from: William Hughes

On Monday, Feb. 22, 2010, the Pulizter Prize winning author Taylor Branch, spoke in Baltimore, MD. He talked about the necessity of Healthcare Reform in the U.S. Mr. Taylor drew some parallels with this current struggle for social justice and with the heroic battle for Civil Rights in America, under the leadership of the legendary Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. Taylor is a noted biographer of MLK. See: http://taylorbranch.com/ The event was held at the Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore. It was sponsored by Health Care for All at: http://healthcareforall.com/HTML1.phtml and http://healthcareforamericanow.org/ and the March to the Finish Line at: http://melaniesmarch.com and Progressive Maryland, at: http://www.progressivemaryland.org/page.php?id=268
Matthew Weinstein, MD Coordinator, Health Care for America Now, served as the moderator.

From: sc

FORBIDDEN DREAMS is a documentary about some martyred Palestinian children: Mohammed, Safaa, Ahmed, Omar-- those children who lost their lives in the death chambers of the IOF in Gaza; their stories told by their friends and families. It consists of testimonies of bereaved families from Northern Gaza; a story of children whose dreams had been cut short. The documentary is produced by the One Democratic State Group in Gaza. odsg.org/co Forbidden Dreams

from: William Hughes

On Feb. 18, 2010, Jonathan Tasini presented a “Petition to End the Filibuster,” to aides of U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), in the Hart Office Building, in Washington, D.C. Mr. Tasini is a union leader, organizer and a progressive, who is running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate in New York state. He has been a champion of free lance writers. Mr. Tasini also maintains a blog called, “Working Life.” He is antiwar and has endorsed the “Medicare for All” position. For background on Mr. Tasini’s “Petition to End the Filibuster,” go to: http://www.jonathantasini.com/

from: William Hughes

On Wed. evening, Feb. 17, 2010, John Yoo gave a talk on the campus of the Johns Hopkins U., in Baltimore, Md. Before the controversial law professor could get into his talk, however, it was interrupted by two activists. They stood to his right in front of the auditorium and held a banner, which read: “Try Yoo for Torture!” The protesters refused to sit down, but they were not arrested and remained in the same position during Yoo’s entire speech. Yoo had served in the administration of the Bush-Cheney Gang in the Justice Department. He authored two dubious legal memos which claimed sweeping presidential power to commit torture. The two memos are referred to by his critics--and there are many--as the “torture memos.” For background on Yoo, see: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/ and
http://www.velvetrevolution.us/ and http://www.codepinkalert.org/ and http://www.firejohnyoo.org/

From Pablo Ouziel

In this video, we distill out the findings of the Chapter 11 ("Deliberate Attacks against the Civilian Population") of the Goldstone Report to make it accessible to the lay public. The factual and legal findings are narrated by Noam Chomsky. The video also contains live testimonies of Khalid, Kawthar and Samar Abd Rabbo before the UN Fact Finding Mission headed by Justice Richard Goldstone. www.goldstonefacts.org

The real story behind Israel's invasion of Gaza.

from: William Hughes

On Jan. 29, 2010, Doctors Margaret Flowers and Carol Paris were arrested outside a hotel, at the Inner Harbor, in Baltimore, MD, where President Barack Obama was to give a speech. They were on a sidewalk outside the Renaissance hotel holding a banner. The doctors had a letter that they wanted to give to the President and/or one of his aides, re: Medicare for All. They were arrested for trespassing, according to to a police officer at the scene. Later after getting into a police car, this reporter was advised, the two doctors were released, without going to the local lockup. Each was then given “a citation” for trespassing. For background on this issue, check out Dr. Flowers’ visit to the White House, on Jan. 28, 2010, at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxziSRM6fdo

from: William Hughes

On Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, Mayor Sheila Dixon’s controversial plea deal, in the two criminal cases pending against her with the State Prosecutor’s Office, was accepted by the Trial Judge. As a result, she is no longer the Mayor of Baltimore City. At a curbside press conference, outside of the Court House East, Dixon’s attorney, Arnold Weiner, spoke to the media. He insisted: “Mayor Dixon got a fair deal under all the circumstances.” Mr. Weiner is one of Baltimore City’s top criminal defense lawyers. For details on the plea deal and the Mayor’s “probation before judgment” sentence, go to: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-dixon-sentenced0204,0,3904936.story For my slant on the case, see: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/130841 and http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=liamh2#p/search/0/lJ4Ak7qvZV4

from: William Hughes

On the evening of Jan. 27, 2010, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) spoke, in Baltimore City, before a capacity audience at Loyola University Maryland. He addressed a wide range of issues, including civil liberties, civil disobedience, the CIA’s assassination policy, torture, rendition, secret prisons, enemy combatants, the ancient Writ of Habeas Corpus, Barack Obama’s White House and the 2nd and 10th Amendments. Rep. Paul also expressed his growing fears, post-9/11, for our fast-fading Republic itself. He added that the current situation in the country is compounded by the shaky economic and monetary systems, which have been ineptly crafted and dominated by the Wall Street Banksters and “The Fed.” With respect to Rep. Paul’s comments on the CIA’s assassination policy, see: “CIA is Said to Weigh Targeting Americans for Death,” Jan. 31, 2010, by Greg Miller, Tribune Newspapers. Check out related videos, at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5n4mbJXD_I and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZEdyiSTmjI

from: William Hughes

On the evening of Jan. 27, 2010, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) spoke before a capacity audience at Loyola College in Baltimore, MD. He urged the U.S. Congress to pass a law authorizing the auditing of “The Fed.” Rep. Paul was also sharply critical of the bailout of the Wall Street Banksters and how their policies, and the policies of “The Fed,” have contributed to the recession. See related views on the shenanigans of the Wall Street insiders by Richard T. Trumka, currently head of the AFL-CIO. Mr. Trumka made his comments prior to the October, 2008 Financial Meltdown, at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJaTpgZHyeE For more background, go to: http://endthefedusa.ning.com/

from: William Hughes

On Tuesday morning, Jan. 26, 2010, a “die-in” protest was staged in front of the White House. The antiwar, anti-occupation event was primarily organized by the Minnesota Contingent of the Peaceable Assembly Campaign. Thirteen protesters were arrested for refusing to obey a police order to get off the sidewalk. During the demonstration, I talked with Peace and Justice activist, Kathy Kelly. See related video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF0tRzRsc3k