ForwardSTL News and Upcoming Events for Wednesday, Feb. 15

Upcoming events from the ForwardSTL Calendar:

Wednesday, February 15

11 - 2 Webster Sustains
4- 10 PM Perennial Artisan Ales Fundraiser for EarthDance -
5:00pm - Hunger & Homelessness Outside the United States -

7:00pm - Caught Blackhanded: Race and Crime in America

Thursday, February 16

11:30 - 1 PM Webster Sustains

2:00pm Rally & Report on Budget Cuts

Friday, February 17

11:00 AM to 2:00pm Webster Sustains

1:00pm Rally to Save Blair Mountain!!!

10:00pm GLEEK - An all Glee drag show!

More...

News and Opinion (click through the link at ForwardSTL for the full stories)

An Open Letter to Chancellor Wrighton | Wash U Green Action
Residents on the ground in Blair, West Virginia report that Arch Coal seems to be moving forward with its plans to mine historic Blair Mountain—the site of a massive 1921 uprising of mine workers seeking to unionize. This insurrection, the second-largest in American history only after the Civil War, represents the beginning of the American labor movement—thus the destruction of this site by a multinational corporation like Arch would be a heinous attack on the legacy of those workers and the land upon which their descendants depend.

Arliner Young, Zoologist | The Urban Scientist
In celebration of Black History Month, I will be sharing stories about the African-American experience in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The Changing face of the Taliban? | Vital Concerns for the World
Barney Ronay has an article in the Guardian [2/11/12] about how the Afghans united in support of their cricket team against Pakistan.

Someone Needed to Educate Rex Sinquefield Before His Infamous Klan Speech | SLM Daily
I’m not sure how many—if any—black people work for the Show-Me Institute. But if there is at least one black employee, Rex Sinquefield should have asked him or her about his speech that mentioned public education and the Ku Klux Klan in the same sentence.

Murdoch In Murky Waters | The Impudent Observer
Rupert Murdoch has endeavored for over forty years to propagate the concept that newspapers can spread any form of filth and lies without having to answer for their actions.

Of dogma, denial, and the liberal bias of reality | Show Me Progress
I think the Bishops are going to look back one day and ask themselves why contraception in the United States was the hill they chose to die on

Is Mitt Romney "Severely Freudian?" | Show Me Progress
If you are like me, you are probably still poking your finger in your ear trying to figure out if you heard Mitt Romney correctly when he called himself a “Severely conservative Republican.”

Bad company | Show Me Progress
Ouch, from Think Progress: Missouri Becomes Second State To Divert Foreclosure Funds Away From Homeowners To Balance Its Budget

Republicans pushing bill to let any employer deny birth control coverage | Political Buzz Examiner
It appears that the fight over the Obama administration new contraceptives rule is still not over.

How Republicans mythologize their history | Occasional Planet
In a refreshing and somewhat unusual statement following President Obama’s State of the Union address, Missouri Congressman Lacy Clay said, “Tonight’s speech demonstrated President Obama’s positive vision, and reminded me of Presidents Bill Clinton and Franklin Roosevelt.”

Campaign told donors Wagner has ‘no primary opposition’ | PoliticMo
When St. Louis attorney Ed Martin left the Republican primary race in the 2nd Congressional District, Ann Wagner, with her growing campaign war-chest and major endorsers, had a major block in her path to the nomination removed.

Sinquefield sets public school debate ablaze with KKK talk | STL Today
When St. Louisan Rex Sinquefield starts a fire, he uses a flame-thrower.

Bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive" - aka, why the GOP KNOWS THEY ARE IN TROUBLE | Mirror on America
I’ve made no secret that I think the President’s campaign should put it on t-shirts, bumper stickers and mugs. How good is this slogan, and the simpleness cuts to the heart of the GOP?

Spence Doesn't Believe in the Minimum Wage | Fired Up Missouri
For Missourians trying to get by on $7.25 an hour, they can tell you exactly how hard it is to survive. Trying to have a life, afford all the essentials, keep a roof over your head and food on the table for $15,000 a year is nearly impossible.

Indianapolis, St. Louis and the Perception of a Successful City | Next STL
Indianapolis is an incredible Super Bowl host city. Lucas Oil Stadium fits so well architecturally within the downtown. It’s only a seven block walk to the center of the city.

Reject the pipeline! | Rebuild the Dream
We thought we won the Keystone XL fight – but it’s just beginning. Now, the Senate is attempting to override President Obama’s decision.

Obama's new budget plan a lightning rod for criticism, praise | St. Louis Beacon
President Barack Obama’s election-year budget — which calls for more spending to boost infrastructure and economic growth as well as higher taxes for the very wealthy — ran into heavy flak from Republicans who complained Monday that it does not do nearly enough to shrink the trillion-dollar budget deficit.

Parade Marching Through Mill Creek Valley | Preservation Research
Another photograph from our collection of amateur images of the St. Louis built environment captures a parade moving westward down Market Street into Mill Creek Valley

The many lies about Afghanistan | Dangerous Intersection
Who would you trust more to report what is really going on in Afghanistan? High ranking generals spellbound by the sunk costs and warped to incoherence by their increasingly outrageous promises of success in this ten-year old war? Or would you trust a 17-year army veteran who has put his career in jeopardy by reporting his frank observations outside of his chain of command?

State Supreme Court to Decide Whether Missouri's Redistricting Map Unconstitutional |Daily RFT
The fate of this map will rest in the hands of the Missouri Supreme Court. ​Redistricting is the straw that stirs the bitter, burning, 195-proof partisan cocktail we chug down while squeezing our nose.

Holobaugh recipients honored for service, advocacy | The Record
The award honors individuals and organizations that promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality, perform direct advocacy and service to the St. Louis metropolitan area and incorporate education and dialogue as part of their practice.

Missing something? Please feel free to post in the comments.