A Johns Hopkins study published in UK journal The Lancet estimates that 655,000 more Iraqis have died as a result of war and political violence since March 2003 than would have died if mortality rates had remained the same as during 2002. Both violent and nonviolent death rates are now significantly above pre-war values, with the violence mainly concentrated in Sunni areas. While the number of additional deaths in the first year after the war was likely over 100,000, over half the total additional deaths are from this past year alone. PDF of Johns Hopkins study

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Congress has repeatedly failed to bump up the minimum wage and, since 1997, it has remained at $5.15 an hour. Since then, 19 states and three cities have raised base pay rates higher than the federal minimum, while scores more of other cities have enacted living wage laws for government contractors. This November, voters in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and Ohio will decide whether or not to raise their own hourly base pay. In Santa Cruz, CA, the year's hottest election issue is Measure G, a city-wide proposal to raise the minimum wage to $9.25 an hour.

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Last month's outbreak of E. Coli in fresh spinach which killed three people and sickened 199 others in the US, has many consumers on edge about food born pathogens. It was the ninth deadly E. Coli outbreak from leafy greens that originated in California's Salinas Valley over the last decade. Another E.Coli scare occurred this week when Salinas-based Nunes Co. recalled some 8,500 cartons of its Foxy-brand 'Green Leaf Lettuce' from seven states.

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The Black Panther Party 40th Reunion is this weekend in Oakland, Oct. 13th–Oct. 15th. Events on Friday will include workshops on media in the struggle and political prisoners. Saturday's workshops will be held at both Laney College and the Malonga Center for the Arts, where KPFA radio will broadcast live from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday will feature a group photo and picnic. On Monday, AK Press is hosting a DVD release event for What We Want, What We Believe at 7:30 p.m.

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After the tragic gang-related murders of Jessica, 9, and Jorge Cortez, 16, in 1994, the Peace and Unity March was organized by the Watsonville Brown Berets to address the gang warfare going on in their community. The march has been historically led by families of the victims of violence, demanding an end to all violence, including war and government oppression. About 150 people attended this year's ceremony, vigil, speakout, rally and march held on October 7th.

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On Sunday, October 8th at 9:00am, maritime workers and other trade unionists picketed Hornblower Yachts at Pier 33 in San Francisco. Photos | Video They planned to return at 4am on Monday to picket the boats that ferried people to Alcatraz for the Indigenous People's Day commemoration. Alcatraz Cruises, part of the anti-union Hornblower Yachts, took over the contract to run the Alcatraz ferry service using non-union crews. The IBU and the MMP, unions that represent workers there, have been negotiating with Hornblower owner Terry Macrae. At issue is whether the captains or "senior" deckhands, who comprise half the workers, can be union members.

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Saturday, October 7th was a No on 85! Day of Action. A rally was held in Dolores Park at 12pm. Photos People planned to join together to try to form the World's Largest Human No on 85 Sign. At 1pm people planned to conduct voter outreach and visibility in District 8, and at 5pm, a NO on 85 Happy Hour and Comedy Show was held at Martuni's Martini bar.

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The World Can't Wait called for a national day of action on October 5th against the Bush administration and the war in Iraq. In San Francisco, students staged a morning walkout and protesters converged at noon in Justin Herman Plaza. Protests also took place in Oakland, Mill Valley, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Sacramento and Arcata. Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

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On October 3rd, Andrew Stepanian started a three-year prison term, becoming the first person to do time under the Animal Enterprise Protection Act. Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) activists were not accused of causing physical damage to property or people. They were convicted of targeting Huntingdon Life Sciences by maintaining a website which contained information that could potentially be used to commit a crime. Congress has been working to pass more laws offering special protection for businesses that profit from the use of animals and restricting the free speech of peaceful activists.

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On Tuesday, October 3rd, the Bay Area medical marijuana community was rocked by the news that eight Bay Area locations associated with New Remedies Cooperative and Potent Employment Solutions had been raided by federal agents. The targets were allegedly growing, prescribing, and dispensing medical marijuana. New Remedies was the only surviving spinoff of Compassionate Caregivers, which has been under investigation ever since their LA outlet was busted in May, 2005. Sparky Rose, the executive director of the organizations, was one of over a dozen people who were arrested. They were expected to be arraigned on Wednesday. A march was held from City Hall to the Federal Building. Photos from Raid

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Emergency Action: Thurs. Oct. 5th, 7–9 a.m. at Woodfin Suites Hotel, 5800 Shellmound, Emeryville.
On Friday morning, September 29, community members including faith-based leaders, local union members and residents demonstrated their support for immigrant workers at the Woodfin Suites in Emeryville. Carrying mops, brooms, drums, and noise makers, protesters demanded "Woodfin Clean-Up your Act" and "Worker Rights Now!" as workers waved bedsheets from the windows. Photos

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On Sunday, October 1st, right-wingers from the religious "right" were in San Francisco to hold a "life chain" event. Apparently, every year on the first Sunday in October, Life Chain invites churches in each city and town across North America to stand on a local sidewalk and pray for one hour, while holding signs that include approved pro-life messages. In San Francisco, the life chain was on Park Presidio Blvd. between Geary and Clement from 2:00pm to 3:30pm. BACORR and others were there to support the "No on 85" campaign and to counter the right's extremist messaging. Photos

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On Wednesday September 27th, the US House of Representatives approved HR 6166 by a margin of 253-168 and on September 28th, the US Senate approved its version of the bill, Senate Bill 3930, in a 65-34 vote. The bill will give President Bush extraordinary power to detain and try prisoners. The legislation strips detainees of the right to challenge their own detention and gives the President the power to detain them indefinitely. The bill also immunizes U.S. officials from prosecution for torturing detainees who the military and the CIA captured before the end of last year.

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The Bicycle Film Festival (BFF) was in San Francisco from September 28th through 30th. The weekend opened on Thursday night with a "Bikes Rock" Party at Boca. Films were shown on Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and Saturday evening at the Victoria Theatre in the Mission. One of the highlights of the weekend was Saturday's 5pm screening of "Caravan/Prague," which tells the story of a bike caravan that went across Europe to join the protests against the IMF and World Bank. The weekend coincided with the 14th anniversary San Francisco Critical Mass bikeride: Photos and Report

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In a major victory for San Francisco medical cannabis caregivers, Thomas Juzbasic LVN was acquitted on all cannabis charges stemming from his bust in June 2003. After over 39 months and a week long mistrial, the second trial lasted only two and a half days before the jury came back with the not guilty verdict in under two hours. Photos

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The California Healthcare Collective (CHC) in Modesto was raided on the morning of Wednesday, September 27th by local and federal agents. The city had last year banned dispensaries, except for those that are nonprofits. Last week, the Modesto City Council voted to repeal the non-profit provision, thus making the CHC "illegal," and setting the scene for the raid. Protests were held around the state on Friday to tell the DEA that medical marijuana supporters in California will not stand for these continued attacks on medical cannabis patients. Protests took place at 12pm outside of DEA offices in Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, Modesto, and other cities.

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On September 28th, Act Against Torture protested in San Francisco against torture and indefinite detention at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, Abu Ghraib in Iraq, Bagram AFB in Afghanistan, and in secret prisons and other torture sites all over the world. Staff at Senator Diane Feinstein's downtown San Francisco office refused to even meet with the protesters. Photos: 1 | 2

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After escaping a second forced Iraq deployment via a window in Germany, medic Agustin Aguayo reported to a Mojave Desert army base to continue his fight for a conscientious objector discharge. He applied for the discharge in February 2004 - before he was sent to Tikrit, Iraq, for a year as a combat medic. He has unsuccessfully fought the Pentagon for a discharge ever since. Photos

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A Mass March and Rally will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 27th, 2006, the 40th anniversary of the 1966 Hunters Point Uprising. People will gather at 3:30pm at Third St. & Williams, and will march to a rally at Third & Palou. On Sept. 27th, 1966, Matthew Johnson, aged 16, was fatally shot in the back by SFPD, and the people rose up in rage – only to be put down by National Guard troops and tanks called in by City Hall. This week, the people of Bayview Hunters Point will demand that City Hall reinstate the referendum petition to stop the redevelopment land grab in Bayview Hunters Point.

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On September 14th, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert to consumers about an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in multiple states. The FDA has warned that people should not eat any fresh spinach, or salad mixes that were grown in Monterey County, San Benito County, or Santa Clara County. 171 people are reported to have been sickened, and two deaths seem to be linked to the E-coli. The cause of the contamination has not been determined, but it appears not to be linked to organic farming practices.

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On Sept. 21, about 100 protesters in San Francisco marked the 34th Anniversary of martial law in the Philippines and the murder of Filipinos. Photos. Earlier in the day activists dropped banners over freeways and street overpasses. Photos. Since Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came to power under martial law, at least 752 Filipinos have been murdered in politically motivated killings while 184 have gone missing.

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The Declaration of Peace (DOP) is a nationwide campaign, the goal of which is to establish a concrete and rapid plan for peace in Iraq by September 21st, 2006. DOP signers will take part in nonviolent actions, marches, rallies, candlelight vigils, and other creative ways to declare peace at the US Capitol and all over the US from September 21st through 28th. CODEPINK and peace allies will hold a march across the Golden Gate Bridge on Thursday, September 21st at 7:30am. A Peace Vigil will be held in at SF City Hall Plaza on September 21st, beginning at 6:00pm. More events are planned in the Bay Area and Central Coast throughout the week. Read more

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