Photo from 2006 demonstration in San Jose against Jeppesen, the CIA's "travel agent for torture" by Norman Solomon, in Common Dreams, September 3, 2026 A quarter-century has nearly passed since the terrorist attack that killed almost 3,000 people in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. During the first seven…
On August 25th, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors are voting on whether or not to spend 1 billion installment of potentially 2.5 billion of our dollars on incarceration instead of schools, housing, healthcare, and other urgent community needs. The "Jail Transformation Plan" includes building a new facility and will…
by Caitlin Johnstone, August 4, 2026 One point I will always adamantly insist on is that it’s entirely possible to live a joyful and exuberant life in the midst of this abusive dystopia. There’s a pervasive, unexamined notion throughout revolutionary politics that there’s some kind of nobility in being miserable.…
by Shira Leeder A curb cut on a sidewalk, a ramp into a public building, closed captions on a video, or a workplace accommodation that allows someone to do their job—these are not small conveniences. They are the result of decades of disability rights advocacy that transformed everyday life for…
Speech delivered by Michele Mashburn at the first annual Disability Pride flag-raising ceremony at the Santa Clara County Building on July 23, 2026 Thank you, Supervisor Duong, for creating this space today. And thank you to the Division of Equity and Social Justice, and Viviana Barnwell, for your work envisioning…
Reprinted from San Jose Spotlight, July 11, 2026 When systems fail, people often turn toward each other. In Santa Clara County, groups have been meeting each other’s needs through mutual aid efforts. Free meals, community gardens, medical supplies and rental assistance — these are all ways various groups are uplifting each…
by Aaron Kirschenbaum in Common Dreams, July 9, 2026 Last week, millions of people around the world were subjected to record-breaking heatwaves. At least 25 deaths in the U.S. from this heat dome were reported. The French government also counted over 2,000 excess deaths during the June heatwaves. At the…
My name is Shira Leeder. I am a disability rights advocate, and I am writing regarding an urgent issue that requires immediate attention. As an advocate for myself and others with disabilities, I am deeply concerned about the proposed cuts to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) in the California state budget. IHSS is…
by Tom Valovic, Common Dreams, June 16, 2026 In the first few weeks of his presidency, Donald Trump announced a massive AI infrastructure project dubbed Stargate. It was an unexpected and rather odd event for a new administration’s first major initiative. It now seems obvious that the project was a…
by Michele Mashburn on the All Things Disability Equity web site, June 4, 2026 Two weeks ago, more than 100 people lay down in a parking lot in East Oakland. Above them stood cardboard gravestones: “Died unhoused.” “No suicide hotline.” “Rural hospital closed.” “Can’t afford insurance.” Hospital and ER staff,…
