MIriam Makeba collapses as she exits stage in Italy
New York Times Nov 10, 08 5:54 AM CST
(Newser)
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The South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba, known to many as “Mama Africa,” died today of an apparent heart attack, the New York Times reports. Makeba, who was 76, was exiled from South Africa in 1960. Her music was also banned from her home country in 1976 after she spoke out against apartheid at the UN. She collapsed early this morning as she left the stage following a concert in Italy.
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Military stays neutral, but returned troops stump for both sides
New York Times Oct 28, 08 7:42 AM CDT
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Military rules bar troops from getting involved in politics while on duty, the New York Times reports, but as they return home more young vets are diving into an election that will determine the nation's course in Afghanistan and Iraq. Driven by a sense of political duty and kept up to date abroad by the Internet and TV, troops “can be injected directly into the political process” as their feet hit home turf, says a former administration official.
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Slate Oct 8, 08 8:44 PM CDT
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There are a scant 27 days left to dedicate your blood, sweat, and tears to your candidate of choice. But some activists' moves are better than others. Christopher Beam runs down the best way to put your limited resources to good use in Slate: Got time to kill? Knock on doors to get out the vote, especially if you live in a swing state. Call people. It can work, ecspecially if you have something in common with those you call. Wave signs. It's easy enough.
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Callers link candidate to Hamas, imply he is a Muslim in calls
Guardian (UK) Oct 3, 08 12:15 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The ugly tactic of “push polling” has resurfaced in key swing states, as fake pollsters seek to influence voters with scam questions that present an unfavorable view of Barack Obama, the Guardian reports. On one call, a Jewish voter in Pennsylvania says, she was asked if she would vote for Obama if she knew he was supported by the militant organization Hamas. "It is scare tactics," she said. "It is terribly underhand."
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Buddhist movement gets bolder; some suggest stockpiling weapons
Christian Science Monitor Sep 20, 08 6:41 AM CDT
(Newser)
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After seeing nonviolent protesters killed or detained in last year’s protests against the ruling junta, younger segments of Burma’s Buddhist monks are becoming more radical, embracing armed resistance and overt dissent, the Christian Science Monitor reports. "We need weapons,” one young monk said. “That is the only way we can bring down this regime."
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Speedskater Joey Cheek leads team for peace in Sudan
Boston Globe Aug 6, 08 8:56 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Hours before he was due to leave for Beijing today, US gold-medalist and Darfur activist Joey Cheek got a call from Chinese authorities revoking his visa, the Boston Globe reports. A retired speedskater, Cheek is the founder of Team Darfur, a global group of athletes devoted to bringing peace to the area of Sudan torn by violence. He was headed to China as a human rights activist.
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Activists with a plan will be rewarded with seats at Dem's acceptance speech
Denver Post Jul 24, 08 8:36 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Barack Obama wants you to help fill Denver’s Invesco Field for his coronation at the Democratic convention—but you’ll have to work for it, the Denver Post reports. A campaign official says would-be spectators will have to outline a plan for activism before and after the Aug. 28 event; tickets will then be awarded to as many as 60,000 supporters who will be expected to draw more converts by November.
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Sustainable agriculture group heads queue for new phone release
CNET Jul 8, 08 2:32 PM CDT
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The countdown is on ahead of Friday's release of the iPhone 3G, and a handful of buyers are waiting outside Apple's flagship New York store. But they’re not diehard fans—they’re activists hoping to promote sustainable agriculture by breaking a world record. The Waiting for Apples group queued up July 4, beating a couple of other would-be first-in-liners, reports CNet.
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Creators take aim at education in the gaming industry
Washington Post Jun 22, 08 5:13 AM CDT
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A small group of educators and activists is championing the use of video games for more than just entertainment, the Washington Post reports. “I don't think games have to be fun,” one key organizer said. “I think games have to be engaging.” New titles in the so-called serious game genre focus not only on subjects such as Darfur, the US justice system, and the environment, but also on the more practical, like training Canon employees to service copiers.
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Political crackdowns especially harsh in Egypt, Iran and China
Ars Technica Jun 16, 08 10:49 AM CDT
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The number of blogging "citizen journalists" arrested worldwide in political crackdowns tripled in 2007 from the previous year, Ars Technica reports. Over half of last year's 36 arrests occurred in Egypt, Iran, and China, according to a new survey, which sorted arrests into six categories, most related to stirring up political controversy.
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Opinion
The US is dividing into like-minded enclaves
Los Angeles Times May 26, 08 9:46 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The good news? Apathy is on the decline. The bad news? The new political activism is tearing the country apart, writes Gregory Rodriguez in the Los Angeles Times, with political divides turning into geographic ones, too. The country is segregating itself according to politics, moving to areas full of like-minded people. In 1976, only 38% of counties saw partisan landslides of 20% or more; in 2004, 60% did.
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Former senator has surprisingly little clout
in home state
Politico May 4, 08 6:16 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Why has John Edwards maintained silence as the precarious Democratic contest heads to his home state of North Carolina? Could be, Politico posits, because he knows he has little sway there. According to insiders, the state, which holds its primary Tuesday, knew the senator only fleetingly before he leapt to the national stage, and though Democrats are proud of this native son's "political comet," an endorsement “would carry no weight.”
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Men indicted on 51 counts in genocide remain at large
BBC Apr 25, 08 5:50 PM CDT
(Newser)
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A humanitarian group is using Facebook to search for two war criminals involved with genocide in Darfur, the BBC reports. The War Crimes Watch List issued an open call on the social network for sightings of Ahmed Haroun and Ali Muhammad Ali Abd al-Rahman, who face 51 counts of crimes against humanity for allegedly planning atrocities by Janjaweed militias.
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Pro- and anti-war groups plan protests
San Francisco Chronicle Feb 12, 08 4:42 PM CST
(Newser)
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Berkeley is getting a little of its ‘60s vibe back, with pro- and anti-war groups gearing up for a night of demonstrations as the City Council decides whether to revoke a letter critical of the Marine Corps, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The council’s letter, written 2 weeks ago, demands that the Marines abandon their recruiting post near the UC Berkeley campus.
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Wants local 'captains' to create a personal bond over next candidate
New York Observer Aug 22, 07 8:29 PM CDT
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Michael Dukakis compares today’s political climate to the time of his own downfall in 1988, when George Bush Sr. overcame a 17-point deficit and whipped him 426-to-112 in the electoral college. Refusing to feel comfortable with the Dems’ advantage, Dukakis told the New York Observer that "We have to organize every damn precinct in the United States of America. I'm serious. Deadly serious.”
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