The Israeli media is ongoing reporting on the Israeli elite of the boycott on Israel that not only became significant economically and politically but also just two steps from avalanche. Lot of activists who do not understand that the battle will not be resolved here but in the international area lost heart as the immediate gains are small. They do not understand that the local struggle is the Archimedes point the lever of the B.D.S. is leaning on. So, the joint struggle continue. The international activists who come here carry the struggle in their countries when they return home. Whether understanding the importance of the joint struggle or not, hundred Israelis, and hundreds of Palestinians are every weekend in Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Ma'asara, Nebi Saleh, Qaddum, Sheikh Jarrakh, South of Hebron Hills, and sporadicly in other locations too.

On November 6 I was able to attend a speech given by ex--Weather Underground Organization (WUO) cadre and educator Bill Ayers in Berkeley. The WUO was one of many urban guerrilla groups that emerged from the New Left in the 1960s and '70s, though one of the more prominent because of its membership's leadership in the 100,000 strong Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the length of it's campaign against the U$ government and its racism both here, in Vietnam and elsewhere especially in Latin America. After getting on to the complimentary seats list on behalf of Slingshot, I grabbed a stack of 100 copies of the paper from the Long Haul Infoshop and meandered to the Hillside Club. The usual gauntlet of beady--eyed sectarians distributing pamphlets to the masses outside was sparse. A couple Spartacists who for a change didn't hassle me for not taking up exactly their line and someone from KPFA, the local Pacifica station that this was a benefit for and I were it compared to the Commie alphabet soup I'm used to from places like Chicago and Cleveland.

I am half--Canadian and half--American. I grew up mostly in Canada and thus have always had public--run health care in my life. I knew nothing about health insurance companies and all of their fine--print and evil until recently. Since coming to the US, I have not yet come into close contact with the American system since I have been mostly healthy aside from a baseball--related injury here and there.

The last ten years of ecological organizing under the Earth First! banner saw a significant shift in movement focus. Where defending old growth forests had taken center stage for much of the 90′s and early 2000′s, the fight against resource extraction became a defining characteristic of the last decade. What follows is a timeline highlighting Earth First! (EF!) participation in what has been referred to by some as the climate movement.

The NATO 3—Brent Betterly, Jared Chase, Brian Jacob Church—were in court for a few hours today for testimony from a few of the state's minor witnesses in the case. The witnesses who appeared today were a Chicago cop who recovered a large plywood sign (called a “shield” by the state) allegedly built by some of the defendants, a cop who recovered beer bottles from the apartment where two of the defendants were arrested, and a fingerprint analysis expert. A couple of the state's witnesses were unable to make it as scheduled today, so court was adjourned early and will resume at 10am tomorrow. All supporters must pass through the two security checks and be seated by 9:45am tomorrow. We are expecting full days in court for the rest of this week except for Friday, as the trial will not be happening that day.

From June 20th to July 1st, locally well-known journalist and activist Will Parrish lived 50 feet above ground in a wick drain “stitcher” in the northern Little Lake Valley (ie, Willits Valley) wetlands, where the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) is building an unnecessary and environmentally destructive freeway bypass.

Whereas workers of the International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI) have asked us to issue a statement in solidarity with imprisoned union activist Reza Shahabi, Be it resolved that the International Solidarity Commission send the following Statement of Solidarity to IASWI and publish it in IWW media (iww.org, the General Organization Bulletin, social media, etc.).

The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK)–North Korea. The very mention of the country’s name and a blizzard of buzzwords are released: Cult of Personality, Mass starvation, Nuclear-armed, Thought Control, Defectors and Reverse-defectors. A land completely closed to the outside world? Since the 1960s, a small but steady stream of foreign delegations, diplomats, NGO representatives, and regular tourists have been permitted to visit North Korea, albeit under tightly controlled conditions with official minders watching every move and word.

The third day of trial consisted of more testimony from Officer Nadia Chikko (aka “Gloves”). We picked up where yesterday’s testimony left off, listening to nearly all of the 55 audio recordings from May of 2012, with only a handful that were left unpublished for her partner, Mehmet Uygun (aka “Mo” or “Turk”), to testify to.

Tuesday, Kevin Olliff accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to 2.5 years in Illinois prison. The only allegation against him was possessing tools the prosecution claimed were intended to be used to "burglarize" a fox farm.

With credit for time served, and Illinois' "half time" credit, Kevin is expected to be released in 10 months.

March 15th marks the International Day Against Police Brutality. In the spirit of this day, we are calling for the first annual demo on the streets of downtown Hamilton – in solidarity with struggles against the police globally, and as a manifestation of our own antagonism against the police locally.

As I watch so many on the “Left” gleefully attacking (and fat shaming) New Jersey governor Chris Christie while ignoring/apologizing for/defending/voting for the corporate funded, ecocide promoting war criminal currently occupying the White House, I couldn’t help but -- yet again -- dig out some truth to be repeated.

Undercover cop Nadia Chikko, aka “Gloves,” spent the day on the stand giving testimony about a litany of audio recordings from the wires that she and the other undercover cop involved in this case, Mohmet (“Mo” or “Turk”) Nguyen, wore while infiltrating the Chicago activist community and targeting these defendant. The state has introduced 55 audio recordings into evidence. Chikko's testimony went through more than 30 of the recordings today, with the remaining expected to be covered tomorrow.

As 2013 came to a close, researchers at the Institute of Biotechnology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico continue to have charged conversations amongst themselves over their work, but their minds will likely stray from their experiments to thank the patron saints that they are still alive. This year saw the second assassination attempt on researchers and their colleagues.

On Tuesday 14th January, in northern Milan, trade unionist Fabio Zerbini was brutally beaten by two men suspected to be connected with Italian organised crime. Fabio Zerbini is a co-ordinator for the SI Cobas, a base union that is active in the logistics and warehouse sector. A few days before he had found his car’s side-view mirror broken.

Fabio Zerbini with microphone, addressing a workers' demonstration.

The NATO 3—Brent Betterly, Jared Chase, Brian Jacob Church—started their trial today with a full complement of defense attorneys and a courtroom packed with supporters. The prosecutors started off the opening arguments and were immediately followed by the defense attorneys. After the lunch recess, an audio technician who enhanced the audio on a number of tapes that make up a key part of the state's alleged evidence against the three defendants testified that he had enhanced the audibility of the tapes but not altered the content in any way. His testimony was immediately followed by Chicago Police Officer Nadia Chikko, known as “Gloves” during her infiltration of the Chicago activist community.