Portside

The meaning of the Zephyr Teachout-Tim Wu 'victory' - not just for New York and New Yorkers - but for the whole country. This was a loud and clear message from the grassroots that says - "Enough, the people - all the people - come before profits." This was the message to the Democrats, especially to Hillary Clinton, and others - You better listen up. People are going to vote their values.

Think of this as the year that democracy of, by, and for the billionaires shall not perish from the Earth. In other words, these days, if you have billions of dollars, you can shout from the skies and the rest of us have to listen. They are: Sheldon Adelson, Charles and David Koch, Sam Walton, Rupert Murdoch, Linda McMahon, or hedge fund honchos like John Paulson and Steven Cohen.

Reader Comments - Remembering September 11 and The Other 9/11; Fast Food Strikes; Retail Workers Find Better Deals With Unions; Justice Dept. to Probe Ferguson Police; Working Families Party; Death Row; Israel Confiscates More Palestinian Land; One-Third of Israelis Consider Emigrating; Wal-Mart-ization of Education; Wages for Housework; Gluten-free; Eugene Debs and Debs Museum; Charlie Haden; New resource - International Human Rights Law: Violations by Israel; more..

Miners visited Parliament during talks on a proposed law to expand subcontracting, though some weren’t allowed to enter because they were wearing work uniforms and boots. thThey are demanding that those responsible for the disaster that killed 301 workers be brought to justice; that the mines be nationalized again; that subcontracting be banned; and that occupational health and safety measures be enforced.

For expanded Isis strikes, president relies on legal authority he disavowed only a year ago.

No one likes taxes, but government services cost money. And there is little evidence that tax cuts at the state level help juice a state's economy. A study in 2013 by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found deep cuts in income taxes to be "an approach that has not worked particularly well in the past and is not supported by the preponderance of the relevant academic literature.

“This campaign is only the beginning of a campaign about fighting back,” Teachout said. “We have to be very clear with our elected officials in Albany—including the governor, the senators, the members of the Assembly—that we are not going away. Our agenda is not going away. We’re not just voting, we are organizing, we are grassroots lobbying and we are holding our elected officials’ feet to the fire.”

Housework is a necessary labor for families, but it is largely unpaid, except when others are hired to do it. Families may pay others to cook, clean or take care of their children, but they don’t pay themselves. This year, Italy considered a proposal in which the government, or in some cases the husband or partner, would pay wives for this thankless task. And a few years ago, India considered a similar bill. Should housekeeping be compensated?

Health Affairs study says single-payer reform could save $150 billion annually on hospital overhead

Like other states, Israel pleads "security" as justification for its aggressive and violent actions. But knowledgeable Israelis know better. As historically has often been the case, massive bombings and other assaults do not destroy the support of populations for movements or governments, but tend to solidify it. Israeli policy is reducing civilized life for Palestinians in a major way and yet increasing the urge both to fight on and the desire for revenge.