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On Friday, July 19, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion requested in 2022 by the UN General Assembly to address the legality of Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian territories seized in 1967. 

Confirming everything that legal scholars, human rights activists, and people of conscience have been saying for decades, the court found that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is illegal.  Israel is under obligation to end settlement expansion, evacuate all settlers, and remove parts of the apartheid wall that are situated on Palestinian territory.  Israel must provide full reparation for the damage caused by the wrongful acts, including the return of land and assets seized and must allow all Palestinians displaced during the occupation to return to their original location of residence. And important to U.S. policy, under the ruling, the international community and organizations have an obligation “not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by” the occupation.”

Deadly strikes across the Middle East have set an already volatile situation on edge, Friend.

One thing could stand between this distressing uptick in violence and a new war in the Middle East: The Biden administration.

There are no military solutions to this crisis, only diplomatic ones. The U.S. government will need to use every ounce of its influence to pull the parties away from the catastrophic path they’re on. Today, we need the president to know we support these efforts to de-escalate, but we need him to go further.

Right now, our job is nothing short of saving lives. Sign now to urge President Biden: De-escalate this crisis immediately with a ceasefire that stops the bombing of Gaza, brings the remaining hostages home to their families, and creates the political space necessary to build a pathway to peace for people in Israel, Palestine, and beyond.

Friday, August 2, 2024, 6:00 PM
Gazebo, Goodale Park, 120 W. Goodale St., Columbus

August 2nd will mark 301 days of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. We have witnessed a relentless series of massacres perpetrated by the Zionist colonial regime, operating with complete impunity and without any accountability.

The death toll has now surpassed 186,000 martyrs. The livelihood of Palestinians have been systematically dismantled—families torn apart, and already horrific conditions worsened by starvation, skin diseases, and preventable diseases like polio, all while the IOF continues to destroy vital water resources.  This genocide is not just a crime; it is a deliberate, systematic atrocity that our own government has endorsed, supported, and perpetuated. Yet, we, the people, repeatedly say no. We refuse to let these barbarous war crimes go uncontested.

We must continue protesting. We need to rejuvenate our fight and continue showing up for Gaza. We cannot allow the ruling class to prosper while our brothers and sisters in Palestine are senselessly slaughtered day after day. 

A coalition of civil rights groups including the Ohio NAACP, the Ohio Unity Coalition, the Ohio State Conference of the NAACP and the Ohio Organizing Collaborative today responded to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s statements on the Citizens Not Politicians ballot measure. They released the following statement:

"This amendment is incredibly important because Ohio is still one of the 10 most gerrymandered states in our nation,” said Petee Talley, executive director of the Ohio Unity Coalition. “In 2022, residents in several communities were gerrymandered into districts to dilute their voting power. One such gerrymandered in Toledo, Ohio, resulted in roughly 38,000 black citizens in SD11 in Lucas County being disenfranchised. The best way to make the districting process fairer is to get politicians out of it, so they can’t stack the deck in their favor just to gain and keep power.”

Tuesday, June 30, Franklin County agreed to a historic  $7 million settlement with the family of Casey Goodson Jr., resolving the civil claims arising from the  tragic events of December 4, 2020. This settlement marks a significant step in the pursuit of justice for  Casey and his loved ones. 

Since that fateful day, Casey's family has endured immense pain and hardship, navigating a long and challenging journey toward justice. Over three years have passed since Casey was senselessly murdered  by former Sheriff's Deputy Michael Jason Meade. Throughout this period, the family has remained  steadfast in their fight for accountability and reform. 

The settlement allows Casey's family to resolve their civil claims against Franklin County, enabling them  to concentrate fully on the upcoming murder retrial of Michael Jason Meade. While no amount of money  can ever compensate for the loss of Casey, this settlement is a crucial acknowledgment of the profound  impact his death has had on his family and the broader community. 

After two years and over $3 million later, Ginther and City Council once again showed their true colors and genuflected to those who have historically continued to control development policies in Columbus: the developers and the development community. And after all the bragging about how many people sent in comments, attended public meetings, and the creation of the Zone In propaganda gallery, that there were virtually no changes made to the city’s initial Zone In policy. Yes, a two-year dog and pony show that resulted in ignoring public comment.    

Prices keep increasing. Some states have not only put in place a decent minimum wage but indexed it to automatically keep pace with the cost of living, so that we don't all have to waste time demanding that it be "increased" each year.

Click here to tell OH to create a $15 minimum wage and set it to increase with the cost of living.

In Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Washington, the minimum wage is, or is set to soon be, at least $15 per hour, and it is set to keep pace with the cost of living. Why should such an obvious policy be limited to those states?

When value is restored to the minimum wage, even those making over the minimum wage tend to see pay increases as well.

Joe Biden recently made history by endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential race after dropping out. With Harris likely to secure the nomination, the focus shifts to her choice of running mate.

The list of potential candidates includes Governors Newsom (CA), Whitmer (MI), Beshear (KY), Shapiro (PA), Pritzker (IL), and Cooper (NC), along with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (AZ). Although Newsom and Whitmer are strong candidates, Whitmer has reportedly declined the spot. Newsom, meanwhile, is from California, just like Harris. The Constitution prohibits a ticket with two people from the same state, and while they could solve that by having one of them change their official residence, it may come off as manipulative and unpopular, especially when MAGA Republicans paint California as a “woke” state.

I am a historian and preservationist in Columbus, and I am generally in support of the proposed legislation and support the clarification that historic districts won’t be disregarded with the new code. I nevertheless deeply urge a delay or even a “no” vote at this time, in order for a solution to be found for an alarming issue. I have raised this issue with the zoning team multiple times and have yet to hear a response. Your vote is the last potential for affecting change.

Columbus has an incredible array of historic, and architecturally significant, houses, churches, fire stations, schoolhouses, and more. The vast majority of these are not on any register, and will immediately be at a much higher risk of demolition if Zone In were to pass as is currently written. We will be at threat of losing much of our remaining historic heritage, and especially the most visible sites on these well-traveled corridors.