We’ll analyze the economic crisis in Europe and the massive response on the streets of many European cities by citizens angered by austerity measures. And, understanding the impact of the Department of Defense’s study on the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. And, a look at Colorlines Magazine’s “Drop the “I” Word” campaign. Plus this week’s edition of the Right Hook.

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The United Nations sponsored conference on climate change began in Cancún, Mexico on Monday. Nearly 200 countries will be negotiating over two weeks in the first global meet-up since the Copenhagen conference in December 2009. The much anticipated Copenhagen summit had begun with high expectations, but ended with a non-binding agreement that was largely derided. There was major disagreement between first world governments and the leadership of developing economies. Developing nations argued that their wealthier counterparts were dodging tough reforms. China balked at US demands to submit to third-party inspections processes of its carbon-reduction efforts. The US, and specifically the US Senate, has been criticized in the year since Copenhagen for failing to pass comprehensive climate change legislation at home. Without domestic consensus on climate goals and action, the …

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In its third major release of classified information this year, the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks.org released over a quarter of a million classified State Department diplomatic cables, most of them from the years 2006 to 2009. A small number of news organizations including the New York Times, and the Guardian of London were given early access to analyze and publish the communiques from American diplomats stationed around the world. Among the treasure trove of material that has embarrassed the US is the revelation that American diplomats stationed overseas are now routinely expected to spy on government officials and heads-of-state of countries where they are stationed, and the United Nations. The spying includes gathering personal and banking details as well as biometric data like fingerprints and DNA. The secret memos also reveal private communications …

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Food and Water Watch released a landmark report on Monday titled “Trends in Water Privatization: The Post Recession Economy and the fight for Public Water in the United States”. Cash-strapped localities, from Coatesville, Pennsylvania to Hawthorne, California have been wooed into selling or leasing their water systems for a short-term payoff to relieve budget problems. However Food and Water Watch uncovers the true cost of privatization, and it adds up to hundreds of dollars for the average household. In Hawthorne, the average annual water bill increased from $323 to $738 after a private company took over. In Fairbanks Alaska, annual water bills jumped from $543 to almost $1,200. When a city privatizes its water system, it usually gets a big payment up front. However, the private company can then increase rates to …

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While pundits and economists worry about Wall Street’s well-being, Americans worry about losing their jobs, paying their bills and the health of the planet. The capitalist marketplace promotes the exploitation of people and natural resources as cheap fixes. But you don’t have to abandon your values to save a buck. Welcome to the People’s Marketplace.

Someone once said, “Give and ye shall receive”. Metaphysical debates aside, this is certainly true when it comes to charitable giving and your taxes. The IRS classifies most not-for-profits – like churches, homeless shelters, and your favorite public radio station – as charitable organizations, and your donations as tax deductible. There are lots of ifs, ands, and buts when it comes to taxes, but, in short, to quantify your altruism you’ll need to itemize your federal tax …

“Privatisation does not mean you take a public institution and give it to some nice person. It means you take a public institution and give it to an unaccountable tyranny.” — Noam Chomsky

We’ll cover the latest Wikileaks document release, this time comprising over a quarter million State Department diplomatic cables. And, how cities across California are considering privatizing their water supplies in response to the recession. Plus, a report on the Climate talks in Cancun and this week’s People’s Marketplace.

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Unless Congress acts to extend jobless benefits by tomorrow, 2 million Americans expecting their unemployment checks, will not receive them. Congress reconvenes today after a week-long break. However, negotiations over the benefits may be held hostage by lawmakers wishing to extend Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy. Coming just before the holidays, the cut in jobless benefits could impact not only the livelihoods of millions, but also impact the fragile consumer-based economy. However, conservative economists are touting the end of jobless benefits as beneficial to the economy in the long run. Writing for Forbes.com yesterday, John Tamny said “working Americans would be far more productive if aware that their joblessness would not be met with a check from the state, and their productivity would attract greater investment on the way to …

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The United Nations Climate Change Conference began today in Cancun, Mexico and will go through December 10th. It follows from the Copenhagen climate conference held last year. While a majority of people around the world are pinning their hopes on more progress in Cancun than in Copenhagen in terms of combating climate change, most of the world’s wealthiest nations are already failing to uphold promises they made last December. Among the many topics that climate activists hope will be discussed is the health of our oceans and the life they inhabit. Fossil fuel consumption results in massive, on-going infusion of Carbon Dioxide into the earth’s atmosphere, causing the planet to warm unnaturally. Even a rise of a few degrees can topple the ecological balance in our …

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While providing a day for friendship and family togetherness, Thanksgiving is a holiday with roots in a dark period of American history that many describe as a genocide, perpetrated by foreign settlers against the Native American people. But while the definition is clear, the application of the term ‘genocide’ can be highly controversial. Those accused of committing genocide often argue that they are engaged in a legitimate political conflict, not the systemic murder of one group of people. The United Nations defines genocide as any 5 specific acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. The acts include forcibly removing children from a group for transfer to another group, imposing measures to prevent births within a group, and killing …