“You are not alone. Far from it. If you are concerned about the climate crisis and want your national government to do something about it, you are part of an enormous global majority.”
So wrote Jonathan Watts in a piece Sumaúma published on Monday declaring that the Amazon-based news outlet was joining Covering Climate Now’s 89 Percent Project. The 89 Percent Project launched with a Joint Coverage Week on April 21 and continues through 2025 with another Joint Coverage Week coming before the COP30 climate summit in November.
Free Press Board member Mark Stansbery opened the session, mentioning it's the Columbus Free Press May Day version of the Second Saturday Salon, focusing on immigrant and worker rights. He noted recent events like May Day protests and anniversaries of Kent State and Jackson State.
Bob Krasen of Healthcare For All Ohioans announced a new initiative by Columbus Community Bill of Rights to contest state pre-emption through a city charter amendment, with signature gathering to begin at Comfest June 27-29.
In the 1930s and 40s, many Jews escaped persecution in Europe by sailing to Palestine for safety. Palestinians treated them then with open hearts but later the Jewish refugees took arms and attacked Palestinians by committing massacres to drive them out of their lands.
Each year on May 14, Israel celebrates Independence Day and Palestinians commemorate Nakba Day (catastrophe in Arabic). Prior to 1948, Israel has never existed on the map. Israel was planted in the heart of the Arab world by Western imperial powers. I still have a picture of my village taken by a New York Times photographer on May 14, being erased by Jewish terror groups. My village was totally flattened, the only remaining part left intact was part of the village mosque. My village name al-Sumayriyya- السميريه , Akka District, is located about 6 North of Akka and 6 miles south of the Lebanese borders.
We start with “Kidnapping the Rubicon” from our Poet Laureate MIMI GERMAN.
The duly elected MAYOR HEIDE LAMBERT of Waldport, Oregon has been arrested by a fascist city council in an attempted coup; the activist progressive Mayor shares her amazing tale as we hear her plans to get re-instated.
Our co-convenor MIKE HERSH assures us all that the fight-back will inspire deep regrets among the Trumpist attackers.
LAProgressive.com editor-publishers SHARON KYLE & DICK PRICE give us the scoop on the Trump attack against Wisconsin Judge Hanna Dugan and many others like her who are standing up for actual justice & the law. Such judges, says Kyle, have been subjected to DOXing and other forms of Nazi-style attacks.
Emmy-winning documentarian DAVID SALTMAN explains the key elements to maintaining a lawful society.
Climate activist DIANE CAMERON talks about defeating a new highway proposed for Maryland.
Green campaigner MARGARET SCHOAP OF US-PIRG expands on the great grassroots work happening in Maryland to preserve what’s left of the state.
Prelude: As we welcome Pope Leo XIV, we do so with full awareness of the Church’s failures as an institution. Church-sanctioned teachings too often became instruments of empire, rather than channels of Christ’s peace. They upheld systems of enslavement, patriarchy, and racial hierarchy, instead of challenging institutions and bidding them to change. —
When Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost was proclaimed as Pope Leo XIV and then stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, for me it was a moment of disbelief and wonderment: The first American-born Pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. Then came his Urbi et Orbi (to the City and the World) blessing, in which he repeatedly, and beautifully, invoked peace.
“Peace be with you all…Peace be with you…. The peace of the Risen Christ - - an unarmed and disarming peace, …uniting everyone, always in peace. …a Church that always seeks peace, …for peace in the world.”
