On Memorial Day 2020 Officer Chauvin, now a former police officer of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), murdered George Floyd in the state of Minnesota where I live. The former officer kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck for eight terrorizing minutes, which ultimately led to the death of Mr Floyd. This event was live streamed by a Minneapolis resident on Facebook where you can hear community members telling the officer to stop because they knew he was killing Mr Floyd. Officer Chauvin and the other officers involved have been fired from the MPD and Officer Chauvin was formally charged with third degree murder. Continue reading

Black Lives Matter spokesperson and Green Party Steering Committee co-chair Trahern Crews tells us about Minneapolis, the US city that has become a symbol of racism, police brutality and inequality. George Floyd, the African-American man who was killed in brutal fashion by police performing an arrest, quickly became a symbol of the oppression and violence suffered by people of colour in the United States. The pain and anger of thousands burst forth in Minneapolis. Day after day, fires burned in protest and anger over a murder that will leave a mark on the city's memory. Demonstrations were soon taking place all over the country, in dozens of major cities – including Los Angeles, New York and Detroit – as well as hundreds of smaller cities and towns. In Detroit, a 19-year-old man who was taking part in the protests was killed as a car pulled up and fired shots into the crowd. Three more people lost their lives in similar circumstances elsewhere, and a curfew was imposed on 25 major urban centres. These kinds of numbers hadn't been seen since the aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King, in 1968. Continue reading

HARRISBURG — Democrats in Pennsylvania are challenging paperwork filed by the state Green Party to get its candidates on the fall election ballot for president and several statewide offices. Monday's filing in the state's Commonwealth Court said the Green Party's paperwork contained "numerous defective signatures, illegible signatures, signatures of unregistered voters, signatures in the handwriting of others and signatures of fictitious persons." Continue reading

News Center Maine, Portland Press Herald, and BDN partner to host US Senate debate next month All four candidates for U.S. Senate—Sara Gideon, Susan Collins, Lisa Savage, and Max Linn—will debate on September 11. PORTLAND, Me — It’s been nearly a month since the stage for the November General Election has been set after Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Sara Gideon won the Maine State Primary. Now, another stage has been set—the debate stage. Continue reading

In reporting on the primary victory of Dr. Sam Page, Democratic candidate for St. Louis County executive, on August 4,The American noted that “Page will have competition in the November general election. However, he got more votes in the Democratic primary than the winner of the Republican primary (Paul Berry III) while getting less than 40% of the Democratic votes cast.” Carol Jackson, campaign manager for Elizabeth (Betsey) Mitchell, Green Party candidate for county executive, objected that Page and Berry were reported as the only two candidates for county executive in November. Continue reading

With just weeks before school systems around the state start a virtual fall semester, too many students live in areas with inadequate internet service needed to access their lessons and classes by computer. Internet provider Comcast Xfinity could change that by making their services available to vulnerable populations who are in danger of falling behind without it. Instead of doing their part to ensure our kids have fair access to their education, Comcast Xfinity sits back and enjoys record-breaking numbers of new customers and profit earnings as a result of the pandemic. Continue reading

Elizabeth "Betsey" Mitchell, the Green Party of St Louis Candidate for St. Louis County Executive, recently sat down for a conversation with Universal African Peoples Organization President Zaki Baruti. Continue reading

Policy before party! Following a loss in a three-way Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, Saco lawyer Bre Kidman is bucking political tradition by refusing to endorse the winner. Instead of urging voters to pick Democrat Sara Gideon in a ranked-choice voting race attracting national attention, Kidman is backing one of two independents on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Continue reading

Spectrum News: Interview with Gloria Mattera, Co-chair of the Green Party of New York In a rider passed in the last state budget, the legislature upped the ante for minor parties in New York. So, two of those minor parties, the Greens and the Libertarians, are suing. In the past, to achieve ballot status, minor parties needed to earn 50,000 votes for their gubernatorial candidates. In other words, they needed 50,000 votes to qualify for the ballot every four years – rules that have been in place for decades. Continue reading

Can Franca Muller Paz do something unheard of in Baltimore in decades: Win a City Council seat as a non-Democrat? Leading an evening bike ride through central Baltimore accompanied by musicians on a flatbed trailer belting out union songs, jazz, cumbia and hip hop – activist and teacher Franca Muller Paz yesterday made an announcement that has energized city progressives. She is challenging the incumbent Democratic Councilman, Robert R. Stokes Sr., in the November 3 general election in the 12th District. Continue reading