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Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Back in the day on March 20th, 1857, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” was published. Stowe, a white woman, became motivated to write her most recognized work after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The novel, which was to become second only to sales of the Bible in …

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On a flight to Cameroon this week, Pope Benedict gave an interview where he linked condom use to HIV/AIDS, sparking international outrage. Not surprisingly, Pope Benedict reiterated the Vatican’s anti birth-control beliefs. But what is surprising, is that he went even further in his comments saying that the distribution of condoms “can even increase the problem”. …

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This week marks the 6th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. Over the past six years, as a result of the US war, hundreds of thousands, and by some estimates, a million Iraqis, have died. Additionally, over four thousand US troops have also died. Those that survive number almost two million. Their struggle when …

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In the early morning hours of October 28th 2008, a 20 year old named Julian Alexander was fatally shot by an Anaheim police officer. Alexander’s crime: he was standing in his own front yard, attempting to protect himself and his pregnant wife with a stick in hand. Oh, and he happened to be black. The white …

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The Harlem Uprising of 1935

Back in the day on March 19th, 1935 Lino Rivera, a Puerto Rican youth in Harlem, was accused by white store owners of stealing a penknife. Taking place during the Great Depression where people of color suffered greatly, the Harlem Uprising that ensued from this seemingly small altercation began after rumors …

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Edward Liddy, the embattled CEO of AIG is testifying at a House Financial Services subcommittee hearing this morning. Members of Congress and the Obama Administration are falling over themselves this week to denounce the $165 million in bonuses for top executives at AIG. The corporation in question received $170 billion in bailout funds last year — …

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Veterans’ groups are angry over President Obama’s recent statement that he was considering a plan that would charge treatment for some service-related injuries to the private health plans of soldiers. Obama has explained the idea as a way to generate up to $540 million for the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2010. Overall, the VA has …

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As Los Angeles is mired in an ever increasing budget deficit, community organizations are calling on Mayor Villaraigosa and the City Council to focus resources on social services. The LA Coalition against State Violence is calling on officials to reduce city money allocated for the Los Angeles Police Department and invest instead in public transportation, prevention …

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The Paris Insurrection

Back in the day on March 18th, 1871 an uprising took hold in Paris, France that would eventually lead to the establishment of the Paris Commune. The immediate political catalyst for the insurrection in the capital city was the defeat of the French in the Franco-Prussian War. In negotiating an armistice, members of …

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A serious standoff between Pakistan’s two major political parties has just ended, resulting in a victory for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of the Muslim League. Demonstrations in the capital Islamabad turned violent over the weekend, as lawyers and their supporters rallied for the reinstatement of chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, first sacked by former President Pervez Musharraf in …

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