commitments and, in a rebuke to Congressman Paul Ryan [R–Wisc.], left these entitlement programs largely untouched. He also refused to renew Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy. It’s a pledge …[Read the details]
Mike Rhodes
The progressive movement in Fresno and the Central Valley is growing and attracting more activists all of the time. Just keeping track of all the events is challenging, and attending everything is impossible. Ten or 20 years ago, you might have waited a month for something interesting to happen. Now, there is something happening almost every day; occasionally there are three or four events scheduled on the same day.
The variety and breadth of progressive activities is impressive as well. Every month, there are events in support of immigrant rights, peace, environmental justice, …[Read the details]
Save Jesse Morrow Mountain
I am a member of Friends of Jesse Morrow Mountain and have been for about nine years. The time is getting crucial now
because the Fresno County Planning Commission is getting ready to publish the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on Jesse Morrow Mountain for Cemex [Construction Materials, LP] to mine for gravel by a mountaintop removal method via blasting. There will be public meetings for the Planning Commission, then the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
Recently, the Fresno Bee had an article about the rise of Valley fever in Fresno County. It comes from spores …[Read the details]
Dream What We Can Become and Rejoice
Almost 50 years ago in the fields of the Central Valley, a movement formed to bring dignity and collective bargaining to the plight of farmworkers. As the memories of those days fade, Arte Américas brings back the images captured for all times by George Elfie Ballis, a photojournalist who spent his lifetime documenting and advocating for social justice.
The exhibition, prepared by George and Maia Ballis with the support of Eastman Kodak, has been touring university and community venues under George’s multifaceted Sun Mt project. Although smaller aspects of …[Read the details]
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