Common Dreams Highlights | Monday, 30 March 2015

Featured…

Taking Aim at Clinton, Former Maryland Governor Says Presidency ‘Not a Crown’
by Lauren McCauley
Testing the waters for potential nomination bid, Martin O’Malley calls for a president willing to take on ‘wealthy, special interests.’

	TPP Opponents Mobilize as Powerful Forces Seek to Ram Through ‘Fast Track’ Trade Authority by Deirdre Fulton Lawmakers in favor of the pro-corporate trade deals hope to vote on Fast Track legislation in mid-April.
	Syria’s President Assad: US Airstrikes a Recruiting Bonanza for ISIS by Jon Queally Americans would like to ‘sugar coat’ the situation, says Bashar al-Assad, but the situation in his country is only being made worse by airstrikes.
	‘Heart Over Hard’: Thousands Protest Austerity in Brussels by Deirdre Fulton Demonstrators call for Belgian government to tackle fraud and enact higher taxes on the rich.
	GMO Seed Theft Equals National Security Threat, Argues Government by Lauren McCauley Defense attorneys say spying on alleged Chinese seed plotters in trade dispute signifies ‘breathtaking’ overreach.
	After Talking to Washington Post About Low Wages, Hotel Worker Fired by Common Dreams staff In original profile, journalist wrote that Shanna Tippen’s experience ‘reflects a more realistic picture’ of life on minimum wage.
	As Chaos in Yemen Continues, Air Strike Kills Dozens at Refugee Camp by Deirdre Fulton Roughly 500 new families arrived in the camp over the last two days, escaping bombings in other parts of the country.
more news…

	There’s a Reason the Big Banks Aren’t Mad with Hillary by John Atcheson And Why Those Emails Matter
	Why the NCAA Should Move the Final Four Out of Indiana by Dave Zirin “Here is a time to say that despite the branding, the swooshes and the ads everywhere, money is really not the most important part of college athletics.”
	Report: Big Education Firms Spend Millions Lobbying for Pro-Testing Policies by Valerie Strauss Four top testing companies collectively spent more than $20 million lobbying in states and on Capitol Hill from 2009 to 2014.
	Balancing the Tensions of Afghanistan’s Ashraf Ghani by Ralph Nader “Above all, President Ghani wants to neutralize anybody or anything that undermines or distracts from his focus on building trust in government.”
	You Owe Us, Corporations: Four Reasons Why, and One Way to Pay by Paul Buchheit Corporate profits are at their highest level in 85 years, growing by 171 percent in the first half of the Obama presidency.
	Black America’s State of Surveillance by Malkia Cyril “Black people and other people of color have lived for centuries with surveillance practices aimed at maintaining a racial hierarchy.”
more views…