Portside

Net Corp Buyoffs; Tennessee sticks it to Comcast; Canvas fingerprinting; How Israel does spin; Amazon eats the world; Margot Adler

BREAKING NEWS: The general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board ruled on Tuesday that McDonald's is jointly responsible for workers at its franchisees' restaurants, a decision that if upheld would disrupt longtime practices in the fast-food industry and ease the way for unionizing nationwide.

Mammoth companies are trying to collect water that all life needs and charge for it as they would for other natural resources.

UN estimates more than 74 percent of those killed are civilians - in a population of 1.8 million where the number of Hamas members is approximately 15,000. Israel does not deny that it killed those using modern aerial technology and precise weaponry courtesy of the U.S. This is not the first time. The gruesome images of decapitated children's bodies and stolen innocence on Gaza's shores are a dreadful repeat of Israel's assault on Gaza in November 2012 and winter 2008-09

A major ruling by the NLRB states that McDonald's is jointly responsible for the working conditions in its franchises. This ruling will have major impacts for the company and other corporations that have increasingly relied on the franchise model.

A diverse group of celebrities, artists, and activists including American Jews and Palestinians are speaking out for Palestinian human rights in a video released online today. The video is a first of its kind expression of support for Palestinian freedom, equality and justice and features celebrities holding signs with the names and ages of Palestinian civilians recently killed by the Israeli military in Gaza.

The “Schedules that Work” bill (introduced by Representatives George Miller and Rosa DeLauro and Senators Tom Harkin and Elizabeth Warren) is the proletarian answer to the workplace “flex” policies that are common in corporate offices. After all, poor parents need flexibility more than anyone, as they cope with the chaos of economic hardship and work unstable jobs with few benefits..

Logically enough, under present conditions of mostly indiscriminate killing, the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva met in special session to consider this war crimes question on July 23. The council reviewed and later adopted a resolution captioned: “Ensuring respect for international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.” The lone vote against the commission of inquiry was the United States.

Fast food workers continue their fight for higher wages and the right to unionize. Over 1,300 workers gathered this past weekend in Illinois, and voted to ramp up their tactics.

21st-century feminism, enriched by women-of-color feminists, working-class feminists, and others outside the mainstream, has opened up a promising new chapter. The contribution of young feminists to the Occupy Movement, in particular, has been a testimony to their influence and growing prestige. But the class fault lines are still there, and they often erupt into deep animosity.