St. Paul, MN – Schools were closed for three days this week as teachers and other educators, who are members of the St. Paul Federation of Educators, went on strike. Each day nearly 100% of the teachers spent from 7 to 11 a.m. on the picket lines in front of their schools, and held large rallies and marches in the afternoons in which thousands of educators, students, family members and community supporters turned out to show that they support the fight for access to good schools and mental health care for all students.
Dow down 10%, largest drop since October 1987 crash
San José, CA – U.S. stocks fell almost 10% Thursday, March 12, the day after President Trump called for a travel ban on Europe. This was the largest drop since the stock market crash of October 1987 and put the broader S&P 500 as well as the tech heavy NASDAQ stock market indices in bear market territory as all three major indices are down more than 20%.
Mass pressure and a mayor’s own greed stall a planned power grab
Chicago, IL – In true Chicago fashion, Mayor Lori Lightfoot had expected to easily ramrod through a police reform bill this week that would have affirmed her grip on power. If passed, the “Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability” ordinance would have left the entire police accountability system in her control, rendering it at the discretion of the executive branch whether to hold itself accountable for abuses of power committed by its police department, rather than giving communities terrorized by police tyranny the power to defend their rights.
Caracas, Venezuela – The Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) labor delegation met today with Tibisay Lucena, president of the CNE (the National Electoral Council) to discuss the upcoming elections. Lucena spoke about this election as very important in the face of U.S aggression and the economic war.
Jacksonville, FL – Over 75 people gathered together to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8 in Jacksonville. The program was held in the union hall of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
Caracas, Venezuela – The Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) labor delegation met with space program officials, March 11, at the Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities. Pictured are Adolfo Godoy, the president of ABAE; Mariano Imbert, the manager of Commercial Development; Salvador Lugo, the vice minister of Science and Technology, along with members of the FRSO delegation.
St. Paul, MN – Saint Paul educators are on strike, March 10. Their demands include multilingual staff, mental health supports for students, and special education services.
Tallahassee, FL – In honor of International Women’s Day, Tallahassee residents attended a panel discussion on the origins and impacts of the socialist holiday.
Caracas, Venezuela – Over 600,000 people took to the streets in Caracas, March 10, marching to support President Maduro and the Bolivarian government. The small opposition called for a march on the Presidential Palace Miraflores and held small rallies in the wealthy neighborhoods. However, huge masses of people in central Caracas marched through several working-class neighborhoods to counter the opposition's call. The gigantic march went as far as the eye could see. There were banners, trucks and music. People were chanting, singing and dancing.
Milwaukee, WI – On the evening of March 6, Wisconsin Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) hosted a celebration of International Women’s Day in Milwaukee. FRSO members were joined by roughly 50 activists and community members at Village Church. The event was titled “Women Rising: A Decade of Revolutionary Struggle.” Event organizers set out to highlight the key role played by women in the social movements over the last ten years as the new decade begins.
Caracas, Venezuela – On March 9, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization labor delegation met with Venezuelan transport sector union leaders. The delegation met to support the struggle of union workers against Trump's sanctions and economic blockade. President Francisco Torrealba of the Venezuelan Transport Workers Federation spoke, “We welcome you to Venezuela and hope to build ties between workers and unions of both countries.” He proudly said, “President Maduro is a member of our union!”
Chicago, IL – 100 people attended the International Women’s Day celebration sponsored by Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) in Chicago. The speakers, as well as the people in the room, were from the Black liberation movement – most notably the Chicago Alliance against Racist and Political Repression – labor unions, and anti-imperialist movements like the Filipino, Palestinian and Puerto Rican liberation movements, as well as electoral candidates and elected officials.
Minneapolis, MN – Worldwide, cases of COVID-19 have broken the 100,000 mark. There are more than 400 cases in the United States, a number that is rising every day. That number is likely much higher, but test kits remain in short supply.
San José, CA – On Friday, March 6, the Labor Department reported that 273,000 new jobs were created in January, driving the unemployment down to 3.5%. But despite this strong job report, U.S. stocks fell again; the broadest S&P 500 was down 50 points or about 1.75%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which is made up of 30 large companies, fell less than 1% as investors may have felt larger companies are safer havens. But the real flight was to bonds, with the ten-year U.S. Treasury Bond interest rate falling to another record low of 0.75%.
Los Angeles, CA – The Boyle Heights group Centro Community Service Organization (Centro CSO) will host Día Internacional de la Mujer, International Women’s Day, Saturday, March 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Benjamin Franklin Library. CSO aims to honor and represent local women who are working for LGBT rights, fighting for socialism, defending public education, resisting police terror and brutality, and ending deportations.
