Centralia, Pennsylvania has suffered through underground coal mine fires that caused sinkholes, carbon monoxide plumes and underground temperatures that left it uninhabitable. It's been evacuated and condemned.
What else could possibly go wrong?

In today's On the News segment: Scranton, Pennsylvania's mayor cuts police and firefighter pay to minimum wage, record-breaking heat wave can no longer be dismissed as "just summer," corporations continue to gobble the commons from Michigan's public schools to Greece's airports and other state properties, and more.

In screwed news...Republicans want police and firefighters to only make minimum wage and no more. Last week – the Mayor of Scranton slashed the pay of hundreds of city workers, including cops and firefighters, to $7.25 an hour – the lowest hourly wage currently allowed for by law. The Mayor says that his city is broke and, because he's unwilling to raise taxes on business or millionaires, can't afford to pay its workers anymore money. That's the problem in several cities across America, which have seen their revenues dry up during the Bush Great Recession. President Obama offered a clear solution to this problem with his American Jobs Act, which gave emergency federal relief to states to help struggling cities avoid massive layoffs or pay cuts to public worker salaries. Unfortunately, Republicans have blocked the American Jobs Act – so police and firefighters across America are joining Wal-Mart workers in the ranks of the working poor. To add insult to injury, Republicans are also fighting a Democratic effort to raise the minimum wage – which currently has less buying power today than it had in 1968.

Transcript of the full video report at Truthout.

Stream videos at Ustream

This is OccupyFreedomLA's livestream covering the National Gathering in Philadelphia this July 4th evening, and it seemed like a great march, but as of 9:50pm EST they are surrounded by police and not being permitted to move. Oy.

No exact count on number of police present now, but best estimate is hundreds of them. They have blockaded the marchers in a plaza, and are armed with batons and flexi-cuffs and for whatever reason they look prepared to start arresting people again. It was clearly a peaceful march.

Several livestreams have gone blank in the past minute or so, it's 10:06pm EST, so here is an alternative stream that is still running, in case OccupyFreedomLA gets cut off as well:

Live video for mobile from Ustream

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It's 10:12pm EST and according to Twitter #NATGAT, the first arrest of the night. Many tweets say marchers are not being allowed in Love Park do to a shooting earlier today. I don't know if this is accurate, or any details of any shooting at this time.

• The Occupy National Gathering kicked off on June 30th, 2012 with a myriad of workshops, speakers, and a peaceful march against corporate personhood, making stops at Wells Fargo to protest racist predatory lending, Fox News to confront corporate profit at the expense of the peoples' airwaves, and ended with an attempt to set up a space away from Independence Mall - in a park behind the Second Bank of the United States, located at 4th and Chestnut. This was promptly -- and brutally -- followed by a National Park Service raid, which included the assistance of the Philadelphia police department, on approximately 150--200 people peacefully assembled for a redress of political grievances. The raid resulted in one arrest.
• The Occupy National Gathering working group strongly condemns this disproportionate law enforcement response - a trend repeatedly played out against the movement across the country - but will continue to urge Occupy protesters to remain nonviolent despite federal and municipal authorities' unwillingness to display restraint in the face of peaceful protesters.
• The Occupy National Gathering working group feels that disproportionate law enforcement response needlessly exacerbates peaceful protesters. We do not want this, and neither do the people who are visiting this city to enjoy their holiday weekend.
• ONG working group has publicly and repeatedly stated that we do not wish to disrupt people's holiday plans. We hope that the Philadelphia police department and the National Park Service share this sentiment as activists continue to arrive in Philadelphia to peacefully exercise their First Amendment right and people from across the country come to enjoy vacations.

[Via]

Occupy National Gathering

View a complete list of speakers, workshops, and trainings here: LEARN & CREATE
Occupy National Gathering Schedule (printable version: right click, save link as…)

SATURDAY, JUNE 30TH

All activities will be on Independence Mall (5th and Market) and surrounding parks unless otherwise noted.
9am – Set-up – Independence Mall and surrounding location
11am – 3pm – Occupy Caravans arrive
11am – 1:30pm – Speakers
1:45pm – 3pm – Open Space, Workshops, and Speaker Follow-up Sessions
3pm – NatGat Welcome – Main Stage
3:30pm – “Know Your Rights” training – Main Stage
4pm – “Summer Training” – Community/Solidarity/Skill-Building Exercises
6pm – March
7:30pm – Dinner served*
8pm – 9pm – OccuArts – On-stage Performances (if you’d like to perform, contact Jacob at wjacobr@gmail.com)
9pm – Festivities: Panic Hour Comedy Show

*All meals will be “first come, first served”, but we’ll do our best to get everyone fed. Please bring food to share if you can.

Continue reading »

Via Occupy Homes Minnesota:

Despite acknowledging that the Cruzes foreclosure was due to a bank error and repeated claims that they are working “behind the scenes” to get the Cruz family back in their home, PNC Bank has refused to accept the documents necessary for the loan to be modified. So Alejandra and David Cruz, along with several supporters, are going to make a hand-delivery to PNC’s headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA!

TUESDAY: Minneapolis

Send-off: We will be having a send-off rally in front of the Cruz home, 4044 Cedar Ave S, at 5PM this Tuesday to support the Cruzes battle for justice. Bring signs, messages of support, and your wonderful self!

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/events/310205149071280/

WEDNESDAY: Chicago

Action on Freddie Mac: the Cruz family will make a stop at Freddie Mac’s regional headquarters in Chicago on Wednesday to demand they stop tearing up our neighborhoods with their eviction profiteering.

THURSDAY: EVERYWHERE!

NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION: Across the country, while Alejandra and David arrive at PNC headquarters, people will be demanding that PNC live up to their word and work with the Cruz family!

Actions being planned in:

Atlanta
Chicago
Cincinnati
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
New York
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
Washington, DC

And many more to come! Please, organize an event in your city! Email occupyHomesMN@gmail.com and let us know if you want to help!