One year ago this month, the young Internet freedom activist and groundbreaking programmer Aaron Swartz took his own life. Swartz died shortly before he was set to go to trial for downloading millions of academic articles from servers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology based on the belief that the articles should be freely available online.
Read MoreThe UN Secretary General, Ban Ki–moon, will travel to Cuba next week to attend the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit, reported dpa news.
Read MoreIsraeli army attacks targeting Palestinian communities in Gaza and the West Bank continued this week leaving six injured, meanwhile European countries criticize Israel over new settlements plans in occupied Palestinians areas.
Read MoreThe Israeli army killed one Palestinian and left 30 others injured this week, meanwhile the Israeli government announced more homes to be built in West Bank settlements. These stories and more, coming up.
Read MoreWe spend the hour today looking at the life and legacy of Amiri Baraka, the poet, playwright and political organizer who died Thursday at the age of 79. Baraka was a leading force in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. (video)
Read MoreOne week after the inauguration of new mayor Bill de Blasio, Melissa Mark-Viverito has been elected speaker of the New York City Council. Democracy Now! co-host and New York Daily News columnist Juan González says Mark-Viverito’s election cements a new political era in New York City where progressives have now filled several major posts, from the mayor on down.
Read MoreOne of the great mysteries of the Vietnam War era has been solved. On March 8, 1971, a group of activists — including a cabdriver, a day care director and two professors — broke into an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania. They stole every document they found and then leaked many to the press, including details about FBI abuses and the then-secret counter-intelligence program to infiltrate, monitor and disrupt social, political movements, nicknamed COINTELPRO.
Read MoreMexican President Enrique Peña Nieto will make an official visit to Cuba in late January in his effort towards improved relations with the island and also to attend a summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), reported dpa news.
Read MoreA panel of 11 judges, experts in international law, former UN officials, and peace and human rights activists, found Sri Lanka guilty of genocide at its December 7-10, 2013 hearings in Berman, Germany. The unanimous decision was taken after hearing over 30 witnesses, including Tamil victims, and experts.
Read MoreNew York state is poised to become the latest state to loosen restrictions on marijuana usage. This week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo will reportedly announce a plan to use his executive power to allow 20 hospitals across the state to prescribe marijuana to certain patients.
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