On Sept. 8, 2008, a symposium entitled, “The US Healthcare System in Crisis: Achieving Universal Coverage,” was held at the Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD. Attorney Joel Segal, who is Senior Health Legislative Assistant to Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) said:

“The 47 million [uninsured] people [in this country] can’t wait anymore. There is money in the system. We just have to have the political will” to get the job done. To watch the video of the event, go here:
www.youtube.com/watch

For more information about this initiative by Students Promoting Healthcare Reform (SPHERE), please contact gneta[AT]jhsph.edu.

Two new poems explore cultural and technological issues in America at the dawn of the 21st century.

Some observations from the 7/29 panel at the UNITE-HERE! building, featuring Scot Spencer (Annie E. Casey Foundation), Greg LeRoy (Good Jobs First), Worker X (anonymous hotel worker), Darlene Harrison, Union Committee Leader, and Mike Mitchell, Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity.

Despite an intense fight from the newest contractor (The Chimes), an overwhelming majority of cleaners voted to be recognized as a union. Since the union drive started on June 1st, over 190 workers have signed union cards.

BALTIMORE - The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland today [7/17] made public what it called "shocking" documents obtained through a Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) lawsuit, revealing that the Maryland State Police (MSP) engaged in covert surveillance of local peace and anti-death penalty groups for over a year from 2005-2006. The organization expressed alarm at the incomprehensible spying revealed in 43 pages of summaries and computer logs, none of which refer to criminal or even potentially criminal acts, other than a few isolated references to plans for completely nonviolent civil disobedience.

ACLU of Maryland Executive Director Susan Goering blasted the program as "Un-American," and said, "I fear that the documents released today, which the MSP wrongfully withheld for almost two years, may be only the tip of the proverbial iceberg."

Read the ACLU press release
WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED: Maryland Anti-Death Penalty Activists Speak Out!7/24 @ 2640
————-LISTEN TO THE AUDIO FROM THE SPEAK-OUT
————- WATCH THE VIDEO
Read the documents obtained through the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) lawsuit
Coverage on Democracy Now!
Dave Zirin: COINTELPRO Comes to My Town: My First-Hand Experience With Government Spies
Coverage in the Progressive
Maria Allwine: State police spying is dangerous repression
UPDATE: Dear Maryland Activists (from ACLU of MD)
Ron Kipling Williams: Anti Death Penalty Protestors Speak Out Against State Police Spy Activities

UNITE HERE rally at Baltimore City Center Sheraton, Bill Fletcher Jr speaks on his new book Solidarity Divided at 2640.

UPDATES: Who's got the power? We've got the power! (Very short video of the 7/10 UNITE-HERE picket at the City Center Sheraton) | Video : Bill Fletcher Jr. speaks about his book | AUDIO: Bill Fletcher + Updates from UNITE-HERE and the United Workers

UNITE HERE rally at Baltimore City Center Sheraton on Thursday, July 10th at 4:30 PM right outside the hotel at 101 W. Fayette Street (a short distance both the Light Rail and the Metro).

So far, the boycott campaign has successfully pulled over $2.5 million dollars and business from Columbia Sussex; which encouraged Columbia Sussex to sign their first union contract in Philadelphia after only the second bargaining session. The boycott has also expanded to the Crystal City Hilton (in northern Virginia) and I was just at the energetic kick off rally for that on July 2nd. We can win this one. Sí, se puede! Yes, we can!

For more details about the struggle at the Sheraton and the boycott campaign, read this article.

Following the rally, Red Emma's/2640 has their third P.E.P. (Popular Education Project) talk with Bill Fletcher Jr.speaking on his new book Solidarity Divided on Thursday, July 10, 7PM @ 2640 (2640 St. Paul St.)

Plus updates and responses from the United Workers and UNITE HERE!

Forty-six workers were rounded up this morning from their worksites and homes in the Anapolis area by the ICE, in conjunction with the local police force in Annapolis.

We are calling together an emergency rally tomorrow morning to protest the break-up of families and call for an end to these half-measures to enforce immigration law.

All eyes are on Mayor Sheila Dixon and the group of young people known as Peer-to-Peer Enterprises following the suspension of the student hunger strike. The strike went on for 5 days before the mayor agreed to sit down and discuss the students’ $3 million demand. In a bold move, the city council then called off the budget vote Wednesday night—buying some time and possibly signifying that the mayor and the council may now understand the importance of what could be the most revolutionary development in youth employment programs to date.

(Originally published at indyreader.org/node/154)