Portside

The impasse in forming a government in Germany has dragged on since election day, September 24th – often like a traffic gridlock, hardly moving forward. But Germany is Europe’s main central power – and with no proper government! Angela Merkel still acts as boss, the old ruling cabinet holds on as caretakers, but it’s all on borrowed time, with no legitimacy.

Warring visions have now erupted over the energy and economic futures of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.Will the islands become a cutting-edge green-powered solartopia for the benefit of their long-time residents? Or a fossil-fueled robber baron playground like Hong Kong or Singapore, set to operate for the profit of outside corporate investors?

A press release about a labor dispute at the American Red Cross (ARC) is challenging perceptions of the venerable institution and how it conducts its mobile unit blood drives.

In this moment of nuclear proliferation, police brutality, resurgent Nazism, and stunning inequality, the real enemy: is a children’s book. The offending title, P is for Palestine, was recently published by Golbarg Bashi and Golrokh Nafisi after a long crowdfunding campaign. Supporters of Israeli settlements and Zionist organizations have reacted as if it’s the Hamas charter.

Trump’s dangerous and provocative move regarding Jerusalem—like so many of his reckless policies both abroad and at home—requires strong, broad-based opposition. It is unfortunate that, at least in this case, there is no real opposition party.

“What we’re really seeing is a targeted effort by the GOP to not just attack education, but working-class students’ access to it.”

The tax bill will compound the warfare on human rights that the Trump administration continues to perpetuate with its regressive policies.

The race between Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as to who will succeed Jacob Zuma as ANC president remains too close to call. The divisions between the candidates reflect the divisions within the revolutionary alliance that brought an end to South African apartheid.

The chaos surrounding last week’s presidential elections in Honduras reflects a rightwing consolidation of power in the country, abetted by the United States.

Rotten to the core; Funding the stung stingers; Texas style; Prairie homeless; The new Puerto Rican exodus; #MeToo strategically