“What’s the point?” Everybody (Nicole Erb) plaintively asks about human existence as she confronts Death (a playful Anne Gee Byrd as a not so Grim Reaper) in Antaeus Theatre Company’s Everybody, a rollicking adaptation of the anonymously-written 15th century Christian morality play, Everyman. With its modern twists, including projections (designed by Yi-Chien Lee), sound (provided by Salvador Zamora) and lighting effects (illumined by Bryan Ealey) plus dialogue that translates Middle English into the 21st century vernacular, including loads of obscenities, penned by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Antaeus’ mounting brings this Middle Ages classic alive. The setting is a sort of dreamscape (Nicholas Ponting is the scenic and props designer)

Some great news for a change:  the United States hit a record low rate of poverty with a decrease from 9.2% at that level to 7.8%, according to the Supplemental Poverty Measure that pretty much counts everything from all governmental aid to wages and so forth.  Additionally, child poverty was only 5.2%, a drop of 4.5 percentage points from 2020.

How did it happen?  Simply put, low-income families were given more money by the federal government.  For a change, the money went directly to families through various benefits, special guaranteed family allotments for children, and unemployment benefits increases.  By directly, I mean that for the most part the states, red or blue, were not able to prevent families and workers from receiving the benefits by diverting the money or requiring burdensome tests and disqualifications.  There’s no question that it cost big money for the Biden administration to make this happen and a huge pandemic-level crisis to force the hand of Congress, but it confirms what National Welfare Rights Organization leaders just to say repeatedly:  money is what ends poverty.  Period.  Full-stop.

Sunday, September 18, 2pm, Mees Hall [Capitol University campus], north side of E. Mound St. between College Ave. and Pleasant Ridge Ave., Bexley, Ohio

This September, Green Bexley is exploring the most impactful actions that we can take to be more sustainable. Inspired by Project Drawdown and sponsored by the Bexley Community Foundation, Capital University, and Simply Living, we’re excited to learn alongside you and take action towards a more sustainable future!

Ambitious action is required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to keep the increase in average global temperature below 2 — but preferably 1.5 — degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Unfortunately, we’ve already raised the temperature by over 1 degree since 1880. The actions must be big, and they must be implemented on a large-scale, worldwide.

Not all actions are equal, and not all actions are applicable. This month, we’re exploring the most impactful actions that can be taken by Bexleyites, and hope you’ll join us!

Find more information about “Sustainable September” at greenbexley.org/sustainableseptember.

On the Westside of Columbus, Kroger employee “Saundra” arrives at her store at 4am to push an oversized cart as she shops during the next eight hours for others in the community. Since the pandemic, Kroger’s “ClickList” – for those who don’t want to go inside and shop – is booming. “Saundra” makes $14-an-hour with benefits, but benefits that have become more expensive.

“They thought an extra $.15 cents would be enough, but everyone in my store was like “no way,’” said Saundra (not her real name).

For the past three days, Kroger’s United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 1059 members voted a third time on a new three-year deal. Each contract was endorsed by their own union (UFCW 1059), but the 12,500 Kroger members of 1059 voted “No” each time.

During the third vote, UFCW 1059 added another vote – one to “authorize a strike” – and that passed as well.

If Kroger corporate does not come back to the bargaining table with more, members have told the Free Press they will press UFCW 1059 leadership to greenlight a strike.

September 16 marks the 40th anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacre, the killing of around 3,000 Palestinians at the hands of Lebanon’s Phalangist militias operating under the command of the Israeli army. 

Four decades have passed, yet no measure of justice has been received by the survivors of the massacre. Many of them have died, and others are aging while they carry the scars of physical and psychological wounds, in the hope that, perhaps, within their lifetime they will see their executioners behind bars.