Feature Archives

On November 8th, Michael Mukasey was confirmed as attorney general by the full US Senate in a 53 to 40 vote. The Democrats who voted in support of Mukasey were Feinstein, Schumer, Bayh, Carper, Landrieu and Nelson. All four Democratic senators who are running for president did not vote. Before Feinstein came out for Mukasey, he appeared to be unable to get enough votes to get out of committee due to his refusal to declare water-boarding a form of torture. Several protests against Mukasey have taken place in San Francisco.

The fourth Beach Impeach action was held on Sunday, October 7th, in a new location- the Berkeley Marina. Up to 1000 people participated, including such notables as Cindy Sheehan, Cynthia McKinney, Berkeley City Councilmember Kriss Worthington, and former Berkeley Mayoral Candidate Zachary Running Wolf. The Beach Impeach action was held on the last day of Fleet Week in San Francisco. After Beach Impeach 4, CodePink led a march from Cesar Chavez Park and up University Ave to a Marine Officer Recruiting Station to say, "NO Military Predators in OUR Town!"

Helping Our Peninsula's Environment (HOPE), an organization dedicated to protecting the natural environment, sued the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) because they violated California's Environmental Quality Act. CDFA refused to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) claiming they are exempt because it is an emergency. CDFA plans to aerially re-spray the Monterey Peninsula with Suterra's Checkmate pesticide (a moth pheromone) starting October 9th.

The San Francisco Mime Troupe performed Making a Killing, Building A New Iraq on September 23rd, but the topic of questionable government contracting reaches all the way from Afghanistan to Santa Cruz, in the form of city contractor Camp Dresser Mckee.

On September 11th, 2007 Robert Norse was prepared to present a speech to the community and City Council of Santa Cruz during the Oral Communications period of the City Council meeting. The first two minutes of the speech was read by Coral Brune. However, Mayor Reilly did not allow Robert Norse to speak during Oral Communications, citing a lack of time, and therefore prevented the full speech from being heard during the City Council meeting.

In San Francisco, Beach Impeach Project #3 will take place on Saturday September 15th. Thousands of people will gather at Crissy Field to spell out the words "IMPEACH NOW!" in 100 foot-tall letters. Versions of this same event attracted 1,000 people in January, and 1,500 in April.

August 26th is Women’s Equality Day. The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. The 2nd Annual California Women's Equality Day Parade and Rally will take place on Saturday, August 25th, beginning at 9:30am at Sacramento's Southside Park, and ending in a rally on the West Steps of the Capitol at 11am. On Thursday, August 30th, Radical Women celebrated Women's Equality Day with an event at New Valencia Hall.