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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: activist

activist stories: 20 news summaries
book review

 This Bitch of a Life 
 Offers Frank View of Fela Kuti 

Biography pulls no punches in describing this powerful musician

Aug 24, 09 7:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - Carlos Moore’s Fela: This Bitch of a Life, a newly re-released 1982 authorized biography, contains the usual makings of sociomusical hagiography: Fela’s stunning music, his uncompromising anticolonial message, and the many beatings and imprisonments he suffered as a result. But most readers likely already know the legend—what... More »

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music • Africa • Nigeria • revolution • musician • activist • Bob Marley • imprisonment • Fela Kuti

(Newser) - A human rights activist whose probes into abuse by authorities were a constant irritation to authorities has been kidnapped and murdered in Chechnya, the Wall Street Journal reports. Natalya Estemirova was found shot dead along a roadside hours after witnesses saw her being bundled into a car. Chechnya's president, pro-Russia... More »

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human rights • murder • Chechnya • activist • Anna Politkovskaya • human rights activists • Ramzan Kadurov • Natalya Estemirova

At 90, Seeger Still Tuned to Social Activism

Springsteen, Guthrie, Baez, and others to headline tribute concert

May 3, 09 11:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - Today may be his 90th birthday, but the only reason folk legend Pete Seeger will share the stage with Bruce Springsteen and Arlo Guthrie at his tribute concert will be to raise money for the environment—continuing his penchant for infusing music with social activism. “I agreed to the... More »

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Bob Dylan • Joan Baez • birthday • concert • Bruce Springsteen • activist • Dave Matthews • Pete Seeger

OPINION

Taxpayers Must Become Activist Investors: Icahn

What the government did at GM should be a lesson: get rid of bad leadership

Apr 16, 09 11:05 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barney Frank was right when he said a retention bonus is “a nice word, it turns out, for extortion,” writes Carl Icahn for the Huffington Post. “Very few managers are irreplaceable, especially in this economy”—so why do they get paid extra to stay with a... More »

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Carl Icahn • bonuses • activist • corporate leadership • executives • financial crisis • executive bonuses

Business Is Booming for French 'Protest Coach'

Parisian makes a living schooling dissenters in the art of civil disobedience

Apr 8, 09 6:01 AM CDT
(Newser) - France's leading "protest consultant" has never been busier, he tells the Wall Street Journal. Xavier Renou provides—for a discretionary fee—tips and training courses for anticapitalist protesters on making sure their message is heard. Renou sticks to nonviolent means, but has plenty of practical advice on everything from... More »

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France • protests • activist • political protest • civil disobedience • consultant

 Iconic Mass. Gay Couple Splits 

Goodridge suit legalized same-sex marriage in state

Feb 3, 09 1:18 PM CST
(Newser) - A lesbian activist couple well-respected for leading Massachusetts' gay marriage charge has filed for divorce, the Boston Herald reports. Hillary and Julie Goodridge's landmark lawsuit legalized same-sex marriage in the state six years ago. The couple married a year later—after nearly two decades together—and share custody of their... More »

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gay marriage • divorce • lesbians • Massachusetts • activist • Julie Goodridge • Hillary Goodridge • Bill Maher Grid


 Activists Hit 
 'Fur-Hag' 
 Aretha's Star 

Activists dub celebs 'fur hags'

Jan 27, 09 10:36 AM CST
(Newser) - January has not been kind to the queen of soul. First Aretha Franklin was mocked for her ginormous inauguration hat, and now her Walk of Fame star has been vandalized, Perez Hilton reports. Anti-fur activists scrawled “Fur Hag” across her star in Hollywood after doing the same thing to... More »

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Hollywood • fur • celebrity • vandalism • Aretha Franklin • activist • Mary-Kate Olsen • Ashley Olsen

Student May Face Fed Charges for Fake Drilling Bids

Activist infiltrated auction, won 22,000 acres
of federal land at auction in protest

Jan 12, 09 4:40 AM CST
(Newser) - A Utah college activist may face federal charges and jail for making bids he can't afford on scenic tracts in a federal drilling auction last month, the Washington Post reports. Economics student Tim DeChristopher wielded his red auction paddle 13 times to snag $1.8 million in property before federal... More »

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Bush administration • auction • Utah • activist • oil drilling • national park • environmentalists • domestic oil production

 Year's Top 10 
 Moments of 
 Celeb Activism 

Oprah, Paris, Will.i.am make a difference

Dec 29, 08 11:50 AM CST
(Newser) - It’s been a big year for celebrity activism—so big that it deserves its own year-end top 10 list, Tina Daunt writes in the Los Angeles Times. Some famous faces that made a difference in 2008:
  • Oprah Winfrey fought hard for Barack Obama, including hosting a traffic-stopping garden
... More »

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Barack Obama • Don Cheadle • Ron Burkle • Paris Hilton • Oprah Winfrey • Matt Damon • political activism • activist • Sarah Silverman • George Clooney • Will.i.am • Proposition 8 • Norman Lear • Best of 2008

 Voter Board: 
 Hey Tim, 
 Wanna Do 
 a PSA?

Actor hasn't minced words in aftermath of Election Day polling snafu

Nov 19, 08 9:14 AM CST
(Newser) - The New York City Board of Elections, headed up by a man Tim Robbins has termed a "corrupt scumbag," is reaching out to the prickly actor with an offer he might well resist—turn his Election Day voting tantrum into a civics lesson. TMZ reports that the board... More »

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voting • activist • voter turnout • Election 2008 • PSA • voter registration • Tim Robbins • Board of Elections

Robbins, Officials Still Sparring Over Voting Snafu

Actor may have been in the wrong location

Nov 11, 08 1:50 PM CST
(Newser) - Actor and political activist Tim Robbins, who filed a court order to vote after his name wasn’t in the poll books on Election Day, may simply have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The election commissioner now claims Robbins filed a change-of-address form when he moved... More »

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voting • activist • Election 2008 • voter registration • Tim Robbins

 Paul Newman Dead at 83 

Legendary actor struggled with cancer, spokeswoman says

Sep 27, 08 9:47 AM CDT
(Newser) - Paul Newman, the Academy-Award winning actor who personified cool as an activist, race car driver, popcorn impresario and the anti-hero of such films as Hud, Cool Hand Luke and The Color of Money, has died after a long battle with cancer, the AP reports. He was 83. In May,... More »

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cancer • film • obituary • activist • actor • Paul Newman • Joanne Woodward

 Housing Bill Funds
 Democratic Ally

Group sets out to register the poor

Jul 31, 08 9:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - Nestled in the housing bill President Bush signed yesterday is an acronym Republicans don’t like one bit: ACORN. The Wall Street Journal reports that the group is among the many housing-related nonprofits the bill hands cash to, but Republicans grumble that it does more than housing. It’s also... More »

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Congress • Latino voters • Democratic voters • activist • African-American voters • minority vote • the Hispanic vote • low income voters • voter registration • housing legislation • black voters • Acorn

Opinion

Anti-Gay Rant Makes Hill Wish It Hadn't Asked

Outspoken activist succeeds in unifying lawmakers against her

Jul 24, 08 11:54 AM CDT
(Newser) - Don’t ask Elaine Donnelly what she thinks of gays in the military—she’ll tell you. Congress made that mistake yesterday, and the anti-gay activist let out what Dana Milbank of the Washington Post calls an “extraordinary exhibition of rage.” Donnelly warned the panel of the... More »

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Congress • Don't Ask, Don't Tell • testimony • activist • gays in the military • House Armed Services Committee

 Facebook Boots
 Kitty-Eating Kids 

Site repulsed by activist dinner party photos

Jun 12, 08 1:42 PM CDT
(Newser) - A group of Danish students were kicked off Facebook when they posted photos of themselves cooking and eating a cat, the Copenhagen Post reports. The students intended to point out the hypocrisy in designating some animals pets and others food, but have infuriated the almighty social-networking site and animal rights... More »

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pets • cooking • abuse • animal rights • Denmark • activist • cat

 Quake Efforts Break
 Barriers in China 

Ordinary citizens donate, head to quake scene without government coordination

May 20, 08 11:09 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Chinese people have responded to last week's Sichuan earthquake with an unprecedented outpouring of volunteer work and donations—outside the scope, and control, of the Chinese government, the New York Times reports. China’s regime doesn’t trust public activism, and has long restricted private charity groups. But the... More »

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China • volunteer • activist • earthquake • Sichuan province • China earthquake

Olympic Sponsors Targeted Over China-Darfur Links

McDonald's and others supporting 'genocide Olympics,' activists say

Feb 20, 08 1:19 PM CST
(Newser) - Activists are preparing to plaster college campuses with posters with charges like “McDonald’s: Proud Sponsor of the Genocide Olympics,” hoping to pressure multinational corporations sponsoring the Beijing Games into doing more about Darfur, BusinessWeek reports. Buying oil from Sudan makes China a sponsor of the region's genocide,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
China • Darfur • genocide • Steven Spielberg • McDonald's • Sudan • General Electric • 2008 Beijing Olympics • Mia Farrow • Adidas • activist • Dream For Darfur • Save Darfur Coalition

Bin Laden Son Plans 'Race for Peace' Event

Give peace
a chance,
says Omar

Jan 18, 08 4:30 AM CST
(Newser) - Osama bin Laden’s 26-year-old son says he wants to be an “ambassador for peace” between Muslims and the West and is planning a cross-continental horse race to raise money for child war victims, AP reports. Omar Osama bin Laden, one of the al-Qaeda leader’s 19 children, is... More »

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Muslims • Osama bin Laden • activist • peace • Omar bin Laden • al-Qaeda

Chrissie Hynde Fuming Over Leather Bag Namesake

Pretenders frontwoman a passionate vegetarian

Sep 3, 07 10:34 AM CDT
(Newser) - Rocker Chrissie Hynde is furiously threatening to sue an Italian fashion house after it named a red leather handbag after her. The Pretenders star, whose commitment to animal rights has resulted in her arrest in the past, says she's livid that the designers are putting brass in pocket off a... More »

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fur • animal rights • PETA • Burberry • activist • Chrissie Hynde • Pretenders • vegetarianism • leather • Hogan • Moby • boycott

Writer Grace Paley Dies at 84

'Neurotically Anti-Authoritarian' Activist and Author Gave Voice to Women of Native Bronx

Aug 23, 07 6:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - Acclaimed writer and activist Grace Paley, who in only three collections of short stories gave earthy voice to the interior life of the Bronx Everywoman, died yesterday at age 84 in her Vermont home, the Los Angeles Times reports. Paley—whose sensibility admirer Philip Roth called "splendidly comic... More »

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breast cancer • feminism • obituary • literature • writer • Grace Paley • Rea Award • activist • Iraq war

20 Stories


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