Feature Archives

Utah Phillips, a seminal figure in American folk music who performed extensively and tirelessly for audiences on two continents for 38 years, died Friday of congestive heart failure in Nevada City, California a small town in the Sierra Nevada mountains where he lived for the last 21 years with his wife, Joanna Robinson, a freelance editor.

A U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of California has ruled that the City of Fresno's practice of immediately seizing and destroying the personal possessions of homeless residents violates the constitutional right of every person to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.

On May 8th, Eric McDavid was sentenced to 235 months. He was convicted in February of 2008 of "conspiracy to damage or destroy government property by means of fire or explosives." The "conspiracy" was fabricated by "Anna," an FBI informant who was paid over $65,000 to entrap him. Now that the sentencing is over, Eric will be able to start the appeals process. In the near future, Eric will likely be sent to a federal facility recommended to be close to his family. His supporters are hopeful that the move will bring many improvements in his overall standard of living.

Modesto Anarcho writes, "The central valley's journal of insurrectionary class struggle, Modesto Anarcho, is happy to announce the publication of it's seventh issue. In this issue you'll find articles on crime in the valley, indigenous resistance at D-Q University in Davis, the rise of taser gun use by local police, poetry, direct action and repression reports, and much more!"

The Runner Initiative, or "Safe Neighborhood Act," takes aim on gangs and crime by pumping billions of non-existent state dollars into prisons and police. Opponents say more resources should go to education, job training, and community-based crime prevention programs. The author of the initiative, "Three Strikes and You're Out" Mike Reynolds, turned in over 700,000 signatures on April 24 to get the proposal on the November 2008 ballot.

The Runner Initiative (the Safe Neighborhood Act) takes aim on gangs and crime. Opponents say more resources should go to education, job training, and community-based crime prevention programs. The author of the initiative (Three Strikes and Your Out) Mike Reynolds, turned in over 700,000 signatures on April 24 to get the proposal on the November 2008 ballot.

On April 17th, community supporters and student activists at D-Q University received letters from the Yolo County District Attorney that informed them that the charges against the 18 arrested on campus on March 31, 2008 have been dropped. D-Q University is California’s only Tribal College and was founded in 1971 by Native American and Chicano activists. Friends of D-Q U will continue to demand justice for the three students arrested on February 20, 2008 on campus, as well as the two who were arrested as they slept next to the sweat lodge on ceremonial grounds on April 2, 2008. D-Q U's ASB and supporters are demanding an end to the harassment against the students by the Board of Trustees, the Yolo County Sheriffs Department and the Yolo County Board of Supervisors by writing letters to local and national officials.