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They Stormed Heaven - Review of John Merriman's Massacre: The Life and Death of the Paris Commune

Ron Briley History News Network
Marx called it "the dictatorship of the proletariat" and its militants those who "stormed heaven." For 76 days in 1871, this first experiment in workers self-government and armed defense against troops of the old order also made costly mistakes leading to its slaughter. The author chronicles not only Commune governance and the role of women as leaders and fighters, but the intricacies of a counter-revolution that sought nothing less than crushing Paris' working class.

Where Do We Go Now?

Keith Ewing Morning Star
In the bleak political landscape following the British elections, trade unionism faces a huge challenge -- a challenge of leadership, a challenge of purpose and a challenge of survival. We need a new, clear vision to lead the movement not for the next five years but for the next generation — a vision that questions organisational activity, as well as industrial and political strategies.

New Graphic Novel Explores What It’s Really Like To Be A Palestinian Refugee

Beenish Ahmed ThinkProgress
First-time author Leila Abdelrazaq has produced a work that, in the words of reviewer Beenish Ahmed, "provides a human face to the often overlooked experiences of refugees." Rendered in the form of a graphic novel, it is a unique visual and literary testament, and a special glimpse into the world of those who have been displace by conflict from their homes and from their familiar worlds.

Forming a Critical Sense of Race With Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing"

Kelli Marshall JSTOR
Each term my film students watch Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing (1989). And each term they react similarly to the scene in which Mookie (Spike Lee) throws a trash can, igniting a neighborhood riot by breaking the window of the pizzeria where he works. Most students of color feel Lee’s character did the right thing while the majority of white students cannot understand why Mookie would do such a thing to his boss. Why this reaction—term after term, year after year?

Connecticut Has its Share of Exploited Workers

Bill Cummings Stamford Advocate
During the 2014 fiscal year, the Connecticut state labor department received 2,776 complaints over unpaid wages and returned $6.5 million in wages to workers, according to the state labor department.

Fruit May Decrease Risk of Obesity

Alissa Marrapodi Food Product Design
Study published in Journal of Nutrition finds fruit, not veggies, associated with lower risks of obesity.

The Job-Killing-Robot Myth

Dean Baker Los Angeles Times
Are the machines coming for our jobs? Dean Baker argues that we need to get beyond the fear of robots and address the real causes of inequality, low wages and changes in the labor market.

Does Fox's 'Empire' Break Or Bolster Black Stereotypes?

Eric Deggans NPR
Anchored by powerful performances from Oscar nominees Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard, Empire features unapologetically black characters operating in a mostly black world. Nielsen says 7.5 million of them are African-American.But that's where the other controversy about Empire emerges. Because some critics say the show has earned its success by trafficking in "badly written dialogue and ham-fisted stereotypes."