Local
We are saddened to learn that Victoria Parks left us on Friday, May 10, 2024. We will miss her provocative satirical political songs and her participation at Comfest and other events. Well-known in the city as a songwriter and folksinger, many people don’t know she was also a talented artist, poet, writer, holistic medicine practitioner, community activist, election integrity advocate, and one of the founders of the local WGRN radio station.
So Soon We Forget
I offer these thoughts because I'm told by many that people, especially young folks, have little to no memory or knowledge of these essential learnings from Chernobyl and Fukushima. Understanding these hard lessons allows us to see through the demonic joke of ‘clean and green' nuclear power supposedly saving us from climate change.
Chernobyl
April 26, 2024, was the 38th anniversary of Chernobyl, which is still considered by some to be the worst nuclear accident in history. That disaster exposed millions of people all over the planet to harmful ionizing radiation and its long-lasting humanitarian effects and severe social and political impacts contributed heavily to the collapse of the Soviet empire.
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is about 81 miles north of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and about 12 miles south of the border with Belarus. The disaster site, still intensely radioactive, is now in the Ukrainian war zone, compounding the risks.
So Soon We Forget
I offer these thoughts because I'm told by many that people, especially young folks, have little to no memory or knowledge of these essential learnings from Chernobyl and Fukushima. Understanding these hard lessons allows us to see through the demonic joke of ‘clean and green' nuclear power supposedly saving us from climate change.
Chernobyl
April 26, 2024, was the 38th anniversary of Chernobyl, which is still considered by some to be the worst nuclear accident in history. That disaster exposed millions of people all over the planet to harmful ionizing radiation and its long-lasting humanitarian effects and severe social and political impacts contributed heavily to the collapse of the Soviet empire.
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is about 81 miles north of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and about 12 miles south of the border with Belarus. The disaster site, still intensely radioactive, is now in the Ukrainian war zone, compounding the risks.
A new oil and gas project is coming to Central Ohio, this time in Licking County. The under-construction Freepoint Eco-systems plastic incinerator poses significant risks to public health for Ohioans by creating harmful pollution from start to finish.
Wes Ball renews the franchise with "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," propelling the beloved saga into a new era with a blend of grand world-building, visceral action, and poignant storytelling.
The film opens with Caesar’s funeral, honoring his legacy and setting the tone for the rest of the movie––an integral character to the lore is celebrated without becoming the central focus.
Set generations after Caesar's reign in a post-apocalyptic world where apes rule, and humans lurk in the shadows, Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) commands, aiming to maintain ape dominance. However, a young ape, Noah (Owen Teague), embarks on a journey that will challenge everything he’s been taught and ultimately define the future for both species.
Noah’s bravery and ambition make him a protagonist you root for, while his impressionable nature and evolving choices create a compelling narrative arc. Proximus, determined to keep apes free, uses questionable tactics to advance his agenda and avoid repeating history, making him the perfect foil to Noah.
Salon facilitator, Free Press Board member Mark Stansbery, kicked off the salon on Zoom, engineered by Steve Caruso. The theme was “A heart for the homeless.”
Free Press Board member Winie Wirth was live at the Heer to Serve at Heer Park on the south side that serves unhoused people every other Saturday evening at 6pm with food, clothing, tolietry items and other goods. OSU also provides Narcan, the antidote for overdosing. It is the site of a homeless encampment.
Monday, March 13, 11:30am-12:30pm, Ohio Statehouse
Parents, child care providers, and child care advocates recently announced coast-to-coast events coinciding with the Day Without Child Care (DWOCC). The DWOCC will be held on May 13, and is designed to build support for fully funded, quality early childhood education and care.
In Ohio, The CEO [Care Economy Organizing] Project, a division of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, will bring about 500 providers to the Ohio Statehouse. The advocates released the following statement:
“The work of caring for children and families is critical,” said Tami Lunan, director of The CEO Project. “Affordable, quality child care makes it possible for parents to go to work, knowing that the most precious people in our lives are in good hands. Yet it’s some of the most invisible and undervalued work. It’s time to invest in expanding affordable, quality child care with living wages for the hardworking child care providers who care for and nurture our children.”
Who:
• Parents, child care providers, advocates
• Additional speakers
Saturday, May 11, 7-8pm, this event will be occurring via Zoom
Theme: A heart for the homeless
Speakers:
• Emily Grace, Heer to Serve, a group dedicated to providing food and other resources to the houseless on the city’s west side
• Matina Bliss, houseless advocate
• Winie Wirth, houseless volunteer
• And more!
A “question-and-answer” period will be included.
If you have announcements for the progressive community, let us know at <colsfreepress@gmail.com>.
Please use this Zoom link to join this event.
Hosted by Columbus Free Press.
I’m a 75-year-old steelworker, with real mobility problems from decades of hard work, especially as a steelworker. I’m living on a good, United Steel Workers (USW) negotiated pension, like thousands of my fellow steelworkers, thanks to Sherrod Brown.
I worked at Lorain Works, USX, in Lorain, Ohio and, like thousands of my fellow steelworkers, looked forward to the day that I finally could retire, take it easy, and enjoy a decent life supported by a good Union (USW) Steelworker pension.
Hiring, then retirements, go in large waves in steel mills as the company puts on or takes off whole “turns” of workers.” So, when I prepared to retire when I hit my 30-year anniversary in 2002, I was part of a big wave of retirements.
It was at this time that USX mgt. decided to change their top group, change their name and challenge our union contract. Their first move was to deny their pension liability to 3,000 Republic steelworkers and their families.
From the American Friends Service Committee
For decades, AFSC has worked to end the use of the death penalty as well as life and long-term sentences.
Please join us in urging Congress and state governors to end the death penalty once and for all. The death penalty flies in the face of moral values, common sense, and history. Death sentences do not deter crime, are disproportionately handed to people of color, and have been given to numerous individuals who were later exonerated.
Earlier this year, the state of Alabama put a man to death using the untested execution method of nitrogen hypoxia. The execution was carried out despite U.N. experts warning that the method could lead to excessive pain and constitute torture.
Killing anyone—by any method—is immoral and should be outlawed. In recent years, the use of the death penalty has declined sharply across the U.S. Since 2019, three states—Virginia, Colorado, and New Hampshire—have abolished the practice completely.
Now it's time for the federal government and all states to follow suit.