August 2005 - Issue 7

Curtatone plays politics with ArtBeat to slow divestment drive

The continuing controversy over Somerville’s financial relationship with the State of Israel finally spilled over into the city’s hot streets on July 16. It wasn’t exactly a third intifada. But for the Mayor of Somerville, it was bad enough. The American Civil Liberties Union is looking to see whether constitutional rights have been violated.

The sound of Taps blended with protest chants

They landed a Blackhawk helicopter here on the Cambridge Common yesterday.

Starbucks chain used prison labor

A Penitentiary-house is…what every prison might, and in some degree at least ought to be, designed at once as a place of safe custody, and a place of labour. -- Jeremy Bentham, 1787

Nick Giannone acquitted; was beaten and arrested at Dem convention

Wednesday, June 29— Thanks to those of you who showed up at Nick Giannone's trial for one or all of the last three days. The jury came back this morning with a verdict of not guilty.

Barriers to equality

Joe Wellman called the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in Boston. The phone number was listed in a brochure published two years earlier by the State Attorney General. He got a recording that this number is not in service.

Recruiting children to kill children

I heard about a Black Hawk helicopter on Cambridge common? I heard Army recruiters were ushering kids into the machine?

New water metering law links tenants' rights to owners' conservation duties

Has your landlord told you that you have to pay your own water bill because of a new state law in Massachusetts? While rents have always included the cost of water, under this new law landlords may now bill tenants separately for water. but only if all of the following happens:

Green-Rainbow School Committee candidate—'An educator for a change'

UPDATE— Luc Schuster won a seat on the school committee in November, finishing ahead of three incumbents. He became the first "third party" candidate since World War I to win public office in Cambridge .

Animal Defense League takes on corporations, 'fraudulent science'

At the most basic level, the exploitation of human and non-human animals comes from the same source: the profit motive of capitalism.

running commentary August 2005

If you build it, it will flood ; Bring on the clones ; Card me, i'm from Massachusetts ; March of the iron ladies ; teflon + animals = cancer ; And we test pesticides on children ; State ballot questions, fooey! ; What's good for MIT is good—period ; How Harvard rules ; Just what the Democrats need ; Tooting our own Green horn ; Next move in Allston ; The Arctic is melting ; We don’t want to alarm you but....