No matter how one attempts to wrangle with the so-called ‘Islamic State’ (IS) rise in Iraq and Syria, desperately seeking any political or other context that would validate the movement as an explainable historical circumstance, things refuse to add up.

Not only is IS to a degree an alien movement in the larger body politic of the Middle East, it also seems to be a partly western phenomenon, a hideous offspring resulting from western neocolonial adventures in the region, coupled with alienation and demonization of Muslim communities in western societies.

\Clintonville Community Market (CCM) is a co-operative business model and has been a long-time favorite place for many vegan food options. Local Fork’s Over Knives famed Wellness Forum Foods Chef Del Sroufe’s addicting BBQ or Baked Tofu is available there. The CCM has several of Portia’s raw delights, so when I’m craving some blueberry-pineapple or lemon cheesecake or some creamy chocolate mousse, I go there. For all you mushroom lovers, CCM also has a fantastic array of fresh, locally harvested fungi. Mushrooms are the natural and unprocessed “meat” of the future and contain a myriad of sustainable and prolific crop productions that are rich in medicinal and nutritional benefits.

Each year the Columbus Black Theatre Festival deals with topics that pertain not only to the African American community but society at large and this year is no different. July 10 -12, 2015 come share in the three day event of workshops, plays and entertainment at the Columbus Performing Arts Center in Columbus.  This year the festival concludes the weekend with the stage musical “Come Alive” written and directed by the founder of the CBTF and Ohio playwright Julie Whitney Scott with music by Cassandra Stewart. This play tackles the issue of suicide in America head on as seen through the lives of college students and adults who have either attempted to or had someone they loved succeed at killing themselves.

  March 8th was International Women’s Day and the whole month is dedicated to women’s history, so the Free Press is taking a look at the status of women here in Ohio.
  Innovation Ohio analyzed Ohio Governor John Kasich’s 2015 budget and its impact on Ohio women. There are definite positives and negatives for women to watch out for this year.
  The good news is that the bill contains more funding for child care, preschool, maternal health and training on ways to deal with sexual assault at public colleges and universities.
  Here’s the bad news. According to Innovation Ohio, proposed tax changes benefit the wealthy and raise taxes on lower income Ohioans. Not a surprise, but unfortunately most low-income Ohioans are women.

With the 51 day Israeli attack on Gaza in the summer of 2014 that killed over 2,200, wounded 11,000, destroyed 20,000 homes and displaced 500,000, the closing to humanitarian organizations of the border with Gaza by the Egyptian government, continuing Israeli attacks on fishermen and others, and the lack of international aid through UNWRA for the rebuilding of Gaza, the international Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition has decided to again challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza in an effort to gain publicity for the critical necessity of ending the Israeli blockade of Gaza and the isolation of the people of Gaza.