If it is true that one must crack some eggs to make an omelet, and I suppose it is, then the times we live in must be the egg industry’s biggest boom to date. When I look around, all I can see are [...] Continue Reading
Arts & Culture
Craig Scharton: Fresno’s Downtown Development Czar Talks to the Community Alliance
We printed an interview with three members of Southwest Fresno H.E.A.T. in last month’s issue of the Community Alliance newspaper. In that interview, the organizers raised concerns about high density [...] Continue Reading
From the Editor
I believe that media consolidation is one of the biggest threats to democracy in this country. Large corporations, which have taken over most of the media outlets in this country, do not represent the [...] Continue Reading
Progressive News Briefs
Fresno Police Violate Federal Court Order Protecting the Homeless In January of this year, the City of Fresno violated the settlement agreement protecting homeless people from having their property [...] Continue Reading
The New Jim Crow
Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow is a brilliant history and assemblage of legal decisions, statutes, rules and practices that have incrementally grown since the 1970s to form a system of mass [...] Continue Reading
The Ben Lomond Four (Muslims Targeted During Ramadan)
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) houses prisoners of every faith imaginable: Islam, Catholic, Protestant, Episcopalian, Baptist, Jewish, Mormon, Buddhism, Hinduism, [...] Continue Reading
Meeting Energizes Peace Community
On the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the New York World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the peace movement in our politically conservative San Joaquin Valley got a big boost. One hundred [...] Continue Reading
Reefer Madness: Fresno Moves to Ban Outdoors Growing of Pot
In reference to the use of cannabis as medicine, one member of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors recently proclaimed in a public hearing, “I know it’s the law, but…I don’t like it!” The Board of [...] Continue Reading
Diagnosing diabetes: Pee queen Helen M. Free garners landmark status
The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific organization, recently honored Helen M. Free and her late husband at a National Historic Chemical Landmark. Helen, who deserves to be [...] Continue Reading
Zen Women and Social Action for Peace
For an interesting slant on nonviolent social engagement, I recommend studying the historical example of Buddhist women. The 2,300-year history of Buddhist women, back to the time of the Buddha, [...] Continue Reading
The ACLU Goes Back to School
The Golden Westside Planning Committee and others in southwest Fresno asked the Fresno Area American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Board to support community efforts to build a new neighborhood middle [...] Continue Reading
Fresno LGBTQ Community under Siege?
While blogging, former Fresno City Council member Brian Calhoun recently commended fellow Fresnans for their tolerance and not reacting negatively to the Islamic Cultural Center in northeast Fresno [...] Continue Reading