From the open publishing newswire: A community forum exploring the local impacts of past Free Trade Agreements, what the massive new Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement means for your community, and how you can help prevent this "NAFTA of the Pacific."

*More Offshoring of Good-Paying Jobs to In the Race to the Bottom for Workers;
*New Tools for Attacking Environmental and Consumer Safety Policies;
*Further Deregulation of Banks and Insurance Companies;
*Longer Patents that Restrict Access to Generic Medications.

After opening remarks by Elizabeth Swager of Oregon Oregon Fair Trade Campaign, we hear from:

--Greg Pallesen - Vice President of Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers, Local 5 on trade related job loss;
--Ted Gleichman - chair of the LNG Committee of the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club, and serves on the steering committee of Oregonians for Renewable Energy Policy (OREP), which promotes feed-in tariffs to speed adoption of renewable energy. Ted is also a former member of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (ASFCME)."
--Kim Marks - a grassroots organizer who works within Rising Tide North America Collective and former board member of the Alliance for Sustainable Jobs and the Environment and BARK who speaks about the impact of trade on labor and the environment;

VIDEO: Community Forum on the Transpacific Free Trade Agreement - What does Wall Street want from the new Pacific Rim trade deal?

From the open publishing newswire: Instead of celebrating with her son for his birthday, Cindy Fisher was found rallying in front of the Clark County Courthouse in Vancouver with dozens of supporters. She made a cry out for help after her son was recently taken into custody and faced charges for what boiled down to a coat he found that had been stolen. After returning the jacket, he was apprehended and blamed for the crime. Due to his history of mental health issues and the fact that he was on a high dosage of a drug he had been prescribed at the time, he acted in fear of the cops and was arrested. Cindy gathered much support since her son was put in jail, and all her hard work has paid off. She broke the good news to all those in attedance that her son had contacted her early that morning to tell her that the charges had been dropped and now he is under care at a facility. The facility however is giving her son large doses of medication and this worries her because she knows the effects of these drugs and believes there should be a better treatment solution. She showed us how she prays in a meditative state for her sons healing every day.

We can only hope for a better future that will provide those with mental health issues more than just a suppressive drug. Cindy Fisher still needs over $5,000 to meet the $9,000 cost to put Siddharta in a new program which offers better treatment. If you would like to know more, contact Cindi below.

VIDEO: Happy Birthday Siddharta - Rally on Clark County Courthouse Steps - 2.28.12

www.joeanybody.com

From the open publishing newswire: *On Saturday, February 25, Venezuelan vice-president announced the
dismissal of Elio Sayago, worker-president of the state-owned aluminum
smelter ALCASA, and his replacement by Angel Marcano. This decision
represents an assault of the bureaucracy within the Bolivarian revolution against workers' control and has caused outrage amongst revolutionary activists in Guayana and throughout Venezuela.*

*It is not by chance that this decision has been taken just as president Chavez, who appointed Elio Sayago as worker-president of ALCASA, had left the country for Cuba for medical reasons. *

 http://www.marxist.com/elio-sayago-alcasa-dismissed.htm

From the open publishing newswire: Some really peaceful activist got followed around by the police as they stopped at 5 corporation that are tied to ALEC: Taco Bell, McDonald's, Walgreen's, ATT and Bank of America.

I filmed these clips with a cell phone and also filmed this with a video camera - video coming soon.

 http://bambuser.com/v/2411903

homepage:  http://www.joeanybody.com

From the open publishing newswire: Windows at a Key bank and Starbucks in Hollywood were smashed in the early hours along with a US Bank on 39th and Main ahead of a protest against the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in the downtown area. Portland, OR, USA, 02/29/2012.

homepage: alexmilantracy.com

[Other reportbacks: Communique for Night of 2/28 | F29 Eve Round Deux ]

From the open publishing newswire: Former workers of the Papa Murphys Pizza franchises on NE Fremont street in Portland tell their story in a series of clips wound together from ten different actions spanning nearly three months. Report:

Its been almost five months since the last picketing organized by former employees of the Papa Murphys franchises located between 15th and 71st & NE Fremont street in Portland. Two of the workers, twin sisters Cherise and Dennise Mofidi staged a picket against the management and owner of these stores in response to discriminatory and sexually harassing behaviour they experienced in the workplace.

In speaking with one of the twins involved recently, we were advised that Rawza Inc. (the franchise owner) has been in mediation with the Bureau Of Labor & Industries in coming to a resolution that ultimately required them to provide BOLI standards in-store training to their employees and send one manager per year to BOLI classes to refresh them on workplace code of conduct. An out-of-court settlement has now been paid and both twins have shared the monetary award. We are glad to see that solidarity and consistency brought justice to these youth and we wish them the best.

Here is the video link:

Papa Murphys Pizza Workers Protest - 10 Slices Of Solidarity

From the open publishing newswire: Encourage Portland's Charter Commission to let Portlanders vote on banning horses and chemical weapons for crowd control.

Several of the proposals being considered by the Charter Commission are making city officials nervous, according to commission member Steve Weiss, quoted in a Portland Mercury article. The 20-member city council-appointed group is given the power to create proposals that (if 15 of them agree) are then placed on the ballot to be decided by voters. Housekeeping measures and an independent utility commission proposal were supported by the city council and mayor, but when the commission started considering other more radical ideas? like instant runoff voting and police accountability? the city leaders' nervousness began. Two votes are expected this week: Monday, February 27 on an independent utility commission proposal and Wednesday, February 29 on a proposals that would ban the use of horses and chemical weapons for crowd control... The major point made by those testifying at the police accountability subcommittee meeting was that pepper spray, tear gas and horses don't break up protests? they only make them more chaotic and dangerous. The commission asked for comments from protesters who have had to deal with horses and chemical weapons up close, so any comments based on personal experience would help inform their opinion. Would Portlanders ban horses and chemical weapons if given the chance to vote on it? Possibly. Should Portlanders be given the chance to vote on these issues? Definitely.

The possible vote on the police accountability proposal [took] place Wednesday, February 29th from 6 to 9 PM at Portland City Hall, 1221 SW 4th Avenue, 3rd Floor, Rose Room. For links and video visit: villageportland.com

Video of the Feb 22 hearing

From the open publishing newswire: The NDAA will take effect on March 3, 2012. This is the gravest threat to the freedom of all Americans since the emergency laws during the U.S. Civil War. The Constitutional right to trial and the end of a century old law banning the use of the military on U.S. soil will come to an end on March 3, 2012. The president has awarded the military extraordinary powers to detain US citizens without trial! This is just one of many new laws, regulations and plans being rushed into being by the Obama administration. Not only did he sign the NDAA giving the military the right to arrest any one even Americans and hold them without trial he opened U.S. air space to police drones in mid- January, allowing New York City, Houston and Los Angeles to watch the pubic in a host of new ways. Obama is offering large grants to all local police departments to buy their own fleet of drones.

 link to gaian-mind.org

From the open publishing newswire: This is a video of the semi-monthly public meeting in the Portland Building regarding the use and sharing of the public sidewalks. Open to the public and city departments for discussion on how we all can get along on the sidewalks in Portland. The meeting was about 1:15 minutes long.
Its held in the Portland Building at 3:30 on the 2nd floor.
Open to city departments and the public to get together and talk about the issues of our city sidewalks.

Portland Advisory Committee public sidewalk meeting 2.6.12.
(video 1:15 min)

The next meeting will possibly be in April (TBA) - it was discussed near the end of the meeting. There is a city webpage on "sidewalk data" it is located here: portlandonline.com Data / Sidewalks

From the open publishing newswire: Yesterday's [2/23/12] arraignment for Bradley Manning lasted a little under an hour, as expected. Replacing the Investigating Officer from the Article 32 hearing is military judge Denise Lind. After members of the prosecution and defense declared their certifications and qualifications, the judge addressed Pfc. Manning directly, asking if he understood that a military counsel is available to him at no cost, or a civilian counsel is available at no cost to the government. "Yes, your honor," Manning replied. She then asked who he wished to represent him, and he replied that he wanted to keep Mr. Coombs and the rest of the defense team with him.

Then the prosecution and defense were allowed to question the judge. The prosecution declined, but Coombs stood for the defense. He asked her what prior knowledge she had of Manning's case. She responded, "I knew there was a case, that it involved classified information. I knew the case involved someone named Pfc. Manning." First, the judge mentioned the defense's proposal to compel discovery and deposition. What came after that was revealing. There had been a series of email communications between the court, the prosecution and the defense team as part of the RCM-802 process.

 http://www.bradleymanning.org

From the open publishing newswire: At the 30th Annual Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, the Sunday Keynote address will be a Film Screening: Greedy Lying Bastards, a Documentary Film by Craig Rosebraugh. A panel discussion will follow the screening. Greedy Lying Bastards is a film exposing the shocking lengths the fossil fuel industry travels to insure maximum profits for exectuives and shareholders.

A trailer for the film

More information on the film

This year's [PIELC / ELAW] theme is New Frontier: The Political Crossroads of Our Environmental Future

Conference Schedule

From the open publishing newswire: Small Town Endeavors to Protect its Future

The rural community of Williams in Southern Oregon is striving to prevent an imminent clear-cut on a privately owned 320 acres. This parcel is perched atop a prominent ridge in the Williams Creek watershed, located in the Applegate Valley, and serves as the headwaters for three major contributing streams. The community has united as the non-profit organization Williams Community Forest Project (WCFP) to purchase the land. The WCFP is fervently intensifying its fundraising and media campaign to procure the necessary funds and raise public awareness about the plight of our threatened woodlands. Thus far, the community has been pledged a substantial loan from a private group and raised $120,000 from grassroots fundraising.

Further information can be obtained at the WCFP website, www.williamscommunityforestproject.org, or through an inspiring ten-minute film posted at www.indiegogo.com/Wiliiams-Community-Forest-Project where direct, tax-deductible donations can be made. Donations may also be sent to WCFP, P.O. Box 36, Williams OR 97544.

From the open publishing newswire: The events of the Arab Spring have been awesome and inspiring, opening up the possibility of a regional landscape that is almost unfathomably different from what would have ...been predicted just one year ago. Students United For Palestinian Equal Rights (SUPER, of Portland State University) has organized a wide-ranging conference that is designed to analyze the events of the Arab Spring, its regional and international implications, and its effects on the future of Palestine.

Saturday, February 25, 2012.10:00am until 10:00pm.. Portland State University SMSU Rooms 296, 294, 238

THE ARAB SPRING CONFERENCE — Description & Schedule