Portside

Under Clinton's leadership, the State Department worked closely with energy companies to spread fracking around the globe—part of a broader push to fight climate change, boost global energy supply, and undercut the power of adversaries such as Russia. And according to interviews, diplomatic cables, and other documents obtained by Mother Jones, American officials—some with deep ties to industry—also helped US firms clinch potentially lucrative shale concessions overseas.

Cuba was welcomed and thanked by several of the leaders for the help Cuba has given other countries, but what most Americans fail to understand is the pride felt by so many people in Latin America—even people who don’t like Cuba’s policies—that for over 50 years the tiny island has managed to fend off the attempts by the US Goliath to overthrow it.

Spectres haunting, parts I and II; Bank workers throw down for consumers; Crime and punishment in NJ; Legalizing history

The Living Wage Foundation, which campaigns for companies to pay an enhanced income ensuring a basic standard of living (currently set at £7.85 an hour or £9.15 inside London), called on England’s Premier League (soccer) to pay a ‘living wage’ to full-time, permanent staff.

The GOP (with aid from some hawkish Democrats) is intent on killing any possibility of a final agreement with Iran on its nuclear program. They hope to put together a veto-proof majority to pass the Nuclear Agreement Review Act - S.615, introduced by Senators Bob Corker (R-TN) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), that will torpedo any agreement reached with Iran. Take Action Now!

Guardian is WRONG! Just after media reports, Vietnamese General Confederation of Labor (VGCL) affiliated union members successfully ended the strike. Vietnam unions play an official role to formulate, vote and implement labor policy and other policies via Communist Party, National Assembly, regional/local government and state agencies as well as negotiate workplace contracts. This successful strike resulted in improved interpretations of social insurance policy.

Students, faculty and community members packed into a basement classroom at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina recently for a panel discussion on reparations and the moral debt the U.S. owes African Americans for centuries of discrimination, exploitation and oppression.

Capital and Main has confirmed that a proposed California law could upend existing minimum wage laws across the state, potentially rolling back wage increases for tens of thousands of people. If passed, the legislation could invalidate wage hikes approved by voters in some of the state’s largest cities, including San Francisco and Oakland.

Hundreds marched to the Los Angeles City Council last October, to support a resolution supporting a farm worker union fight. Hardly anyone had heard of the company involved. Gerawan Farming, one of the country's largest growers, with 5,000 people picking grapes and peaches, is challenging the California law that makes farm workers' union rights enforceable. Lining up behind Gerawan are national anti-union think tanks. A local struggle now has much higher stakes.

Jefferson was an adventurous eater, a connoisseur of good wines, and also possibly America's First Foodie