Latest news with #GoodTrouble
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump protesters have a dream for a better America
Last Thursday was the fifth anniversary of the death of civil rights hero John Lewis. He was with Martin Luther King Jr at the 1963 March on Washington (King's 'I have a dream' sermon from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial). Lewis was beaten by police on a civil rights march over the Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in 1965. Lewis served heroically in Congress and championed voting rights – the bedrock of democracy. John Lewis often spoke about Rosa Parks who, in 1955, refused to relinquish her seat on a public bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. Parks sparked a bus boycott that lasted until the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was unconstitutional. 'Rosa Parks inspired us to get into trouble,' Lewis recalled. 'And I've been getting in trouble ever since. She inspired us to find a way, to get in the way, to get in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble.' After Lewis' death, a movement of motivated people was joined, Good Trouble Lives On, to advance his causes. Good Trouble came to the streets of Frisco, Colorado and around the US last Thursday evening. In a town of less than 3000, 150 came out after work to say that they were done with Trump, and that it was high time America was done with Trump. 'I assume this is the resistance,' a man said, approaching the crowd. 'He's stealing our future.' 'We are for free speech and free press.' 'Make good trouble – we must save our democracy.' 'I came here because we are not OK.' It was modest and peaceful. Hundreds of cars passing by honked in support. To be sure, Colorado is a strong Democratic state in presidential elections, Congress and the state legislature. But those gathered in Frisco knew there was no clear road forward to stopping Trump. 'The problem with Democrats,' a fellow said, 'is that Democrats are f---ing lazy.'
The Age
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
Trump protesters have a dream for a better America
Last Thursday was the fifth anniversary of the death of civil rights hero John Lewis. He was with Martin Luther King Jr at the 1963 March on Washington (King's 'I have a dream' sermon from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial). Lewis was beaten by police on a civil rights march over the Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in 1965. Lewis served heroically in Congress and championed voting rights – the bedrock of democracy. John Lewis often spoke about Rosa Parks who, in 1955, refused to relinquish her seat on a public bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. Parks sparked a bus boycott that lasted until the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was unconstitutional. 'Rosa Parks inspired us to get into trouble,' Lewis recalled. 'And I've been getting in trouble ever since. She inspired us to find a way, to get in the way, to get in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble.' After Lewis' death, a movement of motivated people was joined, Good Trouble Lives On, to advance his causes. Good Trouble came to the streets of Frisco, Colorado and around the US last Thursday evening. In a town of less than 3000, 150 came out after work to say that they were done with Trump, and that it was high time America was done with Trump. 'I assume this is the resistance,' a man said, approaching the crowd. 'He's stealing our future.' 'We are for free speech and free press.' 'Make good trouble – we must save our democracy.' 'I came here because we are not OK.' It was modest and peaceful. Hundreds of cars passing by honked in support. To be sure, Colorado is a strong Democratic state in presidential elections, Congress and the state legislature. But those gathered in Frisco knew there was no clear road forward to stopping Trump. 'The problem with Democrats,' a fellow said, 'is that Democrats are f---ing lazy.'
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Art Fair earrings made from skateboards, Trump protests and gravel pit worries
An oil painter, when he struggled to run my credit card, let me take home a small print — a still life labeled 'skull and ivy' — without cost. I looked in awe at large, textured landscapes and colorful abstractions I would have loved to prominently place in my living room (in the vain hope the pricey pieces would go unharmed by NERF bullets, basketballs or any number of makeshift projectiles). And I purchased — after excessive deliberations over color and shape patiently tolerated by the booth attendant — the coolest earrings. They are playful, graphic and cleverly crafted from broken skateboards by North Carolina artist Tara Locklear. (Yes, I assured my co-worker, I will wear them.) Oddly, I know, for a journalist and life-long Michigan resident, I had never been until this week to the Ann Arbor Art Fair, which kicked off Tuesday and began in earnest Thursday, and I quickly came to realize I've been missing much. I long heard local warnings of traffic tangles, parking perils and insufferable crowds. Sure the mild Thursday weather helped, but I found none of those things, not really. On a work break, I spent longer than I should have and I could have spent far longer perusing those many tents. Thomas LeGault performs a live painting in his booth during Art Fair in downtown Ann Arbor. Tribune News Service Puffer fish flying above the sea. A watercolor Brussel sprout composed on a paint color sample. Antlers sprouting from a coral-like clay pot. So many beautiful, unusual or unusually beautiful items. I didn't buy a lot; my art budget is small. But I found joy in the looking, the exploring. Eventually, I did return to work. Art Fair has taken over the town, yes, but it's not the only news of the week. For one, protesters again hoisted signs in opposition to President Donald Trump. 'Good Trouble Lives On' demonstrations were planned throughout the nation and Ann Arbor in honor of U.S. Rep. John Lewis on the five-year anniversary of his death Thursday, July 17. Reporter Nicholas Alumkal was there to collect activists' thoughts. 'It just seems like our country is being led by an incapable madman,' said Lois Maharg, holding a sign with the initialism GOP standing for 'gutless, obsequious panderers' near Veterans Memorial Park. 'Our whole government is just being canceled. Democracy is canceled, and I am very concerned about that.' In Ann Arbor Township, residents are concerned about the Vella Pit, a gravel and sand mine on Earhart Road. Operator Mid Michigan Materials seeks a permit to create an approximately 59-acre lake to extract material from below the water table. This comes after some residents' drinking water wells ran dry and a lawsuit alleging the gravel pit is responsible is pending; settlement talks are underway, the township supervisor told Jen Eberbach last week. Michael Watts, a resident, said there are 'ongoing issues,' and 'distrust' of the mining company, as wells slowly recover. Ceramic artwork by Corey and Stacey Bechler of Bechler Pottery on display in their booth during Art Fair in downtown Ann Arbor. Tribune News Service Back in Ann Arbor, in another lawsuit, two taxpayers are challenging city ballot proposals A and B, up for an Aug. 5 vote, as perpetrating a 'fraud upon the electorate.' Voter approval would allow the city to sell the Library Lane property to the Ann Arbor District Library and undo a 2018 city charter amendment declaring it must become a downtown urban park and civic commons. The ballot wording, which city officials say would be legally compelling, states the city could sell the land 'for the purpose of building a mixed-use development that includes additional library services, housing, retail and programmable open public space.' Opponents and the complaint, however, argue the library could do whatever it wants with the property after the city transfers it for $1. Mayor Christopher Taylor called it 'campaign disinformation in the form of a lawsuit,' and district library Director Eli Neiburger, in response to critics, said the proposals aren't giving away the property to developers. In tragic news, a 25-year-old father of four, DaJon Ryans, died in an Ypsilanti shooting. Two men have since been arrested and charged, but not with murder. Reporter Jordyn Pair is revealing the details. At the University of Michigan, the Board of Regents agreed to fire a professor in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, and two Ann Arbor institutions — one of them UM — were awarded millions for startups and entrepreneurs. To end, as I always like to do, on a softer note: 11-year-old Tucker Lambert of Saline Township is doing some heavy hauling to fund his UM ambitions. Farmers' pains — field rocks — are dollars for the quiet, young entrepreneur. Enjoy the Art Fair! I might have to return. I keep thinking of these small, ceramic vases sold by a Florida artist... If you would rather not, I hear there are a whole lot of chicken dinners available this weekend in Manchester. Tribune News Service
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Daywatch: Mayor Johnson again faces thorny politics of picking appointments
Good morning, Chicago. As the departure of Ald. Walter Burnett leaves Mayor Brandon Johnson with the challenge of picking his third Zoning Committee chair, the City Council's Black and Latino caucuses have already begun jockeying for the highly coveted leadership spot. Burnett, often dubbed the 'dean' of the council as its most tenured member, will step down at the end of July, vacating both his committee chairmanship and role as Johnson's vice mayor. The Zoning appointment has been one of the freshman mayor's biggest political conundrums throughout the first two years of his term, and his next choice is expected to make waves in a council where racial politics remain an undercurrent. To that end, the heads of both the Black and Latino caucuses are calling for the chairmanship to go to one of their members. And vice chair Ald. Bennett Lawson, who is white, has expressed interest in the permanent role too. Read the full story from the Tribune's Alice Yin. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including nursing homes cited for 'severe' violations, what the jury viewed during the third day of the trial for the man accused of killing Chicago police Officer Andrés Vásquez Lasso and what to expect at Wrigley this weekend following the All-Star break. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History The House gave final approval to President Donald Trump's request to claw back about $9 billion for public broadcasting and foreign aid early today as Republicans intensified their efforts to target institutions and programs they view as bloated or out of step with their agenda. The vote marked the first time in decades that a president has successfully submitted such a rescissions request to Congress, and the White House suggested it won't be the last. Some Republicans were uncomfortable with the cuts, yet supported them anyway, wary of crossing Trump or upsetting his agenda. Hundreds of protesters demonstrated against President Donald Trump and his administration's policies in the Loop yesterday as part of nationwide 'Good Trouble Lives On' rallies, decrying cuts to social services, mass deportation strategy and restrictions on civil liberties. Among the rally attendees were the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates. Johnson told the crowd that America under Trump was making an 'alarming and fast descent into authoritarianism,' but vowed that Chicago would fight back. The Illinois Department of Public Health has doled out tens of thousands of dollars in fines to dozens of nursing homes throughout the Chicago area, including a handful where 'severe' violations led to residents' deaths, the agency announced this week. Cook County Democrats punted on endorsing anyone for Cook County assessor yesterday, putting two-term incumbent Fritz Kaegi at risk of an open primary fight as he vies for a third term. Prosecutors opened the third day of trial for the man accused of killing Chicago police Officer Andrés Vásquez Lasso with the slain officer's own body-worn camera footage that captured the moments just before his death. Will County Board members voted yesterday to remove the controversial 143rd Street road widening project from the county's five-year transportation plan, but actually stopping the project from advancing will require a separate vote, the county's attorney said. The Naperville City Council has signed off on two new residential developments — one with rents ranging from $3,900 to $5,000 — that will add a total of 154 new homes to the city when construction is complete. Chicago Bears second-round draft picks Shemar Turner and Ozzy Trapilo have agreed to four-year rookie contracts, sources confirmed to the Tribune. The news comes two days before Bears rookies report for training camp at Halas Hall. The All-Star break is considered a time for players to catch their breath, decompress and get ready for the second-half push, writes Paul Sullivan. But for Chicago Cubs fans who watched their team outperform expectations in the first half, the break was just four more days of worrying about whom President Jed Hoyer will acquire at the trade deadline and how they'll fend off the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. It seems everyone needs to have an 'artist-in-residence' these days, writes Hannah Edgar. Though lofty, the title, as interpreted in recent seasons by the Grant Park Music Festival and the Chicago Symphony, tends to overpromise. It's becoming industry parlance for 'has at least two bookings with us a season' — significant for the artist and presenter, maybe, but mostly a blip for audiences. Amid federal funding cuts, this year's Rhythm World is nearly half as long as originally planned, spanning six days instead of 10. Organizers opted to shorten the 35th anniversary programming so they could weather changes without losing the heart of the festival, they say. But their choice is becoming a familiar one these days, as federal downsizing places pressure on arts organizations across the Chicago area to make do without funding. There are activities we can't wait to experience here each summer — catching a concert in a park; watching Buckingham Fountain's majestic water display explode 150 feet into the air; taking a dip to cool off in Lake Michigan; swaying with thousands of others to the sounds of the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field; or just playing tourist in our hometown. Yet Chicagoans of another era had their own ways of celebrating warm weather that we just don't do today. Here's a look back at six of them.
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Hundreds rally against Trump administration at ‘Good Trouble' Loop gathering
Hundreds of protesters demonstrated against President Donald Trump and his administration's policies in the Loop on Thursday as part of nationwide 'Good Trouble Lives On' rallies, decrying cuts to social services, mass deportation strategy and restrictions on civil liberties. A group of about 60 demonstrators left Federal Plaza about 4:30 p.m., chanting 'Trump must go now' as they marched up Dearborn Street before joining a larger main crowd at Daley Plaza a half hour later. The chain of national protests denouncing Trump's agenda was named for a term coined by the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who died in 2020. A civil rights activist, Lewis also participated in the 1961 Freedom Rides, which aimed to end racial segregation in the South. Thursday marked the fifth anniversary of Lewis' death. Organizers planned about 20 other 'Good Trouble' rallies in the suburbs, including Naperville and Highland Park. Nationwide, more than 1,000 similar protests were held, according to the 'Good Trouble Lives On' website. Among the rally attendees were the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates. Johnson told the crowd that America under Trump was making an 'alarming and fast descent into authoritarianism,' but vowed that Chicago would fight back. He also repeated a pledge that the city would not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 'There are times when we have to march forward, even when it's difficult, even when the risks are real,' he said. 'Let me tell you that time is now. Tonight, we follow in the footsteps of making good trouble. Trouble that will engender confidence across this country that 'liberty and justice' for all is not just a tagline.' Protesters carried signs that read 'Dump Trump' and 'Dissent is Patriotic,' while a person in a taco suit, cape and crown danced around an inflatable baby Donald Trump. 'The standards of people who are running America right now are very low,' said Samantha Oliva, 22. 'I guess you can commit crimes, you can lie.' Carrying a sign that read 'Morons Are Governing America,' a play on the Trump slogan 'Make America Great Again,' Oliva said she hoped this protest would inspire more Gen Zers to take civic action against the administration. 'Community is everything with someone plotting against you guys,' Oliva said, referring to what she called Trump's actions to sow division among Americans. 'We're stronger together.' National Education Association President Becky Pringle spoke about opposition to federal restrictions on diversity initiatives and the administration's 'intimidation of immigrant families.' 'We must and we will get in the way of the structural inequalities that are purposefully designed to sacrifice the common good of the many.' While Joan Javier-Duval, a Unitarian minister from Montpelier, Vermont, was in town to visit family, she said she looked for ways to participate in Thursday's protests. A Chicago native, Javier-Duval has attended several protests since Trump's inauguration, calling cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and increased funding for ICE particularly worrying. She said that many in her Vermont community have relied on emergency funds after severe flooding, and she also opposes ICE's deprivation of due process for immigrants. 'An event like this is important to show that we can come together across different communities and different issues,' she said. 'All to say that what we want is for our people to be taken care of and for our democracy to thrive.' Hermosa resident and Navy veteran Eligio Alvarado said he came to Thursday's protest because Trump and his 'ilk' were 'dismantling America,' in part by gutting government programs and replacing public servants. 'They're putting in their cronies who will march to their tune,' said Alvarado, who is originally from Puerto Rico. Unless something changes, Alvarado said, he would 'have fought for naught.' Similar to Javier-Duval, he said he hoped the protests would motivate voters and shift momentum toward Democrats who hope to retake Congress. 'This gives me hope,' he said.
