By: Vic Bedoian Kettleman City has come into the focus of national attention in recent weeks. Over a 15-month period ending in 2008, six babies here were born with birth defects. Five died. It was an [...] Continue Reading
Politics
Can We End Homelessness in Fresno?
By: Mike Rhodes The City of Fresno has been hammering away at the homeless, but not making much progress in the effort to end homelessness. On January 28, about 100 homeless people were evicted from [...] Continue Reading
First They Ignore You: Healthcare Workers Savor a Victory
By: Cal Winslow California's healthcare workers and their new union, the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), have won, in this winter of recession and war, a significant victory in a key [...] Continue Reading
Progressive News Briefs
By: Mike Rhodes The Separation of Church and State The Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) has warned Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin that sectarian prayers used to open Fresno City Council [...] Continue Reading
The ACLU at Work
By: Bill Simon The Greater Fresno Area Chapter of the ACLU-NC, with considerable support from staff at the affiliate in San Francisco, is working hard to preserve the constitutionally guaranteed [...] Continue Reading
Another "Angry White Guy" in Washington?
By: Dan Waterhouse In late January, Fresno City Council member Larry Westerlund announced that he was throwing his hat in the ring and running in the Republican primary to replace retiring U.S. Rep. [...] Continue Reading
City Council Finds Democracy "Too Expensive"
By: Gary Lasky At its February 11 meeting, the City Council voted 4-3 to ask Fresno voters to amend the City Charter in the June 8 election to prevent the City Council from expanding its membership [...] Continue Reading
Waiting for Steinbock
By: Dennis Caeton Fresh from the pews of St. Paul Newman Center (a Catholic parish) in Fresno, a few weeks before my birthday, I felt compelled to enter the rare air of the Diocese, the [...] Continue Reading
Opinion and Analysis from the Grassroots
Bottom Line By Javier Aguirre In Fresno, the war on the homeless has escalated. Aggressive efforts to eliminate homeless encampments seem to have been approved (and encouraged) at the highest [...] Continue Reading
Majority Rule Initiative
By: Gary Lasky "All legislative actions on revenue and budget must be determined by majority vote." The California Democracy Act is a simple 14-word initiative that, if it qualifies for the November [...] Continue Reading
A Nuke in Fresno’s Stocking?
By: David Weisman He wasn’t wearing a red suit or sporting a full white beard, but Santa Claus did drop into Fresno last December. Adopting the more recognizable form of John Hutson, he stepped from [...] Continue Reading
Yemen: Terrorist Haven, or Chess Piece?
By: Conn Hallinan “The instability in Yemen is a threat to regional stability and even global stability.”— U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “Yemen is a regional and global threat.”—British [...] Continue Reading