Robert Reich on the Trans-Pacific Partnership in 2 minutes, 15 seconds

Robert Reich explains it quite well:

Catholic Opposition to Fast-track authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops voices opposition to granting "fast-track" authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-seufert/president-obama-catholics_b_7130558.html

Opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership

And here are some of the politicians who oppose this deal:
http://time.com/3833807/trans-pacific-partnership-republicans/

Municipal Courts in St. Louis County

Since the killing of Mike Brown, one of the issues that has garnered attention is the way that many municipal courts work as debtor's prisons that generate vital revenue for tiny cities and police departments throughout the St. Louis region. For instance, witness the use of bail amounts in Velda City: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/velda-city-sued-in-federal-court-over-bail-amounts/article_995390e1-af64-591d-a5f2-6f71234b3996.html

A few days ago, 80 of the 82 municipalities announced that they had agreed to a uniform fine structure. http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-county-municipal-courts-agree-to-uniform-fines-court/article_7851b8a5-52d3-59e6-804c-4f2883acbc77.html

This voluntary action comes with the looming possibility that the Missouri legislature may enact further limits upon the allowable uses of revenue from traffic fines and the like, a tightening of the so-called "Mack's Creek" law that was named after a notorious speed trap: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/municipal-court-revenue-limits-debated-in-jefferson-city/article_73a15a44-87f5-57fc-9dc6-7fa7e83238e5.html

What will be the effects? Unsurprisingly, some of these small communities may have to disband, which points to the fact that their police departments have been revenue generators.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/with-court-revenue-facing-limits-budgets-look-tenuous-in-many/article_97ada24f-14b8-5737-b14d-e67da840b15f.html

The Selling of the World: The Trans-Pacific Partnership

If you have never heard of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, you are not alone. It has been negotiated in secret by industry lobbyists who work for multi-national corporations.

What would it do? Robert Reich explains briefly:

Crossing the Delmar Divide: the BBC investigates housing segregation in St. Louis

The video is available on KPLR's website: Crossing the Delmar Divide

Here is the link from YouTube:

Heading to El Norte- "Crystal Frontier" by Calexico

Crystal Frontier
Joey Burns

Marco's shadow falls on the door to the seven lost cities of gold
Finds a raven's head and rattlers tail
Dead in his tracks, this godforsaken soul's
Unwanted here and his ghost lingers for years

Amalia's face hides behind the mask sweating on the TV factory line
That smile on her face is starting to crack
While welding back the pieces of a shattered heart
That's scattered out here, with the ghosts of her peers

Searches for her lost child along the river of tears, the river of tears

At the end of the working week
When drunken worlds meet
Both sides keeping a close eye
For a break in the line here on the crystal frontier, crystal frontier

Ramon tightens up his leather belt and slips through a hole in the fence
He can get you anything you want
Might cost you a life, might cost you
The whole price of freedom here on the crystal frontier

Searches for her lost love along the river of tears, the river of tears

Blood spills out on the streets
And bodies are missing for weeks
Both sides keeping a close eye
Watching the bullets fly here on the crystal frontier, crystal frontier

Life Before the Spill- "The Gulf of Mexico" by Steve Earle

Stepping out on the drilling floor to earn a roughneck's pay....

The Gulf Of Mexico
Steve Earle

Come and gather 'round me people
And a tale to you I'll tell
Of my father and his father
In the days before the spill
With an endless sky above 'em
And a restless sea below
And every blessin' flowing from the Gulf of Mexico

From my Granddad with the shrimp boats
From the time that he was grown
And he scrimped and saved and bought himself
A trawler of his own
He was rough and he was ready
And he drank when he was home
And he made his family's living on the Gulf of Mexico

We were rolling
We were rolling
Past the deep blue water
He was rolling

Well my Daddy drove a crew boat
Hauling workers to the rigs
He was sick of mending nets
And couldn't stand the smell of fish
He drew a steady paycheck
20 years at Texico
When he died they spread his ashes
On the Gulf of Mexico

We were rolling
We were rolling
Past the deep green water
He was rolling

As for me, I think of nothing
Any grander than the day
That I stepped out on the drillin' floor
To earn a roughneck's pay

Then one night I swear I saw the devil
Crawlin' from the hole
And he spilled the guts of hell out in the Gulf of Mexico

We were rolling
We were rolling
'Cross the blood red water
We were rolling

Finally see what it means to be living- "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman

I had a feeling that I belonged....

Fast Car
Tracy Chapman

You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere
Anyplace is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
Me, myself I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
I got a plan to get us out of here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
Won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

You see my old man's got a problem
He live with the bottle that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
His body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody's got to take care of him
So I quit school and that's what I did

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so we can fly away
We gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

So remember we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
I had a feeling that I belonged
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
We go cruising to entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
I work in a market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs

I remember we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
I had a feeling that I belonged
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me would find it
I got no plans I ain't going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on driving

I remember we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
I had a feeling that I belonged
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so you can fly away
You gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

Hazelwood Schools Start Food Pantry

Over half of all public school students live in poverty. In recognition of this, the Hazelwood School District has started a food pantry program on January 20, 2015, called "Food for Thought" to help students in need.

"The Hazelwood School District is launching a new food pantry program for students in need.
Called "Food For Thought," the pantries will be housed at the district's three high schools, but will be available for all students who lack a reliable source of food for evenings, weekends and other breaks from school.

The Hazelwood PTA Council, Hazelwood National Education Association and the district worked on the launch together. The program officially began today (January 20, 2015), when parents, students and staff shopped for non-perishable food items at a Shop N Save in Florissant. They invite the community to participate by making a donation of food or money.

The number of students who rely on free or reduced lunch continues to grow across the nation and in Missouri. In Hazelwood, about 57 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, up from 55.5 percent in 2010. Statewide, it's nearly 50 percent."

To read more, go here:
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/hazelwood-schools-start-food-pantry/article