Towards a New and Radical Municipal Agenda in Spain

Carlos Delclós Open Democracy
On May 24th, the two parties that have ruled Spain since the late 1970s were dealt yet another substantial blow, this time in regional and municipal elections. They were defeated in the main by independent political forces rooted in prominent local struggles and committed to developing a coalition between new or smaller Left parties and community organizations around a common platform; one developed through radical democratic and grassroots participation.

Movie: We Are Many

On February 15, 2003, over 15 million people marched in 800 cities on every continent to voice their opposition to the proposed war in Iraq. This film documents how, this unprecedented global march was organised, against all odds, by a patchwork of peace campaigners. In theaters now.
 

What’s Up?

Margaret Rozga Verse Wisconsin Online
In a world of multiple crises and bad politics, Wisconsin poet Margaret Rozga celebrates the spirit of unyielding global resistance.

NY Assembly Passes Universal Health Care Bill

Dan Goldberg Capital New York
The bill, Gottfried said, would lower costs by getting rid of insurance companies. It would lower administrative costs and allow doctors to focus their time on treating patients instead of fighting for reimbursements.

Fraud in Science: The Retracted Study on Attitudes Toward Gay Marriage

Tabitha M. Powledge Plos Blogs
The paper purporting to show that people's attitudes to gay marriage can be overturned in the course of a persuasive converation with an advocate has just been withdrawn. It was the biggest political science study of last year. It was a complete fraud. Could this be the beginning of a real reversal in the problem of fraud and misconduct in science?

The Press and Bernie Sanders

Eric Boehlert Media Matters
As the Vermont liberal spreads his income equality campaign message, the press corps seems unsure of how to cover him. In the month since he announced his bid, Sanders' coverage seems to pale in comparison to comparable Republican candidates who face an arduous task of obtaining their party's nomination. The reluctance is ironic. The press for months called for a challenger to Hillary Clinton. Now she has one and the press can barely feign interest?

The World of Soccer Must Be Rebuilt From the Ground Up

David Goldblatt The Guardian
Criminal investigations are welcome, but they must result in democratic reform at both Fifa and regional and national football associations. It is time for the politics of Fifa to be extended beyond the eternal insiders of the dysfunctional football family, the royal houses of the Gulf, and the stooges of authoritarian regimes and commercial interests that pass for representatives of the world’s football nations.

Stiller & Meara on Computer Dating

It's 1967, and computer matchups have just taken all the messiness out of meeting the right person. Stiller and Meara were there to mark this cultural seachange. (In memory of Anne Meara, 1929-2015.)