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A Terrible Beauty: Remembering Ireland’s 1916 Easter Rebellion

Conn Hallinan Foreign Policy in Focus
It’s a hundred years since some 750 men and women threw up barricades and seized key locations in downtown Dublin. They would be joined by maybe 1,000 more. In six days it would be over, the post office in flames, the streets blackened by shell fire, and the rebellion’s leaders on their way to face firing squads against the walls of Kilmainham Jail. Yet this “failure” that would reverberate worldwide and be mirrored by colonial uprisings almost half a century later.

Drones, Drugs and Death

Esther Kersley Open Democracy
The war on terror’s methods of mass surveillance and remote warfare are not unique. The US is also addicted to covert tools in its ‘war on drugs’, with disastrous consequences.

Human Rights Hypocrisy: US Criticizes Cuba

Marjorie Cohn Marjorie Cohn
In advance of President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Cuba on March 20, there was speculation about whether he can pressure Cuba to improve its human rights. But a comparison of Cuba’s human rights record with that of the United States shows that the US should be taking lessons from Cuba.

The Path to Dissent

Mike Davis Jacobin
Mike Davis, Marxist sociologist, on the Trump phenomenon and why young people are so open to socialism. In this interview, Maria Christina Vogkli, a London School of Economics sociology alumnus, and George Souvlis, a PhD candidate in history at the European University Institute in Florence, speak with Davis about the roots of his political identity, the pernicious effects of Clintonite policies, and the importance of this year’s presidential primaries.

Chinese Daily News Workers Win $7.8 Million in Wage Theft Settlement

UCLA Labor Center UCLA Labor Center
Workers of the Chinese Daily News just won a $7.8 million settlement against the company for wage theft and work place violations. The settlement also includes funds to support legal clinics for workers to obtain information about their labor rights. This is one of the largest wage justice settlements in Asian American labor history. APALA, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, supported the workers of the Chinese Daily News for years.

Nina Simone's Face

Ta-Nehisi Coates The Atlantic
There is something deeply shameful in the fact that even today a young Nina Simone would have a hard time being cast in her own biopic. ​The new film "Nina" proves that the world still isn’t ready to tell her story.

Hungary heads towards general strike and civil disobedience against Orbán regime

Christopher Adam Hungarian Free Press
Teachers in Hungary went on strike, even though striking is illegal, in protest against educational reforms. Teachers claim the reforms are hurting educational quality and disadvantaged students, and giving teachers less freedom to do their jobs. The strike has garnered popular support and may lead to a general strike, mobilizing large numbers of people who are dissatisfied with the government and who are pushing for greater economic and social justice.

The Rise of Food Renegades

David Despain Food Technology
Health-conscious millennials favor small companies disrupting the food system, trading out mass food brands and chains for unique, local, and fresh food experiences. They expect higher quality and want to be closer to their food—knowing where it comes from and who made it. Small food startups are in tune with this new food culture, telling engaging stories about their products, their ingredients, and how they’re made.