Portside

There's evidence some of it is illegal - and activists agree that Washington's colonial control over the island's economy helped create the crisis. We are urging members of Congress to put the people of Puerto Rico first and oppose H.R. 5278 as currently written, said SEIU 32BJ President Hector Figueroa. We need a real solution and Congress must get back to work immediately to provide a path forward that allows Puerto Rico to negotiate a feasible debt restructuring plan.

Executive orders are meant to avert imminent or existential crises that cannot await legislation. It's as if we are being asked to believe that BDS is some deplorable enemy endangering our very existence as a free society, and that only those who really care, take action on behalf of the rest of us, who have not yet awoken to the grim reality. For Cuomo, fighting this fight on behalf of Israel is all about "freedom, liberty and democracy".

As Clinton’s speech recognized, a Trump presidency promises an unprepared, dangerous foreign policy. But her refusal to engage with the real, robust alternative offered by Sanders may say more about her own war-driven foreign policy than anything else.

The Democratic establishment wants Sanders and his supporters to report for duty and line up behind Clinton — to put aside their dreams and enlist. Sanders and his supporters are building a political movement both inside and outside the Democratic Party. They have their own agenda. But while this country needs change far more profound than anything Clinton champions, defeating Trump is essential to the progress of that movement.

It seems that if you are a distinguished citizen of the most exceptional country on the planet, even war crimes have their rewards. Consider, for instance, the millions of dollars that were paid for memoirs by top Bush administration officials responsible for creating an American offshore torture regime at CIA “black sites” around the world. Must-reads all! Rebecca Gordon considers what “justice” for such figures might look like in a different and better world.

Dr. Nadine Naber explores Black-Palestinian solidarity in this excerpt from her forthcoming article in the Critical Ethnic Studies Association journal, Volume 3, Issue 2.

We can indulge our annual illusion of children filling joyful hours with sprinkler romps and robotics camp or we can admit the reality: Summer’s supposed freedom is expensive.

Writer Kiese Laymon on Hillary Clinton: "I will vote for Hillary Clinton in November only if she faces her history of punishing and disciplining vulnerable black Americans." A truly great candidate would face – and fix – decades of systemic harm done to black Americans.

Media displaces voters; Deadly president; The gift that keeps on taking; Rahm's emails (and everybody's); Tech, work and organizing; Radio vs on-demand

There is a more important question than whether or not Clinton has officially emerged bloody but victorious. If in fact Sanders has lost, than what have the Democrats won? And what does this mean for the future prospects of the country and world?