Common Dreams Highlights Friday January 9, 2015

News & Views | 1.9.15 Featured… As Court Ruling Clears Way for Keystone XL, Groups Say: It’s Now Up to You, Obama by Andrea Germanos ‘It’s time for President Obama to build on his veto threat and reject Keystone XL outright.’—May Boeve, 350 News… Suspected Gunmen Killed Amid Chaotic Scenes At French Hostage Sites by Common Dreams staff French police stormed a printworks warehouse in Dammartin-en-Goele, where two suspects for the Charlie Hebdo shootings, identified as brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, were holding at least one hostage. Amid Time of Soaring Inequality, Rich Say: The Poor Have It Easy by Andrea Germanos Oxfam International’s Winnie Byanyima says political leaders will ignore inequality at their own peril. Yep, That’s Right…’Free’: Obama Plan Would Cover Community College Tuition by Jon Queally Proposal put forth by White House would see federal and state governments pay for two years of college for all those able to maintain 2.5 GPA. Icy Cold and Cut Services Create Dangerous Perfect Storm for Nation’s Homeless by Jon Queally With number of people without permament housing rising nationwide and services for them falling, near-zero temperatures put thousands at severe risk. Adding More Proof ‘War Is Over’ Is a Myth, NATO Commander Warns of Inevitable Deaths to Come by Sarah Lazare ‘The war in Afghanistan has not ended.’ In ‘Epic’ Chase, Sea Shepherd Vows to Pursue Poachers to ‘Ends of the Earth’ by Deirdre Fulton The dramatic chase, which has gone on for 22 days, is thought to be the world’s longest pursuit of an illegal fishing vessel. more news… Views… In Wake of Charlie Hebdo Attack, Let’s Not Sacrifice Even More Rights by Sophia Cope, Jillian C. York Even as we mourn the losses at Charlie Hebdo, we must be wary of any attempt to rush through new surveillance and law enforcement powers. CIA’s Hidden Hand in ‘Democracy’ Groups by Robert Parry Freedom House and the National Endowment for Democracy stress their commitment to freedom of thought and democracy, but both cooperated with a CIA-organized propaganda operation in the 1980s. In Solidarity With a Free Press: Some More Blasphemous Cartoons by Glenn Greenwald Usually, defending free speech rights is much more of a lonely task. The Right Tries (and Fails) to Justify Its Assault on Social Security by Richard Eskow How does the right justify the kind of action Congress took this week, when it moved to cut disability benefits for millions of people by 20 percent? Reproductive Sovereignty or Bust! by Carol Downer A woman is sovereign when she can decide her own destiny without State interference. Why Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s Trial Is About Our Humanity, Not His Guilt by Sonali Kolhatkar Ultimately, how we treat Tsarnaev will say much more about our humanity than his guilt. more views… Newswire… Oil Change International: Statement on Nebraska Keystone XL Court Decision Amnesty International: Flogging of Raif Badawi in Saudi Arabia ‘Vicious Act of Cruelty’ Guttmacher Institute: Publicly Funded Family Planning Yields Numerous Postive Health Outcomes While Saving Taxpayer Dollars NAACP Statement on Explosion Near Colorado Springs Branch Reprieve: Kris Maharaj Capital Conviction Upheld Friends of the Earth: Nebraska Supreme Court Denies Landowners Standing to Defend Their Land From Dirty Pipeline more newswire…

Alternative Housing: Tiny Houses, Campers, and the Road Less Traveled

As we transform ourselves and our communities, we must feel our way forward into the unknown. This thought provoking post inspires questioning the ways we stay stuck in unsustainable and frankly personally miserable societal structures. I’m so grateful for all the wonderful writers and blogs like The Druid’s Garden that inspire me daily to break out of hidebound old patterns of thinking and living!

The Druid's Garden

For an increasing number of Americans, especially those under 30, the “American Dream” is an absolute joke. For those of us in our 30’s, like me, its still a joke, but a harsh one because lot of us got sucked into believing in this dream and buying houses and such just before things crashed down in 2008. Of course, the joke’s on us, I suppose. Even for college graduates (or those with graduate degrees) finding a way to make a decent living and support a family, much less buy a house or anything else, is a fantasy. Those in the trades that I talk to often also don’t have any work. Many friends of mine in their 20’s are still living at home because its too expensive to be on their own, the job opportunities aren’t there, or the bills are too much to consider moving out. Or, they are…

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