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The Greek Referendum: Two Articles

Tsipras’ spectacular decision late on Friday to fly back to Athens and put the Eurogroup’s final bailout offer to a referendum — with the government advising voters to reject the deal — has stunned friends and foes alike. An analysis, and a view from the street.

United Church of Christ Votes to Boycott & Divest from Companies Profiting from Israel's Occupation

United Church of Christ
"In approving this resolution, the UCC has demonstrated its commitment to justice and equality,” said Rev. Mitri Raheb, a Christian Palestinian and Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, who travelled to Cleveland for the synod. It comes as a response to the Christian Palestinian community’s call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, which seeks to achieve Palestinian freedom and rights by peaceful means...

Republicans Are in Retreat

David Russell The Hill
The lead articles are now appearing across the major news outlets that the week's events may force the Republicans to change opinions. According to The Washington Post, the Republicans need to "evolve" their positions to keep up with public opinion, and The New York Times says that they have lost the culture war.

The Fight for $15 Spreads

Personal care attendants will see their wages increase to $15 per hour in Massachusetts, while fast food workers in New York State may soon see a large pay increase as well.

Review: ‘What Happened, Miss Simone?’ Documents Nina Simone’s Rise as Singer and Activist

Manohla Dargis The New York Times
From 100 hours of recently unearthed audiotapes recorded over decades, the Liz Garbus film weaves together Nina’s narrative, told largely in her own words. Rare concert footage, archival interviews, along with diaries, letters, interviews with Nina’s daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, friends and collaborators, make this the most authentic, personal and unflinching telling of the extraordinary life of one of the 20th century’s greatest recording artists.

Congressional Democrats Introduce an Ambitious New Bill to Restore the Voting Rights Act

Ari Berman The Nation
The 2016 election will be the first in 50 years where voters will not have the full protections of the VRA, Since the Shelby decision, onerous new laws have been passed or implemented in states like North Carolina and Texas, which have disenfranchised thousands of voters, disproportionately those of color. In the past five years, 395 new voting restrictions have been introduced in 49 states. Half the states in the country adopted measures making it harder to vote.

Why It's so Hard to Regulate Fracking

Justin Miller The American Prospect
The initial scope of the EPA fracking study was ambitious, though certainly not unachievable. The inherent problem, however, with technical studies of complex industry practices is that the EPA relies heavily on the willingness of the industry to give the agency access.

String of Nighttime Fires Hit Predominately Black Churches in Four Southern States

Bill Morlin Southern Poverty Law Center
In what may not be a coincidence, a string of nighttime fires have damaged or destroyed at least six predominately black churches in four southern states in the past week. The series of fires – some of them suspicious and possible hate crimes — came in the week following a murderous rampage by a white supremacist who shot and killed nine people at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C.