Wow – since the last time we’ve checked in a lot has changed. The Iraqi Parliament finally signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) which sets 2011 as the date by which all U.S. troops, not just combat forces, have to leave Iraq. This is pretty stunning. The passage of SOFA is a complete rebuke of the Bush administration’s stance, which has always rejected any timelines for troop withdrawal.... Read More

CLIMATE CHANGE UPDATES

How many people does it take to change a light bulb in Poland? Apparently it’s irrelevant because if it was up to them, we’d just keep on using energy inefficient incandescent bulbs. Poland, the host country of this year’s United Nations climate negotiations, is the proud winner of the first Fossil of the Day award, which celebrates nations that go above and beyond their duty to block progress on the climate front. Poland is a fitting award winner, having spent the past year challenging the European Union’s climate commitments and creating a fringe block of eastern European nations (plus Italy) to filibuster any progress on the continent. Because of these efforts, the European Union is entering the negotiations divided and unwilling to commit to strong targets, earning itself its very own Fossil of the Day award on day 2.... Read More

COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY UPDATES

The big news on college affordability this month is that, except for California, every state in America earned a big fat “F” for the affordability of their colleges. The National Report Card on Higher Education, which grades states on several factors including affordability, access, completion, and student preparation, had some other shocking revelations. The report finds that on average, low- and middle-income families must spend 25% to 55% of their family income on college expenses after financial aid is considered.... Read More

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION UPDATES

What a historic victory! No…not just a progressive President-elect that engages and reaches out to young people. We also won in Colorado where, for the first time ever, Ward Connerly’s anti-affirmative action ballot initiative was defeated. Ward Connerly bitterly blamed this loss on Barack Obama, saying that his anti-equal opportunity Colorado campaign “got caught up in the Obama phenomenon,” and was ruined by the state’s swell of Democratic voters. While the state’s blue turnout no doubt helped defeat the amendment, most progressives believe that it was because of Connerly’s shady tactics and the impressive youth voter turnout against the initiative.... Read More

STUDENT PROFILE

Owen Cleveland
American River College
Political Sociology Sophomore

Owen Cleveland has had a hectic year. At the largest community college in the Sacramento area, Owen and other members of the American River College (ARC) Campus Progress chapter have been battling homophobia, a corrupt student government, and administrative apathy.

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