Tidbits - News Bits and Pieces - January 27, 2011

* Cuba Travel Opens Up with End of Federal Ban, University 
  of Iowa Plans Resumption of Programs
* Prominent Rabbis to Place Ad Against Beck, Fox in Wall 
  Street Journal
* Online Calculator Estimates Retirement Income, Showing
  Importance of Social Security
* Job Notice - Democratic Socialists of America
* Celebrating Angela Davis' Birthday, And Four Decades of
  Hard Work
* Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes
  War Resisters League Analyzes the Federal Fiscal Year 2011
  Budget
* Brisenia Flores, Another Nine-Year-Old Girl, Was Shot and
  Killed in Arizona

==========

* Cuba Travel Opens Up with End of Federal Ban, University of Iowa Plans Resumption of Programs

Federal ban lifted, UI hopes to open study abroad in Cuba

By Nina Earnest 

The Daily Iowan

January 24, 2011 7:10 AM

http://www.dailyiowan.com/2011/01/24/Metro/20821.html

University of Iowa students could soon have the chance to
study abroad in once off-limits Cuba because of recent
federal policy changes.

President Obama's administration lifted restrictions on
study abroad programs to Cuba on Jan. 14, overturning limits
put in place by then-President George W. Bush in 2004.

Janis Perkins, the UI Study Abroad director, said studying
in Cuba as a student lets young people visit a nation that
is difficult to access after graduation.

"You can go as a student, but Cuba is not being opened up
just for vacations and tourism yet," she said.

The UI discontinued its 2003 Afro-Cuban drum and dance
workshop in Cuba, but now, the Study Abroad Office is
looking into creating new programs.

Read full story at:
http://www.dailyiowan.com/2011/01/24/Metro/20821.html

==========

* Prominent Rabbis to Place Ad Against Beck, Fox in Wall
Street Journal

Prominent Rabbis to Place Ad Against Beck, Ailes, in
Murdoch-Owned WSJ

AlterNet
January 27, 2011

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/451581/prominent_rabbis_to_place_ad_against_beck,_ailes,_in_murdoch-owned_wsj/

A group of hundreds of rabbis, from all the major
denominations of religious Judaism, have had enough of the
constant cry of "Nazis" from creepy Glenn Beck, whose recent
programs have veered dangerously close to Anti-Semitism.
Recently, he made particularly disgusting comments about
George Soros, who survived the Holocaust as a child by
hiding with a non-Jewish family. They're also none too
pleased with Fox News chief Roger Ailes for his dismissive
dig at "left-wing rabbis" who objected to Beck.

So they're going straight to the boss, Rupert Murdoch, by
placing a massive full-page ad criticizing Beck's words in
the Murdoch-owned WSJ. The ad will run on Thursday, which is
Holocaust Remembrance Day. Some of its text follows:

    "We share a belief that the Holocaust, of course, can
    and should be discussed appropriately in the media. But
    that is not what we have seen at Fox News,"

    "... It is not appropriate to accuse a 14-year-old Jew
    hiding with a Christian family in Nazi-occupied Hungary
    of sending his people to death camps...It is not
    appropriate to call executives of another news agency
    'Nazis.'  And it is not appropriate to make literally
    hundreds of on-air references to the Holocaust and Nazis
    when characterizing people with whom you disagree."

    "...We respectfully request that Glenn Beck be
    sanctioned by Fox News for his completely unacceptable
    attacks on a survivor of the Holocaust and that Roger
    Ailes apologize for his dismissive remarks about rabbis'
    sensitivity to how the Holocaust is used on the air."

Ailes has also been overly loose with the word "Nazis"
himself, using it to characterize NPR for firing Juan
Williams. The ad, signed by prominent members of the
Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist
movements, will also run in the Jewish Daily Forward
newspaper.

Read the full story at The Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/26/AR2011012607540.html

==========

* Online Calculator Estimates Retirement Income, Showing
Importance of Social Security

Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)
http://www.cepr.net/calculators/calc_socialsecurity.html

In his State of the Union address, President Obama insisted
on the need to protect Social Security and ensure that
future generations can depend on it. Nevertheless, it
appears that some in Congress are considering major changes
to the program. Unfortunately, many people do not understand
the program's solvency or the likely importance that it will
have for them in retirement. To better inform the public
about the role Social Security will play in their
retirement, an online calculator that estimates a family's
monthly income during retirement was released today by the
Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR). <
http://www.cepr.net/calculators/calc_socialsecurity.html>

The CEPR Social Security Calculator helps users get a better
picture of how much of their retirement income will come
from Social Security benefits and allows them to compare
this to other households in their county with similar
demographics. The calculator lets users enter their planned
date of retirement, current income, estimated mortgage debt,
savings, stocks and pension to calculate their future
household retirement income. Users can also enter
demographic information such as age, race, and marital
status and compare their total retirement income to similar
households in their area. The data used in the calculator is
drawn from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey
(ACS).

==========

* Job Notice
Democratic Socialists of America

http://www.dsausa.org/NewsFromDSA/2011/10jan2011.htm

DSA National Director

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the largest
socialist organization in the US, and the sole U.S.
affiliate of the global Socialist International, seeks a
National Director.  Chief duties include overseeing day-to-
day operations, supervising staff, and developing political
program and strategy for DSA and its coalition activities.
The Director also works on membership development and
recruitment and is responsible for organizing quarterly
meetings of DSA's elected leadership and the organization's
biennial conventions. In addition, the Director aids a
volunteer editorial board in publishing DSA's quarterly
magazine, Democratic Left.  The Director also works closely
with the leadership of DSA's over twenty active locals and
with our campus-based affiliate, the Young Democratic
Socialists of America.

The Democratic Socialists of America is an activist
political organization (501c4) of geographically-based
locals, campus chapters, and issue-oriented commissions. The
organization strives to build political and intellectual
space for democratic socialism in the U.S. The National
Director works out of DSA's national office in New York City
and travels throughout the United States to speak at left-
liberal gatherings, to new and established DSA locals, and
to progressive and labor-oriented organizations interested
in collaborating with democratic socialists.

The position requires strong organizing, management, and
interpersonal skills in addition to knowledge of socialist
thought and vision and contemporary politics. Fundraising
ability is essential, as is working within the budget
constraints faced by an organization that is obviously
limited in its ability to raise funds from pro-corporate
sources. Strong candidates should have the written and oral
communication skills needed to represent DSA to the public
and mass media. Familiarity with the management of non-
profit educational foundations and PACs, as well as with
direct mail operations, is a plus, but not a necessity.

This position is an excellent opportunity to enhance one's
leadership experience through holding a prominent position
in a growing national political organization. Salary and
benefits are negotiable, based on skill-level and
experience, but are in the range of those offered by
progressive, membership-based non-profits.

Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application deadline is March 1, 2011.

Applicants should send a cover letter, resume, and the names
of three references to:

[log in to unmask]

Applicants should please put "National Director Application"
in the subject line.

[submitted to Portside by Maria Svart]

==========

* Celebrating Angela Davis' Birthday, And Four Decades of
Hard Work

by Hatty Lee

ColorLines
January 27, 2011

http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/01/celebrating_angela_davis.html

On January 26, Angela Davis celebrated her 67th birthday. A
political activist, scholar and author, Davis was a leader
in the fight for social  justice starting in the '60s and
continuing on into the present day. She was part of the
Communist Party, the Civil Rights movement and allied
closely with the Black Panther Party. She's also founder of
Critical Resistance, a national coalition that works toward
to end abuse and reliance on prisons. In 1970 Davis captured
the nation's attention when she was put on the FBI's Most
Wanted Fugitive List on bogus kidnapping and murder charges.
She was arrested after two months on the run, and it's
generally accepted that her great political presence grew
out supporters in "Free Angela Davis" rallies.

Now a retired UC Santa Cruz professor, she continues to
lecture at various universities and work tirelessly for
prison reform and abolition. Her years of dedication have
made her an iconic figure, and have inspired artists to
dedicate their work to her. Check out some Angela Davis
moments below.

==========

* Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes
  War Resisters League Analyzes the Federal Fiscal Year 2011
  Budget

http://www.warresisters.org/federalpiechart

The War Resisters League's famous "pie chart" flyer analyzes
the Federal Fiscal Year 2011 Budget (released in February
2010). Perfect for Tax Day!

Each year, War Resisters League analyzes federal funds
outlays as presented in detailed tables in "Analytical
Perspectives" of the Budget of the United States Government.
Our analysis is based on federal funds, which do not include
trust funds -- such as Social Security -- that are raised
separately from income taxes for specific purposes...

[The War Resisters League spends a lot of time, energy and
money to create this resource. Please credit when using. For
permissions to reprint, email us at [log in to unmask]]

Download the new Pie Chart Flyer in color (pdf)
<http://www.warresisters.org/files/FY2011piechart.pdf>

Download the new Pie Chart Flyer in black & white (pdf)
http://www.warresisters.org/sites/default/files/fy2011piecha
rtBW.pdf

Download the new Pie Chart Flyer in Spanish (pdf)
http://www.warresisters.org/sites/default/files/espanolFY11.pdf

==========

* Brisenia Flores, Another Nine-Year-Old Girl, Was Shot and
Killed in Arizona

By Joe Coscarelli

The Village Voice Blogs

January 24, 2011

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/01/brisenia_flores.php

Brisenia Flores, 9, was killed on May 30, 2009, when a group
led by anti-immigration fighter Shawna Forde raided the
girl's family home in the border town of Arivaca, Arizona.
Allegedly, the attack was organized in the name of the
Minutemen, a crew of vigilante border patrols, who hoped to
steal money and drugs to fund their revolution against
immigration. The Flores household was attacked mistakenly,
for they had no drugs or money, but according to reports,
Forde and her cronies commenced to shoot Brisenia's father
in the head, killing him, before wounding her mother and
eventually, shooting Brisenia in cold blood. Minutemen
honcho Shawna Forde's trial is set to open this week. But
why has this story not been more thoroughly covered by the
media in the meantime?

Opening arguments began on Friday, according to a detailed
report in The Daily Beast, which provides ugly, but
necessary education on a trial many have been unaware of
altogether. Also noted in the article is the similarity it
bears to a recent national tragedy:

    Adding another layer of heartache to the proceedings,
    the trial is taking place in Tucson, a city still
    grieving over the recent massacre that left six dead and
    13 wounded, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

    During a hearing last week, Forde's lawyer noted
    similarities in the two tragedies: the slaughter of two
    9-year-old girls (Christina-Taylor Green, in the Tucson
    rampage), accusations that the alleged killers had ties
    to right-wing extremists, and the involvement of the
    outspoken Pima County sheriff, Clarence Dupnik. Forde's
    trial in Pima County Superior Court, in fact, was
    briefly postponed as a result of the Tucson killings.
    
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-01-20/in-giffords-shadow-trial-of-arizona-minuteman-accused-of-killing-girl-begins/?om_rid=JEVOc0&om_mid=_BNOYqjB8Xi9sge

Forde is facing first-degree murder charges, but claims she
was not at the scene of the crime. Perhaps the dovetailing
of this tragedy with the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords and
Christina Taylor Green will bring a sad spotlight to the
trial nationwide.

But the blog Crooks and Liars posits that Flores' killing is
being under-covered in the media because it does not fit
with the narrative of the Minutemen as something of a
"neighborhood watch" Then, of course, there's the sticky
subject of race: victims of color, eternally under-
represented, especially on cable news.

    We're also looking forward to perhaps finally seeing
    some coverage of the case in the mainstream media --
    perhaps even Fox News, which has been assiduous in
    refusing to do so. I have to admit I'm baffled that, in
    a cable-TV business that prizes riveting audio snippets,
    it's gotten so little attention elsewhere.

The audio clip in question is the chilling 911 call of
Flores' wounded mother. Listen here,
http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/shawna-forde-trial-will-mainstream-m
and if nothing else, follow the trial here.
http://www.google.com/search?q=Shawna+Forde&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=sC3&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivnsulfdo&source=lnms&tbs=nws:1&ei=YYc9TfcCx9SBB5LpnPMI&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=4&ved=0CBUQ_AUoAw

==========

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