POTUS SOTU--A WIR Extra Now Online

You can read this new Week In Review Extra about the State of the Union Address here

January 31 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Toyota Labor Union Seeks Increase in Salary Amid Profit Surge
SugarHouse contracts radical anti-union consultant
In diplomatic shift, Europe seeks improved ties with Cuba
White House releases plan to make Arctic shipping safer
Methane Rising As Funding Cuts Threaten Monitoring Network
13,000 Las Vegas Casino/Hotel Workers Ratify New Pact
Snowden revelations of NSA spying on Copenhagen climate talks spark anger
Missouri mine shines spotlight on global battle for rare-earth metals
How much has BC government spent fighting teachers' union?
UNB and striking faculty reach tentative agreement
Nurses union, Capital Health deadlocked in talks
Its Great Lake Shriveled, Iran Confronts Crisis of Water Supply *
District Apologizes After Taking Student Lunches *

January 30 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Obama’s failure to mention water crisis disappoints West Virginians
Showering in Formaldehyde? Fresh Fears in West Virginia

Protests across North America Aim to Block 'NAFTA on Steroids'
Seattle's Socialist City Councilor Offers Radical Response to Obama Speech
Egypt denies Al Jazeera journalist's appeal
Don’t Let USPS Hit ‘Easy Button’ to Privatization
Giant Hospital Chain Fires Nurse Leaders
Unionization in Turkey still below 10 percent
Post Brothers told not to remove union signs
Groups working on organizing Southern workers
Outsiders, Not Auto Plant, Battle UAW in Tennessee *
The anti-fracking activist barred from 312.5 sq miles of Pennsylvania
Keystone XL report by U.S. expected to be positive
Teachers oppose Va. bill challenging mainstream science
Migration of Monarch Butterflies Shrinks Again *
Industry in North Dakota to Cut Flared Natural Gas *
Four Airlines Are Told to Raise Some Wages by $1 an Hour *

January 29 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Highlights of Obama's State of the Union address
Kshama Sawant Responds to Obama's State of the Union Address
Highlights From Obama's State of the Union Address *

Pete Seeger’s Life Showed Music and Activism Make Good Duo
Pete Seeger had profound impact on labor movement
For Seeger, Years of Singing and Sailing to Save His Hudson River *

UN warns climate change is drowning Senegal
Newark Teachers Battle Governor’s School Privatization Agenda
Unions Sue Illinois Government for 'Pension Theft'
W. Virginia chemical leak scope grows
Time to retire fears over aging populations
Austerity U: Preparing Students for Precarious Lives
Labor unions pack Pa. Capitol over paycheck bill
Busy time for labor unions at University of Vermont
Horizon Plastics and union settle labor dispute
Antibiotics allowed in feed despite risk
Great Lakes under the largest cover of ice in decades
Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize
Wind Turbine Maker to Close Western Pa. Plant *

January 28 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Pete Seeger dies aged 94
Champion of Folk Music and Social Change *

Union share of workforce unchanged in 2013
Scientist sues climate change deniers for libel
NSA combs 'leaky' phone apps for data
Injunction issued against Ohio CHS hospital in labor negotiations
Help Stop Latest 'Free Trade' Attack, UE National Board Urges Members
B.C. fined $2-million for lack of good faith in talks with teachers
Obama hiking minimum pay for new federal contracts
NDP wants House vote on Canada Post's planned delivery cuts
Firefighters, city at odds over proposed budget cuts
New US farm bill proposal expected to contain $9bn cut to food stamps
Job Aid Zones Face a New Test in Coal Country *

January 28 Week In Review Now Online

You can view the new WIR by clicking here

January 27 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Keystone XL Pipeline Fight Lifts Environmental Movement *
One-Day Strikes Yield Union in D.C.
Elk River: Poisoned for profit
US coal exports leave cloud over Louisiana
Union vote fails
Cafeteria workers’ union vows to take it to next level
California's union membership dips to 16.4 percent of workers
Walmart lays off 2,300 in cost-cutting move
U.S. Oil Production Keeps Rising Beyond the Forecasts *
Manitoba pipeline explosion cuts heat to 4,000 amid extreme cold
Ireland urged to free ill peace activist
Accidents Surge as Oil Industry Uses Trains for Transport *
Beijing’s Bad Air Would Be Step Up for Smoggy Delhi *
W.Va. Company Ordered to Remove Tanks After Spill *
Hundreds rally in Ottawa against proposed Canada Post changes
Transport of Alberta tarsands products risky, U.S. study warns
2nd CN train derailment in New Brunswick in 3 weeks
Proposal to Raise Tip Wages Resisted *

January 24 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Skills Gap a Convenient Myth
Al Jazeera journalists languish in jail
Solar power at a crossroads
Greenbrier RNs Step up Campaign for Patient Safety
YRCW Voting Rules Changed
WVU Hospital Union Worker's Contract Extension Granted
Are Union-Free Strikes Protected?
DeLauro, unions fight trade deal
L’Isle-Verte seniors' residence fire haunts survivors, families
US hints at Edward Snowden plea bargain
Fear of home seizure fueling new Medicaid concerns
Hospital Chain Said to Scheme to Inflate Bills *
On Moroccan Hill, Villagers Make Stand Against a Mine *
Missouri Obstructing Health Law, Judge Rules *

January 23 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

The new revolutionaries: Climate scientists demand radical change
‘Scientists must not remain on the sidelines’

EU Climate Plan Betrays Planet, Justice, and Science: Critics
Europe, Facing Economic Pain, May Ease Climate Rules *

South African strike hits world's top platinum producers
Pentagon Contract Workers Strike for Living Wage
Greece's anti-austerity Syriza party widens lead over conservatives
Second chemical leaked into W.Va. water
Alaska is warmer than Lower 48
More Crude Spilled in 2013 Than Previous Four Decades Combined
At Davos, worries of inequality and unrest
Moral Mondays Expanded in North Carolina Feb. 8 'Moral March on Raleigh'
Baystate Franklin Medical Center RNs File Complaint
French Workers at Threatened Plant Sign Payoff Deal With Goodyear
Jackson hospital reaches deal with unions to restore workers’ pay
Angry protesters force First Nations leader off university stage

January 22 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Former Union Official Mounts Historic Challenge
Boeing machinist campaigns to replace national union leaders

Workers seek to recover body, find collapse cause
Changes for Obama climate goals do not need congressional OK
Unions gear up for new battle over trade
Huge Basque march advances struggle for peace, national rights
W. Virginia lawmakers mull chemical controls
Louisiana Court Rules 7,000 Teachers Were Wrongfully Terminated
Labor Takes Stride Forward as Walmart Joins Fair Food Program
Snowden denies Russian role in leaks
Oil to start flowing in southern leg of Keystone pipeline
Oil spills on U.S. railways in 2013 topped total since 1975
Food Banks Anticipate Impact of Cuts to Food Stamps *
States Cutting Weeks of Aid to the Jobless *
Justices Appear Divided on a Sweeping Challenge to Public Workers’ Unions *

January 21 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

World's 85 richest control nearly half the global wealth
2 deaths confirmed in Omaha plant explosion
Kellogg's Delivers Memphis a Slap in the Face
7000 New Orleans Teachers Laid Off After Katrina Win Court Ruling
Thunder Bay transit workers ratify new deal
W.Va. chemical spill poses test for lawmakers
Northern Gateway pipeline report draws lawsuit
MM&A assets going up for sale nearly 7 months after Lac-Mégantic disaster
After W.Va. spill, new owner files for bankruptcy
Severe Drought Grows Worse in California *
Era of Cheap Apparel May Be Ending for U.S. *
Extreme El Niños Could Hit Twice As Often
Patients’ Costs Skyrocket; Specialists’ Incomes Soar *
Rules for Equal Coverage by Employers Remain Elusive Under Health Law *
Remembering Amiri Baraka With Politics and Poetry *
Unions brace for Supreme Court ruling
Neil Young concert tour surpasses anti-tarsands fund goal
Alberta Clipper pipeline restarted after oil spill south of Regina
CO2 emissions are being 'outsourced' by rich countries
Proposed Abortion Restrictions in Spain Face Backlash *
Crowded Out of Ivory Tower, Adjuncts See a Life Less Lofty *
Donations Needed to Restore the Mother Jones Monument
YRC Teamsters to Vote Next Weekend
China pollution wafting across Pacific to blanket US
Some green extremists 'close to Trotskyites,' says Lord Deben
32 Arrests at Rally for Airport Workers Near La Guardia *

January 20 Week In Review Now Online

You can view the new WIR by clicking here

No News Monday

We will observe the Martin Luther King Jr Holiday Monday. Next News Update will be Tuesday, January 21

January 17 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

U.N. Says Lag in Confronting Climate Woes Will Be Costly *
Act now on climate change – IPCC
Climate groups part ways with Obama on energy
Climate Aids in Study Face Big Obstacles *

Louisiana forests being sacrificed to fuel Europe's biomass boom
Obama's 'Promise Zones' a weak brew of recycled ingredients
Ohio judge dismisses labor union suit against Goodyear
YRC shares rebound as talks restart with Teamsters
Miami-Dade County commission prepares for vote, dispute with unions gets ugly
Newly Unionized Workers Accuse New Canaan Of Wrongful Termination
Advocates for Workers Raise the Ire of Business *
Heinz, union reach closure agreement in Leamington
NSA collects millions of text messages daily in 'untargeted' global sweep
Staples’ selling postal products stirs fears of privatization

January 16 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Lack of trickle-down in West Virginia leaves poorest high and dry
Company in W.Va. chemical spill cited at 2nd site

Europe to Ditch Climate Protection Goals
Musicians prepare to return to Minnesota Orchestra
Charter school teachers vote to join Education Minnesota
Portland Students Pack School Board Meeting, Back Teachers Union
Remote Alaska fishing town braces for Arctic oil development
Temperatures set for new highs at Australian Open
Gov't charges Wal-Mart with labor violations
Portland reaches tentative agreement with union group
Italy's Growing Toxic Waste Scandal
Sears Canada to cut 1,600 call centre, warehouse jobs
Neil Young: 5 facts about the First Nation he's singing for
Plaster Rock derailment cleanup shrouded in secrecy
New York City to Pay $18 Million Over Convention Arrests *
J.C. Penney to Close 33 Stores and Cut 2,000 Jobs *
Workers at an Amazon Warehouse Reject Forming a Union *

January 15 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Greater Profits Through Food Stamps: Taxpayers Subsidize GE’s 'Competitive Wage'
Final BART union approves labor contract
Union ads seek to publicize L.A. workers making less than $15 an hour
A labor union’s crash landing
Palo Alto calls impasse in union talks
S.Africa's AMCU union threatens platinum sector strike
Fire at Chinese shoe factory kills 16
Judge rejects NFL concussion deal
Court rejects FCC 'net neutrality'
NSA activities 'appear illegal'
UK defeats European bid for fracking regulations
Lax regulation, little enforcement preceded West Virginia spill
U.S. judge rules that Okla. same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional
NSA Devises Radio Pathway Into Computers *
Snowden to Join Board of the Freedom of the Press Foundation *
Minnesota Orchestra Contract Ends Long Lockout *
Administration Is Seen as Retreating on Environment in Talks on Pacific Trade *

January 14 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Maximum energy at Seattle rally to push for $15 minimum wage
US carbon emissions rise 2%
Medical Price Gouging and Waste Are Skyrocketing
GE’s Toxic Legacy to Fort Edward and New York
‘Moral Monday’ Protests Spread Out of North Carolina
One-third of U.S. women live in or near poverty
The Flood Next Time *
In West Virginia, coal mining has long played a part in water pollution
Steel mill’s expansion leaves St. Paul Pipefitters out in the cold
L.A. Teachers Run on a Bigger Vision
Environmentalists urge Hansen to rethink nuclear
The new revolutionaries: Climate scientists demand radical change
Supreme Court Sides With 'Notorious Patent Bully Monsanto'
After $48M deal, UK could see surge in fracking
Ken Hall Rams Through UPS Freight Contract
Lawmakers unveil $1.1T spending bill
Australia braces for fire danger as heatwave hits
Sub-zero warehouse temperatures spur Indiana work stoppage
Cambodia’s Government Cracks Down On Union Protests
Tyson workers in Dakota City approve new contract
Thunder Bay Transit workers can legally strike on Monday
Russia expels US journalist David Satter without explanation
Supreme Court case could affect hundreds of NLRB cases
North California drought threatens farms, food supply
Neil Young tours to raise money for First Nations tar sands battle
Health care sign-ups lack the young, healthy
Foundations commit to save Detroit art
Calls for Oversight in West Virginia Went Unheeded *
Supreme Court Won’t Hear Arizona Appeal on Abortion Ban *
Texas School District Closed Amid Water Dispute *
Poverty and Inequality, in Charts *

January 13 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Critics Say Chemical Spill Highlights Lax West Virginia Regulations *
West Virginia chemical spill declared federal disaster
Chemical spill brings W.Va. capital to standstill
West Virginia chemical spill triggers nausea and vomiting among residents
Chemical spill a blow to W.Va. capital's economy
W.Va. residents enter fifth day without water

Crude oil shipments, tanker punctures top of agenda at rail talks
Plaster Rock derailment fires out, evacuees going home

Surprisingly weak jobs report puzzles economists
Job numbers fall short of expectations

Franklin McCain, pioneer of the civil rights sit-in movement, dies at 73
Franklin McCain, Who Fought for Rights at All-White Lunch Counter, Dies at 73 *

Florida’s Site Said to Delay Millions in Aid to Jobless *
Train safety inspector positions cut in B.C. Interior
3 CP train cars carrying coal derail in Burnaby, B.C.
Panel Blocks Gas Pipeline in New Jersey Pinelands *
Gold mine stirs hope and anger in shattered Greece
Doctors issue food stamps warning

January 12 Week In Review Now Online

You can view the new WIR by clicking here

January 10 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

West Virginia chemical spill hits water supplies
W.Va. chemical spill declared federal disaster

YRC Union Workers Reject Labor Accord
Retirees, union revive lawsuit to block Detroit health care cuts
Grad Employees Re-Unionize at New York University—First in the Country
Boeing gets concessions from IAM
Fidel Castro, 87, makes rare public appearance
Another Media Platform for the World's Rich and Powerful?
Debt threats: Collectors' extreme, at times illegal, tactics
Missouri's paw-paw French dialect fading into silence
Man accused in Missouri rape case avoids sexual assault charges
To understand Cambodia's labor crackdown, open your closet
Detroit's history of poverty
Labor’s OIG ‘Concerned’ About Safety Agencies’ Resources
Stand with Sangeeta
Bill key to Obama trade push faces Dem opposition
Amiri Baraka, Polarizing Poet and Playwright, Dies *
Other spy watchdogs have ties to oil business
Rail safety needs government enforcement not 'luck,' Mulcair says
Scientists raise red flags over government research cuts
CN derailment probe focuses on problem with car's wheel-axle
Ron Wyden: the future of NSA programs is being determined now

January 9 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

CN derailment near Plaster Rock investigation continues
South Korea Rail Workers Strike against Privatization
America: What it means to be poor
Is Fukushima at risk for another nuclear disaster?
Treatment of medically uninsured Americans shameful
Park Avenue West Tower: Labor union seeks to block construction
Alberta public-sector unions fight province’s new labour bill
Farm bill deal could mean $9B in food stamp cuts
Blast at Japanese chemical plant kills at least 5
Macy’s Plans to Lay Off 2,500, Though Its Holiday Sales Were Up *

January 8 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Murray talks innovation; Sawant raises defiant fist at inauguration
How Seattle Elected a Socialist

Fire burns at CN derailment of crude, propane in Plaster Rock
Deep freeze in eastern US places heavy burden on nation’s homeless
Lessons from 20 Years of NAFTA
Some Hospitals Set Charges at 10 Times their Costs 
Obama Administration Stays Quiet as Boeing Strikes Major Blow to Pensions
Union authorizes labor strike at Indian Point
French Workers Kidnap Goodyear Managers
The Elusive Recovery
German Brown Coal Power Output Hits New High
Pesticide residue found on nearly half of organic produce
Pregnant, and Forced to Stay on Life Support *

January 7 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Seattle's first socialist council member sworn in
Kshama Sawant at Inauguration: 'I Wear the Badge of Socialist with Honor'

Job growth through 2022 in low-wage majority female occupations
Boeing Machinists Narrowly Approve End to Pensions
Water pollution in four states linked to oil and gas drilling
Supreme Court Halts Marriage Equality in Utah
Indian Union Federation Plans Coming Struggles
Tree Island Workers Negotiate Big Reduction in Healthcare Costs
Most dangerous temps in decades push across US
Turkish Airlines to rehire 305 terminated workers
Portland declares impasse in contract talks with District Council
'Over 350 sick' in Japan after eating pesticide-tainted food
The Plight of the Roma: Europe's Unwanted People
Fisheries and Oceans library closings called loss to science
Stephen Harper: 'I'm confident Keystone XL will proceed'
Faulty Websites Confront Needy in Search of Aid *

January 6 News Update--Catch Up After Break

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Boeing Workers Approve 8-Year Contract Extension *
Vote on New Boeing Contract Highlights a Rift in the Machinists’ Union *

In the War on Poverty, a Dogged Adversary *
50 Years Later, War on Poverty Is a Mixed Bag *

How Retirement Systems Vary, Country to Country *
The World Braces for Retirement Crisis *

Alberta First Nation challenges injunction against anti-fracking protests
Koch-backed political network expands its reach
1,600 applicants for 3 dozen dairy plant jobs?
Applying Creativity to a Byproduct of Oil Drilling in North Dakota *
Northern Gateway pipeline project: 6 things to know
We Can Beat The Right And Win The Fight At Canada Post
Warsaw Climate Talks Go Up in Smoke
Environmentalists Question Pipeline Rescue Plan
Postal unions, lawmaker at odds on proposed compromise
South Africa’s Biggest Labor Union Withdraws Support for ANC
Oil industry 'devastating' for Amazon communities
CIA helped Colombia kill rebel leaders
Subtract Teachers, Add Pupils: Math of Today’s Jammed Schools *
Buying Overseas Clothing, U.S. Flouts Its Own Advice *
Amid Steady Deportation, Fear and Worry Multiply Among Immigrants *
The Worst Long-Term Unemployment Crisis Since the Depression
Regina refinery explosion marks 4th fire in 2 years
Washington Judge Strikes Part of Wage Hike Measure *
A Rare Elected Voice for Socialism Pledges to Be Heard in Seattle *
Budget deal’s pension cuts anger veterans
Pollution Rising, Chinese Fear for Soil and Food *
Clothing Brands Sidestep Blame for Safety Lapses *
Loan Monitor Is Accused of Ruthless Tactics on Student Debt *
Warning issued about oil shipped from ND, Mont.
2 newspapers call for clemency for Edward Snowden
Cambodian forces open fire on protesters, at least three dead
Australia swelters after record hot 2013
Alberta facing aboriginal legal onslaught over tarsands in 2014
As Working Poor Become More Common in Britain, So Does Hunger *
Thatcher Considered Using Military During 1984 Miners’ Strike *
From Ore to Nuggets, With Peril *
Seattle Mayor Takes Step to Raise Pay for City Workers *
Oil leak at Hibernia platform on Grand Banks curbs production
India: rescuers search for survivors in collapsed building
Texas anti-abortion law forces women to make tough choices
Airlines brace for new rules restricting pilot flight time
US Dept of Agriculture proposes easing restrictions on GMO seeds