publications

Last week, California was on fire. Again! Of the state’s 58 counties, 43 were under a “Red Flag” warning, which means a severe danger of wildfires. At one point 12 separate wildfires were raging across the state, which have burned …

Following Trump’s order for the U.S. military to withdraw from Kurdish territory, attention has been focused on the Kurds in Northern Syria. To understand what’s at stake, and what’s behind Turkey’s attacks, it’s important to understand the history of the …

Sometimes people take matters into their own hands and make history. When they do, anything is possible. In the last weeks, revolts have erupted across the globe, with some of the biggest protests ongoing in Lebanon and Chile. The divisions …

Over two million people in Central and Northern California recently had their power abruptly shut off by the utility company Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). Most residents had less than 48 hours notice that their power would be shut off …

The media is full of talk about impeaching President Trump. Why? Trump held up promised military aid to Ukraine. Then, in a recorded phone conversation, he asked the Ukrainian president for a “favor” – to investigate and give him damaging …

“China has stood up!” Those were the words of Mao Tse-Tung, leader of one of the greatest popular revolutions in history – the Chinese Revolution of 1949. October 1st marks the 70th anniversary of the revolution when China fought against …

On September 20 an estimated four to five million people in 185 countries, mostly young people, took the streets in protest against fossil fuels, pipelines, and the banks and politicians that fund them. Parts of the world are on fire …

Since March, Hong Kong has been rocked by mass demonstrations. The protesters opposed a bill that would allow people in Hong Kong to be sent to mainland China for trial. Hong Kongers feared that the Chinese government would use the …

What is Labor Day? It’s an official U.S. holiday that supposedly celebrates working people. Politicians and union officials make speeches praising hard work. Some workers may get the day as a paid holiday, but many workers don’t, with businesses open …

Trump’s anti-immigrant and racist rants have been the centerpiece of his campaign rallies, tweets and press conferences. He portrays immigrants from Mexico and countries to the south as rapists, criminals and gang members. He says these immigrants are an invasion, …

More and more people are concerned about the possible end of the world as we know it, posed by climate change. But humanity also continues to face a long-standing threat – that of nuclear war. August 6 marks the 74th …

In the past two weeks the people of Puerto Rico have stood together against the corrupt government that has dominated their lives. In an island of 3.2 million people, 500,000 took to the streets. Workers waged a general strike shutting …

Imagine your three-year old child being ripped from your arms and caged in a prison with other terrified children. Your kidnapped child is then sent to live with a family of total strangers for several months, or even years. They …

Women’s rights are under attack! When Trump ran for president, he promised anti-abortion activists that he would work to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized a woman’s right to have an abortion. In the first few months …

Last week, tensions escalated between the U.S. and the Iranian governments, with President Trump claiming that he had been just ten minutes away from ordering a strike on Iran. The Iranian government responded by saying it would retaliate with force …

June is Pride month, we see rainbow displays in store windows and pride flags hanging from buildings and cars. The Pride Parade at the end of June transforms San Francisco into a colorful festival. Many who come to Pride don’t …

It’s the NBA finals. The Golden State Warriors are facing the Toronto Raptors, Canada’s only NBA basketball team, a team that has never made it this far. But if the Warriors win, it will be three championships in a row, …

In response to the supposed threat of Iran’s plans to attack U.S. forces or personnel, the U.S. military recently ordered non-emergency personnel out of Iraq and updated its military plans which now includes the possibility of sending 120,000 more troops …

While the US economy has grown nearly 60% in the last few decades—bringing in record profits for corporations—workers’ wages have remained stagnant at best. Nationally, workers earn a median income of $44,500, not much more than what we made 40 …

Workers around the world celebrate every May Day (May 1st) as International Workers Day, not just to honor working people, but to commemorate our struggles against capitalist exploitation. This workers’ holiday began in the United States in the 1880s during …

Almost everyone who is involved in education knows that it isn’t working the way it should be. School days can be spent racing from class to class with no time to think. Many just wait for the day to end. …

April 22, Earth Day, is a day to celebrate the natural world for its wonder and beauty, and the life that it provides for all living species. The activists, who created Earth Day 49 years ago, knew that if we …

April 15 is approaching and that means it is a dreadful time of year for most workers. For most of us filing a tax return is nothing but a headache, a time when we see how much money was taken …

Homelessness has become so common in the U.S. that many people see it as normal. An estimated 3.5 million people will be homeless at some point during this year, about 1.35 million of whom are children. A new study found …

More than one million young people around the world recently took to the streets demanding an end to the massive disruption of the world’s climate. They know the forces of nature won’t wait for those in power to respond. Greta …

In response to the ongoing attacks on women by Donald Trump and other men in power, the #Metoo movement organized ongoing protests against the harassment, discrimination and violence that women face in the U.S. But to get rid of this …

On March 3, Oakland teachers ratified a contract with the Oakland School District. Their union leaders claimed that the contract was a victory for students and teachers, with significant gains in class size, teachers’ wages, school closures and staffing levels …

Oakland schools are under attack and teachers, students and parents are fighting back. The Oakland Unified School District claims that it doesn’t have enough money to provide even the most basic education for the young people of Oakland. Those who …

With his typical arrogant attitude, Donald Trump announced his support for Venezuelan National Assembly President Juan Guaidó, a leader of the Venezuelan opposition who has declared himself the President of Venezuela against the recently elected government of Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela …

We, the working class, have a rich history of struggle, even if it’s not what they teach in school. This month we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Seattle General Strike, a strike that showed the power of the working …

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Black unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent in November, tying a record low hit in May 2018. What do these numbers mean? First, there is unemployment because this society doesn’t provide …

Next weekend more than 100 million people in the U.S. are expected to watch the Super Bowl match-up between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams in Atlanta. In preparation, the NFL has funded the painting of dozens of …

Last week across California, 3600 mental health clinicians and 400 support staff in the National Union of Health Care Workers (NUHW) went out on strike against Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser refuses to hire enough mental health clinicians to meet the needs …

The recent Camp Fire in Northern California caused 88 deaths, and hundreds are still missing and unaccounted for. It burned down over 12,000 homes and 150,000 acres of land. It destroyed a whole town and sent the equivalent of a …

The 150,000-acre Camp Fire that burned the town of Paradise to the ground was not caused by careless campers. The fire was named because its origin was at Camp Creek Road. All evidence for the cause of the fire points …