Some recent union gains

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Triangle Free Press is a 16-page monthly tabloid newspaper published in Durham, NC and distributed free in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill NC, as well as selected locations nearby. It is supported by advertising, subscriptions and donations from its readers.

Editors:
DAVE FRUCHTENICHT
LAMONT LILLY
JAN MARTELL
NEAL SHEPHERD
DECK STAPLETON

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Triangle Free Press reports local and global news and opinion that is ignored or under-reported by mainstream corporate media, to provide citizens with the information they need to make informed political decisions.

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All original material copyright 2011 Triangle Free Press. Reprinting for nonprofit purposes is permitted; please credit the source.

Fair Use:
This publication contains some copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This "fair use" material is made available without profit, for educational purposes, in accordance with Title 17 USC Section 107.

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No. 121, September 2011

FRONT PAGE

Next Low-Wage Haven: USA
By Jane Slaughter
Jokes about the U.S. becoming "Europe's Mexico" are commonplace, but now high-priced consultants are pushing the notion in all seriousness.

NC Studies Whether to Allow Hydraulic FracturingResearch and case studies document growing concerns
By Tabitha Vigliotti
NC embarks on a study of potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing for gas and prepares to decide whether to overturn current regulations.

eNVIRONMENT

Keystone Pipeline: Welcome to Bizarro World
By Marianne Lavelle
Leaders promise to reduce carbon emissions, but approve the supersized Keystone oil pipeline to expand the Alberta tar sands project.

Keystone Scamline: Drain America First
By Carl Pope
It has and continues to be sold as a project which will INCREASE supplies of Canadian tar sands oil in the US. In fact, it is designed to REDUCE supplies of tar sands oil available to US customers.

Shell's Arctic Drilling Plan: Another Disaster Waiting to Happen
By Tim Dickinson
The Interior Department has greenlighted Shell’s exploration plans after finding "no evidence" that a potential spill larger than the Exxon Valdez will "significantly affect the quality of the human environment."

China Says Solar Could be as Cheap as Coal by 2015
By Brian Merchant
If the government-linked reports are to be believed, then China's all set to double its solar capacity by the end of the year.

What a Population of 7 Billion People Means for the Planet
By Robert Engleman
With global population expected to surpass 7 billion people this year, the staggering impact on the environment is hard to ignore.

Boom Times For The Recycling Industry
By Amy Standen
Here’s one silver lining to a slow economy: High recycling rates. Americans are wasting far less, and recycling far more.

COMMUNITY

America's Safety Net Has Become a Dragnet
By Barbara Ehrenreich
The most shocking thing I learned from my research on the fate of the working poor in the recession was the extent to which poverty has indeed been criminalized in America.

Progressive Groups Unveil 'Contract for the American Dream'
By Sam Stein
In August, MoveOn.org and Rebuild the Dream announced a campaign to build up a popular movement that could match (if not surpass) the debt reduction crowd in both size and energy.

The Center for Family Life
Tackling Poverty and Social Isolation in Brooklyn with Worker Cooperatives
By Vanessa Bransburg
For many Sunset Park immigrants overcoming a triangle of limitations--limited literacy in English, limited education and limited work history outside of agriculture or trade--makes it very challenging to get jobs that pay a decent wage.

8 Union Victories to Watch -- And Learn From
By Erik Loomis
We always hear that unions are in trouble, but that’s not the whole story.

"Job Creators" Who Won't Hire the Unemployed
By Nathan Birnbaum
Allstate Insurance, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and the University of Arizona are just a few of the companies advertising that they will only hire people who already have jobs.

Staffing Agencies Defend Job Ads Discriminating against the Unemployed
By Lisa Clawson
Huffington Post reporters followed up, calling companies to ask about their discriminatory ads. The result? A whole lot of excuses.

Obama and the Fake Debt Ceiling Crisis
This President Is Really Just Smarter than You Are
By Bruce Dixon
Why won't president Obama stand up and fight for the poor and working people who voted for him in their tens of millions, who have made his career possible?

CONFLICT

Famine Devastates Somalia in the Shadow of US Domination
By Michelle Chen
The United Nations' declaration of famine in Somalia highlighted a desperate need for international assistance, but also exposed how aid money fits into Washington's political arsenal.

America's Disappeared
By Chris Hedges
The only way the rule of law will be restored, if it is restored, is piece by piece, extradition by extradition, trial by trial.

No. 121, September 2011

FRONT PAGE

Next Low-Wage Haven: USA By Jane Slaughter Jokes about the U.S. becoming "Europe's Mexico" are commonplace, but now high-priced consultants are pushing the notion in all seriousness.

NC Studies Whether to Allow Hydraulic FracturingResearch and case studies document growing concerns By Tabitha Vigliotti ﻿NC embarks on a study of potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing for gas and prepares to decide whether to overturn current regulations.

eNVIRONMENT

﻿Keystone Pipeline: Welcome to Bizarro World By Marianne Lavelle Leaders promise to reduce carbon emissions, but approve the supersized Keystone oil pipeline to expand the Alberta tar sands project.

﻿Keystone Scamline: Drain America First By Carl Pope It has and continues to be sold as a project which will INCREASE supplies of Canadian tar sands oil in the US. In fact, it is designed to REDUCE supplies of tar sands oil available to US customers.

Shell's Arctic Drilling Plan: Another Disaster Waiting to Happen By Tim Dickinson The Interior Department has greenlighted Shell’s exploration plans after finding "no evidence" that a potential spill larger than the Exxon Valdez will "significantly affect the quality of the human environment."

﻿China Says Solar Could be as Cheap as Coal by 2015 By Brian Merchant If the government-linked reports are to be believed, then China's all set to double its solar capacity by the end of the year.

﻿What a Population of 7 Billion People Means for the Planet By Robert Engleman ﻿With global population expected to surpass 7 billion people this year, the staggering impact on the environment is hard to ignore.

﻿Boom Times For The Recycling Industry By ﻿Amy Standen ﻿Here’s one silver lining to a slow economy: High recycling rates. Americans are wasting far less, and recycling far more.

COMMUNITY

America's Safety Net Has Become a Dragnet By Barbara Ehrenreich The most shocking thing I learned from my research on the fate of the working poor in the recession was the extent to which poverty has indeed been criminalized in America.

Progressive Groups Unveil 'Contract for the American Dream' By Sam Stein ﻿In August, MoveOn.org and Rebuild the Dream announced a campaign to build up a popular movement that could match (if not surpass) the debt reduction crowd in both size and energy.

8 Union Victories to Watch -- And Learn From By Erik Loomis ﻿We always hear that unions are in trouble, but that’s not the whole story.

"Job Creators" Who Won't Hire the Unemployed By Nathan Birnbaum Allstate Insurance, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and the University of Arizona are just a few of the companies advertising that they will only hire people who already have jobs.

Staffing Agencies Defend Job Ads Discriminating against the Unemployed By Lisa Clawson Huffington Post reporters followed up, calling companies to ask about their discriminatory ads. The result? A whole lot of excuses.

Obama and the Fake Debt Ceiling Crisis This President Is Really Just Smarter than You Are By Bruce Dixon Why won't president Obama stand up and fight for the poor and working people who voted for him in their tens of millions, who have made his career possible?