Local

Two Dollar Radio Headquarters on the corner of Parsons Ave and Cline St. (across the street from the new Columbus Metropolitan Library) is one of the latest new vegan businesses to open empowering Columbus towards a rapid vegan shift in consciousness and choices. They are unique in offering “curated books, coffee, booze, yum-yum and culture” in one bright, open, clean and welcoming space.

They keep it interesting by combining standing menu items such as their house-made Pimento Cheese or quiche with a rotating platform for a variety of vegan pop-up businesses – from the long-established to the emerging local vegan entrepreneurs such as Willowbeez Soul Veg, Freaks and Leeks, to Village Taco to name a few.

Hero

Nathan Runkle is a hero to farm animals and a hero to the Free Press. His new book Mercy for Animals chronicles the rise of the animal rights organization he founded in central Ohio at age 15 that has grown into an international nonprofit headquartered in Los Angeles. Mercy for Animals’ mission is to end factory farming and, in turn, stop animal abuse and promote compassionate food choices. The group has been incredibly effective in exposing and stopping many brutally violent and unsanitary factory farm practices. It is successful primarily because of Nathan’s tenacity, his passion, investigations, films, organizing ability and professional promotion. Nathan came in town for a book signing last month and the Free Press stopped by for an autograph. The Free Press stands proud of our native son and his tremendous accomplishments. We also recommend the book for good reading.

Salute

Where's the soundtrack? You can't have a revolution without the right music.

In high school I wanted to join the S.D.S. So bad and I loved Abbie Hoffman and here's a few of my hate-my-father's-Republican-guts revolutionary playlist:

The MC5's "Kick Out The Jams," though I never knew the words was by its very explosive punk-soul jail-guitar-doors was Detroit proletariat punk rock revolutionary. Now the Left hate's the working class--go figure.

The Jefferson Airplane's 'Volunteers' and 'We Can Be Together' were totally right on musical manifestos for life in Year One of the New Order – co-ops, weekly love-ins, pig-free zones encompassing entire states, no hassles, organic everything and weed, weed, weed. Free of course.
 

Friday, November 17, 6:30-9:30pm
Genoa Park 303 W Broad St 
Join us to stand in solidarity!
We have some amazing and exciting things planned for Friday, the 17th including speakers representing many minority groups who have been affected by Donald Trump's actions and executive orders. There will also be multiple entertainers joining us and sharing their art. Thus far we have booked singers, poets, choirs and more. We are honored to work with such an amazing activist community and could not be any more excited to plan this evening of fun and solidarity for everyone. 

History of the solidarity rally:

Ohio House Bill 381: This bill introduced in October is new attempt to bail out Ohio’s two nuclear power plants, Davis-Besse and Perry on Lake Erie. Proponents say it has more support than the previous incarnation, HB 178 introduced earlier this year, since it asks for a smaller subsidy. Both bills have an entirely fictitious premise, which they call ZEN, or zero emissions nuclear. Nuclear power has zero emissions? Enormous amounts of carbon dioxide are produced in the front and back ends of nuclear power. While the nuclear chain reaction itself does not release greenhouse gases, it produces the deadliest substance on earth – radioactive waste. HB 381 would be paid for by increasing ratepayer electric bills. Call your Ohio House Member and tell her/him NO to HB 381.  

In these dark days of “fake news” and “alternative facts,” it’s hard to trust any politicians. How can we tell apart the ones who spout bald-faced lies from those who actually tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Fortunately, we now have a science-based tool for telling which politicians are comfortable committing to the truth, and which are not, to help guide our votes in the Columbus City Council and Board of Education elections.

Tuesday, Oct 31, 9am
Ohio Statehouse
Facebook event
Join CAIR-Ohio for the annual Muslim Day at the State Capitol. Participants will receive training, support, and education for a full day of civic engagement and meet with their representatives to discuss issues affecting Ohio’s Muslim community. Lunch will also be provided.

Deadline to Register is October 13th, 2017.

AGENDA: 
9:00 AM: Check-In: Statehouse Atrium
9:30 AM- 10:30 AM: Statehouse Tour 1 (50 people max)
9:45 AM- 10:30 AM: Statehouse Tour 2 (50 people max)
10:30 AM- 11:15 AM: Welcome & Lobbying Training 

11:15 – 12:15 PM: Speaker Panel: Diverse Voices in the Political Process
Panelists: 
State Senator Charleta Tavares, Assistant Senate Minority Leader
Columbus City Councilmember Jaiza Page
State Rep. Emelia Sykes, Assistant House Minority Whip
Kelly Capatosto, Senior Research Associate at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity

12:15 – 1:30 PM: Lunch
State Senator Kenny Yuko, Senate Minority Leader

A dozen or so activists braved the cold and marched from the Wexner Center at 15th and High Street to the opening of the OSU football stadium on Saturday, October 28 to “Take a knee to stand with Kaepernick.”

The reason for the rally was “On October 16, 2017 Shelley Meyer made it very clear that she does not support Colin Kaepernick and his fight against police brutality towards POC. For those who don't know, Shelley is OSU football coach Urban Meyer's wife. When 10TV news posted a tweet about Kaepernick filing grievances against the NFL, she responded "What-ever. He made his choices."It is absolutely unacceptable for the wife of a football coach to condemn the actions of the NFL and "take a knee." We must stand (better yet kneel) in solidarity with Kaepernick where it needs done the most. The Shoe. The Meyer's need to know that we do not accept Shelley and her negative reaction to Kaepernick, and we certainly do not accept her half hearted apology she posted later.”

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers started a boycott of an iconic central Ohio-based fast-food chain over a year ago. This was after the company stopped sourcing its tomatoes from Florida instead of joining the CIW’s Fair Food Program to protect Florida farmworkers from exploitation.

Wendy’s has responded to the boycott by quibbling over why they don’t want to pay a penny-per-pound premium for Florida tomatoes to support a living wage for the workers who harvest them. One thing that Wendy’s spokespersons don’t want to talk about is sexual violence in the agricultural industry.

On October 23, women of the CIW led a protest in the rain outside Wendy’s Dublin headquarters to raise awareness of widespread sexual harassment and rape in Mexican agribusinesses, where Wendy’s now sources tomatoes and other produce. They were joined by faith communities and members of the Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA) at Ohio State University.