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California Refinery Town Hits Chevron With One-Two Punch

Steve Early and Suzanne Gordon CounterPunch
The legal action against Chevron on Friday, followed by direct action over the weekend, marked the first anniversary of the fire and explosion that created a towering plume of toxic smoke on August 6, 2012.

Labor union 'raids' on rise as rivals seek to boost membership, Clout

Alana Semuels Los Angeles Times
In the face of a steadily declining labor movement, unions are increasingly battling one another, devoting resources to gaining members from rivals rather than focusing on the 88.2% of the workforce that is not unionized. Recent "raids"have been especially big with tens of thousands of members at stake. They've become easier to carry off because many unions don't just represent one profession anymore, and can rationalize expanding into rival turf.

Detroit's Fate

Richard (RJ) Eskow Campaign for America's Future

Are Street Protests Next in the Fight Over Education Reform?

Amy B. Dean The Nation
As the showdown in Philadelphia indicates, the ongoing battle over education “reform” and school funding—topics often discussed in think tanks, political campaigns or Waiting for “Superman”–style media productions—is moving into the streets. These movements are more than mere isolated acts of resistance; in their demands, the outlines of a coherent policy agenda can be discerned—one that looks honestly at what it will take to bring quality education to our country.

The Detroit 'Bail-In' Template: Fleecing Pensioners to Save the Banks

Ellen Brown Common Dreams
The municipal workers, whose pensions are theoretically protected under the Michigan Constitution, are classified as “unsecured” claimants who will get the scraps after the secured creditors put in their claims. The banking casino, it seems, trumps even the state constitution. The banks win and the workers lose once again.