1 in 30 U.S. Children are Homeless
A new report finds the number of homeless children in the United States surged 8 percent last year to a record high of 2.5 million. That means one in 30 children in the United States are homeless. The National Center on Family Homelessness says the crisis has reached “epidemic proportions,” fueled by factors like racial inequality, domestic violence and a lack of affordable housing.
40,000 March Against Austerity on 41st Anniversary of Student Uprising
In Athens, tens of thousands of people marched to oppose austerity and commemorate the 41st anniversary of the student uprising against Greece’s military dictatorship. The demonstrators, policed by some 7,000 officers, marched on the U.S. Embassy to protest U.S. backing for the dictatorship, which lasted from 1967 to 1974.
University of California Students Stage Walkouts, Occupations over Tuition Hike
State university students across California have staged a mass campus walkout as part of ongoing protests over tuition hikes. At UC Berkeley, students have occupied Wheeler Hall since last week when the UC Board of Regents approved plans to raise tuition by up to five percent annually over the next five years. Students have occupied other buildings across the UC system, from Santa Cruz to San Diego.
Gap Between Rich and Poor Hits New High
The gap between rich and poor in the United States has reached a new high. A new report by the Pew Research Center finds the gulf between rich families and middle- and low-income families is the largest it has been in 30 years of data collection. Pew found that while affluent families became wealthier from 2010 to 2013, middle-income families stayed the same, while poor families got poorer.
James Risen Refuses to Discuss Source in Court Appearance
New York Times investigative reporter James Risen has appeared in court and refused to answer questions about an alleged source. Monday’s hearing in Virginia took place ahead of the trial of former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling, who is accused of giving Risen classified information which revealed a botched CIA plot to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program. Risen has waged a seven-year legal battle against the Obama administration’s attempts to subpoena him and force him to reveal his source. It is unclear if Risen will be forced to testify at Sterling’s trial. Risen’s hearing comes as the administration has backed off on a threat to subpoena another journalist, 60 Minutes producer Richard Bonin, at a trial over bombings by al-Qaeda. The New York Times reports the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, Preet Bharara, has withdrawn his recommendation to subpoena Bonin over his interactions with al-Qaeda’s press office in 1998.
[There is no other administration who is torturing journalists and whistle blowers these much. It may not be coincidence that most of ISIS killed foreigners are journalists.]