San Jose, CA – On May 16, around 150 people gathered at the Santa Clara County Government Center to celebrate the county’s 25th annual Palestinian Cultural Day. The event, sponsored by the county supervisors and the Palestinian Heritage Committee, celebrates the 30,000 Palestinian-Americans living in Santa Clara County and their contributions to the South Bay community.

The event began with the raising of the Palestinian and American flags in front of the County Building, as each country’s national anthem played.

The opening speaker was Samir Laymoun, longtime Palestinian community leader and lead organizer of Palestinian Cultural Day since its inception. “A trauma passed down through every single generation. Today our hearts break because the violence has reached a terrifying depth. Israel is not just taking Palestinian lives. It is trying to kill the very soul of Palestine.”

Laymoun continued, “The deliberate destruction of schools and universities aims to silence our children's dreams. This is a cruel attempt to make us forget and erase our history. Here in California, Palestinian students' stories and history of Palestine are censored in K-12 under vague controversial issue policies and laws such as AB 715.”

16-year-old Mariam Al-Tamimi spoke about her personal experiences with this censorship at her

high school. Al-Tamimi wrote an article for her school newspaper about underrepresented students, including Palestinian students. “The moment that I mentioned Palestine in the article, the Zionists in my class immediately pushed back, ready to silence me, as if my article wasn't already advocating for those who are silenced. They complained endlessly to the principal until the principal finally decided to take out the article, which I had worked on for weeks, in mere seconds.”

“However, this didn't silence me. Instead, I was determined to publish my article. “I was able to publish my article in the Silicon Valley Voice, a professional newspaper,” Al-Tamimi continued. “That moment made me realize that they wouldn't work so hard to silence us if we didn't matter.”

Palestinian-American human rights lawyer Jennifer Zacharia stated, “Civil rights laws created to protect the most vulnerable and marginalized among us are being distorted and wielded as well. These attacks on our schools, wrapped in a misrepresentation of antisemitism, are naked efforts to silence both Palestinians and advocates for our liberation. These measures aim to criminalize teaching our history, impugn and make suspect our identity and culture, and quell dissent about the occupation, apartheid, and genocide that define how Zionism has been enacted on the lives and bodies of Palestinians.”

Zacharia continued, “We are dehumanized and told that our existence can only take muted, quiet, hollow shapes that don't offend those who work tirelessly to negate us. But we are still here. We are building institutions and solidarity, and we are cultivating hope and imagination.”

The event concluded with a performance by Al-Juthoor Dabke, with attendees joining in at the end to dance together.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

San Jose, CA – On May 15, over 50 people in downtown San Jose to commemorate the 78th year since Al Nakba, “The Catastrophe,” where 750,000 Palestinians were violently displaced by Zionist forces for the establishment of the apartheid state of Israel.

Chants included, “Free, free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” Protesters held signs reading, “We will not be complicit, San Jose divest from genocide” and “Silicon Valley has blood on their hands.”

Haddy Barghouti of Students for Justice in Palestine at San Jose State University spoke to the crowd about the fearful existence that he and his family endured in Palestine. He implored the crowd, “We cannot stay silent. We have to continue using our voices, telling our stories and speaking for the [Palestinian] people who are living in fear every day.”

Dyon Capote of Silicon Valley Democratic Socialists of America addressed the crowd, “Nakba Day should not just be a commemoration but also an acknowledgment of the tribulations the Palestinians have endured but they have never given up their dreams of a free Palestine and neither should we!”

Dina Saba, president of Democrats for Palestinian Rights, highlighted the billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars sent to uphold Israel, saying, “78 years of our hard-earned money funding Israel’s atrocities!”

Jack McCann from San Jose Against War commended the brave Palestinian resistance and emphasized that the struggle is local as well, saying, “It is our duty here, in the belly of the beast, to honor their sacrifice, to join in the BDS movement and to fight for a free Palestine!”

McCann continued, “This is why San Jose Against War is waging a struggle at city council, demanding an end to complicity in the crimes of the genocidal Zionist entity. Until we succeed, there is blood on our hands, especially council members who recently voted not to divest from Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon: George Casey, Michael Mulcahey, David Cohen, and Anthony Tordillos. Shame!”

Drusie Kazanova of FRSO San Jose said, “The people of Palestine and their allies have not given up in their fight for national liberation, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization stands with them!”

Kazanova continued drawing the connection between the working and oppressed people in the U.S. and the oppressed people of Palestine, saying, “[We] share the same enemy: the U.S. imperialists. The FRSO is committed to the call for an independent Palestine. We are marching today and we will march every Nakba Day until Palestine is finally free!”

Salem Ajlouni, board member of Human Agenda, stated, “A free Palestine is part of the struggle for a just U.S.”

Fadi Saba, a Palestinian-American teacher, stated, “Gaza and Palestine is the moral compass of the world. It is ‘Free Palestine’ until Palestine is free.”

The protest began at the Dr. MLK Jr. library and marched through the streets of downtown to a busy pedestrian corridor, San Pedro Square, to chant loudly and continue the program before marching back to the library.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #SJAW #Palestine

The increase in the PPI means that consumer prices will be heading even higher in the future. For example, the price of diesel fuel, used in trucking, farm and warehouse equipment, was up 12.6% in just one month, adding to the cost of food and almost all goods that are shipped by trucks. The wholesale cost of transport by truck rose 8.1% in April as compared to March. Air freight costs also rose, but by a “smaller” amount of 3.6% for the month.

Major companies such as Whirlpool, a maker of appliances, announced a 10% price increase in April, and another 4% to be imposed in July.

Parts of the PPI report also feed into the Personal Consumption Expenditure, or PCE, price report that is coming out May 28. The PCE price index is the inflation measure followed by the Federal Reserve Bank, which traditionally raises interest rates when inflation rises.

With inflation rising, bond prices are falling, since inflation erodes the fixed interest payments that bonds pay. This means that the interest rate on bonds is going up; for example, the ten-year U.S. Treasury bond before the war on Iran was 4.02%, and it is now 4.46%. The ten-year U.S. Treasury bond is a benchmark that impacts other loan interest rates. For example, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage was just below 6% right before the war started, is now at 6.45%. Rising mortgage interest rates mean larger loan payments, reducing even more the affordability of buying a home.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy #Inflation

The rising costs of energy drove the increase in prices, on the backs of higher fuel prices as a result of Trump’s war on Iran. Gasoline prices were up 28.4% over a year ago. Electricity rates were up 6.1% from a year ago.

These higher prices mean that the purchasing power of workers’ incomes, or what economists call real income, fell in April as compared to March, and also fell compared to a year ago. Using another measure of prices paid by workers, the CPI-W, real wages or hourly earnings fell 0.3% in April from March, and fell 0.2% as compared to a year ago.

There were also signs that higher fuel and energy prices are spreading to goods and services that use a lot of energy to produce. With diesel fuel prices up over 60% from a year ago according to the AAA (American Automobile Association), transportation costs are showing up in the higher prices for food, up 0.5% in April as compared to no increase in March. Airline fares have soared, up more than 20% as compared to April 2025, as jet fuel prices have almost doubled.

While economists often refer to the “core” rate of inflation, which takes out food and energy costs as they are more variable month to month, this means that the actual rate of inflation for lower and middle income households is actually greater than the headline (total) inflation, since those consumers spend more of their income on necessities like food, gasoline and electricity.

With Trump polling at all-time lows, with 70% of people disapproving of him on the economy, Congress is proposing to suspend the federal gasoline tax. However, the tax is only 18 cents a gallon, or about 4% of the current national average price. But with gasoline up more than 40% since the war started, this would at most offset 10% of the increase. Further, the gasoline tax is an excise tax that the seller pays, so there is no way to ensure that the gasoline sellers pass on the tax cut to drivers.

With no end in sight to the war that is blocking the flow of oil, gas, fertilizer, sulfur (used in industry) and helium (used in a lot of tech industries), higher prices are likely to spread to more and more goods and services.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy #Inflation #Featured

The employment report, based on a survey of businesses, was strong relative to the weak hiring in 2025, with 115,000 new jobs created. There were still pockets of weakness, with government jobs declining by 8000, making April the seventh month in a row of job losses by government workers. Manufacturing also lost jobs, down by 2000 jobs.

However, the survey of households showed more weakness, with the labor force participation rate declining by 0.1%. Without this decline, the unemployment rate would have gone up. The unemployment rate was also held down by a big jump in self-employed workers, many of whom, like rideshare drivers, are really a new type of temp workers. Last, but not least, the broadest measure of unemployment, which includes people who gave up looking for work and people working part-time who can’t find full-time jobs, rose to the highest this year, at 8.2%.

Workers’ compensation, including wages, benefits and taxes paid by the employer, rose 3.1% in the first three months of the year (January to March) according to another BLS report issued Thursday, May 7. But prices rose even faster, meaning that real compensation, or the purchasing power of workers’ wages and benefits, actually fell by one half of one percent, or 0.5%, during these same three months.

This meant that the share of total output in the economy that goes to workers was only 54.1% in the first quarter, the lowest since these records began almost 80 years ago, in 1947. With more of the share of the economy going to corporate profits, rent, interest and small business income, it is no wonder that more and more people feel that the rich are getting richer, and the poor poorer.

The growing divide between haves and have-nots can also be seen in the contrast between the latest Consumer Sentiment report by the University of Michigan and the booming stock market. The Consumer Sentiment report, which covers the period of April 21 to May 4, fell to an all-time low of 48.2. This drop reflected consumers’ expectation of inflation to rise. Expectations are that inflation will jump over the next year from 3.3% over the last 12 months to 4.5% over the next 12 months. This will further reduce the purchasing power of workers’ wages.

In contrast, the stock market, as measured by the broad S&P 500 Index, is at an all-time high. The stock market is being driven by corporate profits and the fast-growing wealth of those at the top. In particular, semiconductor chip stocks have risen to about 15% of total stock market value, even higher than during the 2000 dot-com stock market bubble.

How have sales and business profits held up with so many working-class households struggling amid soaring gasoline prices? On one hand, more and more consumer spending is based on high-income households as the economic divide in terms of income and wealth continues to grow. On the other hand, lower and middle income households, mainly the working class, are borrowing more to make ends meet. The Federal Reserve report on consumer credit, released yesterday, May 7, shows that credit card borrowing increased at the fastest rate since the last bout of inflation, in 2022.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy #Jobs #Unemployment #Featured

San Jose, CA – On May 7, dozens of community members gathered at Hillview Branch Library for a panel discussion led by rank-and-file union members and organizers about the state of the labor movement in the South Bay.

The panel members included Ariya Amin of San Jose Teachers Association; Armando Barbosa of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265; Nancy Mendoza of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 5, and Philip Nguyen of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Service Employees International Union Local 521.

The discussion centered around the importance of unions, local struggles against school and store closures, ICE, and the fight against the Trump administration’s attacks on workers.

“Unions are essential to us harnessing our collective power. We will always be up against forces that are opposed to that, so it is essential to be organized,” said Amin, “As teachers, our working conditions directly affect our students. We not only advocate for ourselves, but our students and their families.”

“The union is important because it gives the working class a voice at the table,” stated Barbosa, “We think about entering into a labor non-physical warfare, because that’s what we’re really up against. We are in battle. The contract is our sword and our shop stewards are our defense mechanisms.”

Nancy Mendoza highlighted the effects of the Trump administration on organizing Cardenas grocery store workers, “Cardenas workers, a lot of them came on a parole visa, so they all got laid off. Trump suspended their visas and they were unable to work.”

Cardenas, however, took advantage of the situation to circumvent the union’s organizing efforts. Mendoza added, “Cardenas grocery store tells the workers that we work with ICE. That’s a big one, so now we’re giving them cards for Know Your Rights and we’re holding classes for them to attend so they know their rights for when they face ICE.”

The event concluded with a short Q and A session and opportunities to socialize.

#SanJoseCA #CA #Labor

Last July, the Trump administration increased work requirements for people who are getting food aid under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Since then, almost 3.5 million people have been dropped from SNAP, or 8% of the total. But in some states, such as Arizona, the number of people getting food aid fell by almost half.

This is despite the official government estimate that almost 50 million people, or almost 14% of households, are “food insecure,” meaning that they have to cut back on how much they eat, or reduce the quality of their food. This is even more severe among households with children, where 18% are considered food insecure.

When the Republican Congress did not extend federal subsidies for private health insurance that were expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, premiums soared. People in Republican-led states that did not expand Medicaid – older people, those with middle incomes – were hit the hardest. Initial sign-ups fell by more than a million people, but millions more are being dropped after not paying the higher premiums, which could increase tenfold or more.

Before the cuts, 8% of Americans, or 27 million people, did not have any health insurance at all. Almost 40% of Americans depend on government health insurance, mainly Medicare (for seniors and disabled) and Medicaid (for lower incomes). In addition, there are the Veterans Administration and the subsidized ACA marketplace, which are also government funded. While statistics for this year and the impact of the cuts won’t be available until the fall of 2027, the number of Americans without any health insurance is rising.

Finally, foreclosures on homeowners still paying their mortgages rose 26% over a year ago, to the highest level in six years. In the first three months of 2026, almost 120,000 foreclosures were filed by lenders against homeowners who fell behind on their payments. Partly this is because of the end of mortgage protections for borrowers passed during COVID-19, but homeowners with mortgages are also under pressure from higher home insurance premiums and property taxes.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy

San Jose, CA – On May 1, 1500 people gathered in East San Jose for the annual San Jose May Day march. This year marked 20 years since May Day was revived in the United States with the 2006 immigrant rights megamarches in protest of the racist, anti-immigrant Sensenbrenner bill. This year, the May Day march began at the intersection of Story and King, an historic center of the Chicano community in San Jose and the same starting location as the 2006 march.

Local singer and songwriter Miguel Trujillo kicked off the opening rally with several songs about the struggles of workers and immigrants.

Louie Rocha, one of the original lead organizers of the 2006 May Day march and retired CWA worker, spoke to the crowd, “Over 200,000 marched and that march started from right here at Story and King Roads. The thousands of marchers included workers, mothers, fathers, families, students, small business owners, to support a fair immigration policy and to also demand respect for those that toil for jobs and services that are least desired.”

“Millions more marched across the country that day. On that day young and old were united. On that day every color in our community was present and marched united for justice. The people watched over the people. HR 4437 ultimately did not pass Congress. We need to keep organizing,” Rocha continued.

This year, as in 2006, the May Day march was joined by walkouts by hundreds of high school students. In all, seven San Jose high schools held walkouts to join the march.

Jonathan Soria, one of the leading student organizers for the walkouts, spoke to the crowd at Story and King, “As a first generation Mexican American, who comes from a background of hard-working immigrants, I am here to say: this country was built by immigrants, and they are here to stay – este país fue construido por inmigrantes, y están aquí para quedarse.”

Soria continued, “My parents as well as many other immigrants went through so much in hopes of giving their children a chance at life that they never received. We are tired of the racism that we have endured in this country. The oppression we have suffered. So now we are here to let it be known that we will no longer tolerate the same treatment. Going forward we will continue to make our voices heard and fight for our people.”

Jessica Aviles from Community Service Organization San Jose stated, “We are currently facing an administration that’s pitting the working class against each other. They cut federal funding towards resources like medical, SNAP benefits and many more that are necessary to our communities and increase funding for ICE and DHS who are terrorizing our immigrant communities.”

Aviles continued, “They’re doing all of this while telling us that the immigrants are at fault when in reality it’s just an excuse for the system that is failing us all. We may ask ourselves, why are they trying to keep us apart? The answer is plain and simple – because when we fight, we win. We all have to keep showing up because the fight is far from over. We have to be there for our communities so they can remain strong.”

The crowd marched from Story and King to San Jose City Hall, stopping along the way for chanting and more speeches. There were many union contingents, including ATU 265, SEIU 2015, LiUNA 270, CWA District 9, California Fast Food Workers Union, UFCW 5, and the South Bay Labor Council. The crowd changed, “ICE out!” and “El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido!” People waved a variety of flags, from Mexico, to Palestine, to Iran.

At San Jose City Hall, the program continued as attendees checked out resource tables from local community organizations. The event concluded with cultural performances, including folkorico dancers and live music.

San Jose May Day is organized annually by the San Jose May Day Coalition.

#SanJoseCA #CA #Labor #ImmigrantsRights #MayDay

San José, CA – On April 29, the League of Filipino Students (LFS) in SJSU held a vigil in front of the Victory Statue to honor the lives of the Toboso 19. The Toboso 19 were murdered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on April 23 in Barangays Salamanca, Toboso, and Negros Occidental. A total of 653 residents and 168 households were displaced from Barangays Salamanca and San Jose.

At the vigil, paper roses and candles were set up before the portraits in a beautiful display of solidarity with the martyrs. In a statement released before the vigil, LFS called for “justice for Lyle Prijoles and the victims of the Toboso massacre,” “accountability from the AFP and corrupt Philippine government” and “an end to the U.S.-backed violations of human rights in the Philippines.”

The statement continued, “We are deeply inspired by Ka Lyle’s courage and his genuine love for the toiling Filipino masses. He chose to go to Negros not as an outsider, but to listen, to learn from the people, and to help bring their lived experiences and struggles to light despite knowing the dangers of their militarized situation.”

Throughout the event, LFS students and community members spoke about Lyle Prijoles, one of the martyrs, who was part of LFS at San Francisco State University and was referred to as an exemplary comrade who shared his lessons and experience to organizers and youth alike. A colleague spoke about his love for Star Wars and his passion for worldbuilding and applying its principles to working conditions in the Philippines.

Best friend and fellow organizer Ash Santosh spoke on how he saw Lyle Prijoles like a mentor figure who helped him with every single step of the way and proved himself to be a very humble person in his life. “He tried to make things better and was so instrumental in pushing for people to believe in a brighter future. May we live like Lyle.”

Justher Guttierez gave a personal account of Errol Wendel, who organized alongside them. “Errol was a really funny person who kept a fun atmosphere. He showed me that as an organizer you don’t have to change what kind of person you are,” she recalled. “He was always inquisitive and curious to know the conditions of people’s struggles and lived alongside them. The government is so afraid of activists that it will kill the people they claim to serve, and we will not stop organizing.”

Trizha Aquino from Pilipino Laban sa Korapsyon (PILAK) shared their own experiences in immersion work as they worked alongside Errol Wendel.

“One of the pieces of advice he gave to me is to study the land struggles in different parts of the Philippines so that when you meet a new contact you can ask them where they’re from and connect it to the three big problems,” Aquino said. “When visiting some locals, I would see him off to the side asking some nanays how they were doing and if anything was bothering them. I could tell he was deeply loved and trusted by the masses. It only goes to show how important it is to immerse yourself with the masses.”

Kalyani Blackwell of LFS also spoke about systemic discrimination against the Negrense people in the Philippines, saying, “The farmworkers of Negros produce over half of the country’s sugar and contributes about 90 million to the national GDP annually. Despite that, farmworkers work on a contract system called ‘pakyawan’, where they work 12 hours of backbreaking work a day with no paid overtime.”

#SanJoseCA #CA #StudentMovement #International #Philippines #Toboso19

While the United States produces more diesel fuel than it consumes, the difference is exported. With prices of diesel fuel much higher in many countries, this can pull up the prices of diesel fuel here in the United States.

The price of diesel has not had much of an impact on consumer prices, which rose almost 1% in March over February and 3.3% from a year earlier. But many businesses use diesel fuel for their trucks, farm equipment and construction equipment. Big corporations have begun to increase their prices to try to offset this. For example, the fuel surcharge for UPS rose to 27%, up from 21% before the war started.

But smaller businesses, like independent truckers, are often not able to do this. This means that their margins and income are cut, or they drive less, again cutting their revenue. Small farmers are also feeling the squeeze, not only with diesel prices, but prices of fertilizer are also up.

These higher costs will trickle up to consumers. While there was scant evidence of this in March, some price increases are likely in April and even more after that. While a big part of Trump’s election campaign in 2024 was him saying he was going to fight inflation, his tariff increases that began on so-called “Liberation Day” in April 2025, and then the war on Iran, have already pushed the Consumer Price Index to the highest rate since Trump took office.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy #Inflation #Iran

San Jose, CA – On April 22, Earth Day, over a dozen SJSU students led by Students for a Democratic Society disrupted the campus’ newly opened “AI Center for Civic and Social Good.”

The center opened on March 3 at Dr. Martin Luther King Library and is co-sponsored by the city of San Jose. The center also had the backing of several notable war profiteers, primarily Nvidia, Alphabet and OpenAI. Nvidia and OpenAI both have multi-million dollar contracts with the Department of War, and Alphabet has offered considerable technological support to Israel.

At 1:15 p.m., Students for a Democratic Society gathered outside the MLK Library and began a noise demonstration, aided in their efforts by a drummer. Chants included “AI Center, off our campus!” and “Admin plays with AI while Palestinian children die!”

Most chants drew attention to the complicity of AI corporations in U.S. warmongering, and how those same companies collaborate with SJSU.

While the disruption was happening, some SJSU students entered the library and hung a banner over the AI center, covering the signage which read “AI Center for Civic and Social Good,” and replacing it with the more fitting, “AI Center for War and Genocide.” SJSU administration was present and filmed the students, and about half an hour later they called custodial staff to remove the banner.

The program continued outside with a few speakers. Tim Phan from FRSO spoke on SDS’s ongoing negotiations with university administration and how they connected to the action.

“For the past year since [SDS’s] campaign against Lockheed Martin and companies complicit in genocide, they have demanded a meeting with President Cynthia,” Pham said. “And so far, she has refused to budge.”

Ethan Maruyama, SDS’s Social Committee chair stated, “The common denominator between these companies is that they are providing technology to help the U.S. and Israel surveil and kill civilians; your tuition money is funding this. As students, we want money for jobs and education, not for war and deportation.”

San Jose Against War member and former SDSer Jack McCann told the crowd, “Today marks two years since students at Cal Poly Humboldt occupied a building, fought off the police, and held the campus for a week demanding an end to Israel’s genocide and an end to university investments in companies complicit in this genocide.”

McCann continued, “Today, SJ State partners with companies complicit in the most horrific crimes against humanity. OpenAI provides software to the Israeli military that makes their weapons even more deadly. Nvidia provides the necessary hardware for this to happen. Google provides services for Israel to host their kill lists on. Is this what they mean by ‘Civic and Social Good?’”

The action called attention to AI companies’ many connections with U.S. war and Israeli apartheid, and a part of SDS SJSU’s larger, two-year campaign to pressure SJSU admin to cut ties with war profiteers. SDS is certain to continue mounting disruptions until the university administration finally decides to negotiate on their demands: no tech for genocide, and cut ties with war profiteers.

#SanJoseCA #CA #StudentMovement #SDS #AI

San Jose, CA – On Saturday, April 18, over 20 people gathered in front of the Microsoft office in Mountain View to protest the company’s complicity in Israel’s genocide in Palestine, ICE’s deportation operations as well as their development of AI data centers causing ecological destruction.

Protestors held signs like, “San Jose: Divest from Alphabet and Microsoft” and “We will not be complicit.” Organizers hung up a large banner saying, “No U.S. tax $$ for Israeli occupation.” The crowd chanted, “Free Palestine” and “Microsoft you can’t hide, you’re committing genocide!”

Jack McCann, member of San Jose Against War, spoke to the crowd highlighting how Israel’s genocide on the Palestinian people also destroyed their ecology and water infrastructure.

McCann said, “Israel could not commit crimes on this massive scale without the digital infrastructure to collect and store data on who to kill next. Microsoft helps Israel by providing this technology that is essential to their crimes.”

Nassim Nouri of the Santa Clara County Green Party stated, “We have a government that is taken over by billionaires – by corporations like [Microsoft] – that put profit over people, planet and peace! They think nothing of taking lives and shedding blood of the people locally through ICE and abroad through Israel.”

Marcel Knightly of San Jose Against War said, “This is not just about data centers and contracts, it is about a system where corporations profit from war abroad and extraction at home, it’s about working-class communities being forced to sacrifice their water, electricity, health and dignity to executives can expand their empires.”

Philip Nguyen, member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, spoke on how the climate crisis is built into the capitalist system, saying, “Endless wars and the sharpening climate crisis are both the natural outcome of the capitalist system, which is driven by unrestrained profit with no regard for human life or the future of our planet, and working and oppressed people all over the world will be the ones to suffer the consequences.”

Nguyen continued, “And that means that all working and oppressed people must unite to take on our common enemy once and for all. We must build a militant, fighting movement against these evil corporations and corrupt politicians and their endless wars.”

To commemorate Palestinian Prisoners Day, Donna Wallach of San Jose Against War read quotes from an article describing the torture and sexual violence that Palestinian prisoners experience in Israeli prisons.

John Duroyan from Students for a Democratic Society at San Jose State University (SJSU) spoke to the crowd, saying, “The number one emitter in the world is the U.S. military, and we must never forget that the climate struggle is inseparable with the anti-war struggle. Now SJSU is working with known war-profiteer Alphabet to open an ‘AI Center for Social Good’ on campus which the students will be mobilizing against.”

The crowd continued to chant outside the office building and cars driving by honked in solidarity.

#SanJoseCA #CA #EarthDay #AntiWarMovement #Environment #Palestine #SJAW #Divestment #Microsoft

The rise in prices was led by gasoline, up 21.2% in March. While the prices for consumer goods and services other than food and energy, or the so-called “core inflation rate” only ticked up 0.2% in March, the rise in fuel prices started to spill over into other goods and services. Airline fares, where jet fuel is a major cost, rose 2.7% in the month of March, and 14.9% from a year earlier.

This increase in prices and the rate of inflation follows the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, launched in the last days of February. In response to the massive U.S.-Israeli bombings, with well over 10,000 targets, Iran has retaliated against U.S. bases and businesses in the Persian Gulf and Israel itself. In addition, Iran has taken control of the Straits of Hormuz, through which flowed about 30% of the world’s exported oil, and large amounts of natural gas, urea (used to make fertilizer), and helium, used in chip manufacturing and other high-tech goods like MRI machines.

With a relative ceasefire, Trump administration negotiators led by Vice President Vance are meeting with Iranian representatives for talks hosted by Pakistan. The flow of oil, fuels and chemicals is still just a trickle, mainly ships holding Iranian oil, which now fetch almost twice as much as before the war started because of the rise in the price of oil and the fact that the Trump administration lifted sanctions on their oil. Even though oil futures have dropped back down below $100 a barrel, this is still 50% higher than their pre-war prices. The purchase price of actual, or physical oil, is another $30 a barrel higher. Even worse, with the last shiploads of oil that made it out of the Persian Gulf unloading their oil at their destinations, the soaring price of oil will soon become a physical shortage of oil in more countries.

Not surprisingly, this surge in prices weighed on consumers’ confidence. The University of Michigan’s Sentiment Index fell to a record low of 47.6. This is the lowest in the survey’s 74-year history, lower than the 2008 financial crisis and the oil-price shock of 1979 after the revolution in Iran that ended the reign of the U.S.-backed Shah of Iran and the beginning of today’s Islamic Republic.

With prices soaring, more and more Americans who were living paycheck to paycheck are falling behind. One of the businesses benefitting from hard times are pawn shops, which reported more business in March. There are now corporate chains of pawn shops, whose stocks are at multi-year highs, in effect profiting from economic problems.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy #Inflation

San Jose, CA – On Tuesday March 24, community members made public comment at the San Jose City Council meeting, demanding they enact an ethical investment policy.

At this meeting, the city council was conducting an annual review of investment policy. Around 40 people called on the city to divest from corporations tied to Israel and ICE, companies that include Alphabet, Amazon, Caterpillar, Honeywell and Microsoft.

For almost two years, San Jose Against War (SJAW) has been leading a divestment campaign targeting companies complicit in genocide, ethnic cleansing and incarceration. They mobilized to the Public Safety, Finance, and Strategic Support Committee meeting in February. They also conducted an email drive, enabling participants to send a pre-written email to all of their council members in just a few clicks. Additionally, SJAW did extensive flyering at activist events, calling people at the March meeting to join the call for ethical investment.

At the meeting, Council Members Ortiz and Kamei introduced a policy that would bar any new investments in companies that provide services to ICE, including Microsoft, Alphabet (Google) and Amazon. Many community members spoke in favor of the policy, while even more spoke in favor of a more expansive policy that also includes companies that provide services to the Israeli military.

Serena Myjer, a local biologist, highlighted a recent precedent set by the council. “In 2020, the city of San Jose aligned with its constituents’ values and chose to amend city council investment policies so that the city would not make investments in entities that directly engage in expiration, production and refining or marketing fossil fuels.”

Philip Nguyen, SEIU Local 521 steward, emphasized divestment as a meaningful way to stand up for the immigrant community, “We have investments in companies that have historically facilitated the ripping apart of families and killing of people at home and abroad.” Nguyen continued, “With Alphabet having a partnership with Lockheed Martin to make their weapons more efficiently, as well as CBP [Customs and Border Patrol] to make their tactics of surveilling the border more deadly.”

A member of the Community Service Organization (CSO) stated, “We have seen ICE’s direct impacts in our communities here in San Jose, with deportations of South Bay families, with kidnappings, and even just recently, ICE against pulling a gun at community members for entering a lobby of a building in Southside San Jose.”

Marcel Knightly, a local educator, walked over four miles to make public comment, “San Jose is a sanctuary city, and we should reaffirm this by divesting and barring any future investment into companies such as Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon, who have contracts with ICE and other deportation operations.”

Drusie Kazanova of SJAW told the crowd, “Since Trump has escalated his attacks… with American citizens being murdered in the streets by ICE, and our own San Jose community members having a gun pulled on them by the manager of the ICE office here in San Jose a couple weeks ago; it’s time to put our money where our mouths are.”

After 60 public comments with a strong majority in support of the proposed resolution, the city council ultimately voted to not approve a policy that would divest from companies that deal with ICE. The motion received a tie vote of four to four, needing six to pass. Those who spoke in favor met with SJAW outside the building shortly after the vote to debrief. People were eager to carry on the struggle, and together resolved that this would not be the end of the campaign.

The movement for divestment continues to grow and the people of San Jose’s fight for divestment from companies complicit in Israel’s genocide on Palestine will continue.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement

While stock prices rose when Trump announced he was postponing an escalation of the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign earlier, when he did this again on Thursday, stock fell on Friday. This shows that Wall Street is seeing through his almost weekly proclamations that the U.S. and Israel had “won,” or that Iran is desperate to negotiate an end to the war, that the war would be over soon, etc.

The reality is that Iran has taken effective control of the Straits of Hormuz, only letting through ships with Iranian oil or with cargos destined for non-U.S. allies such as China. Iran has been preparing for this attack for more than three decades, ever since the U.S. egged on Iraq to invade Iran in the 1980s.

Trump is actually the one who needs to end the war, as he becomes more and more unpopular just as the November midterm elections are coming up, threatening a loss of the House of Representatives and possibly even the Senate from Republican control. Trump’s “Plan B” is to further escalate by putting “boots on the ground” as thousands of Marines and Army troops are on their way to the war zone. The administration is also asking for an additional $200 billion in military spending, which could only mean a longer and wider war.

The Trump administration has learned nothing from the trade war with China last year, where the U.S. ultimately had to back down as China matched tariff for tariff and then won with export controls on critical minerals. Nor did the administration learn from the U.S. defeat in Afghanistan. As one pundit said, “While the United States took 20 years to replace the Taliban with the Taliban in Afghanistan, Trump has managed to replace the Ayatollah Khamenei with Ayatollah Khamenei in 20 days!”

On Wall Street, the prices of bonds also fell, meaning that interest rates on the bonds went up. The interest rate on the benchmark ten-year treasury bond has gone up by almost half a percentage point, from 3.96% before the war started to going up by 0.4 to 0.6 percentage points, making buying a home even less affordable.

More and more financial analysts are coming around to the view that Wall Street investors are still underestimating the length and cost of the war, hoping that there will be a quick end. What Wall Street and the Trump administration don’t seem to understand is that while it only takes one side to start a war, it takes both sides to end a war. With Iran holding firm under the U.S.-Israeli bombs, and the weakness of the U.S. side showing when the Trump administration lifted sanctions on Iranian and Russian oil, it is not clear why Iran would want to end the war any time soon.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy

San Jose, CA – On March 18, over 300 members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which includes mental health professionals, clinicians and therapists, participated in a one-day strike at the Santa Clara Medical Center. The action was part of a larger strike across Northern California, which included over 2400 workers.

“We’re really trying to keep Kaiser accountable,” union member Ania Saeger said. “Our contract expired last September, and we're not making a lot of progress in the negotiation, especially around the language, with artificial intelligence, collaboration and really protections for our jobs.”

A reason for the strike was Kaiser’s improper implementation of artificial intelligence. For those in mental health, contact and a relationship between the patient and the counselor is crucial. Saeger explained how AI disrupts this relationship, stating, “You used to be able to call if you were a patient, [when you] needed something. We have this position that we rotate throughout the day, a counselor that is available throughout business hours. Kaiser changed it. They developed this call center where you cannot call the clinic directly. Patients are redirected and get frustrated; they either get a phone operator or AI to answer.”

Saeger emphasized that while the counselors and therapists were not opposed to AI assisting their jobs, they wanted assurances in the language of their contract that AI would not replace their jobs. This is language that Kaiser has refused to implement in their negotiations.

When asked how community members could support the NUHW in their contract struggle, Saeger answered, “Our patients have been instrumental to this movement. We have patients speak at our rallies. As human beings, we can relate stories, so we want our patients to get their stories out there.”

The strike also included a program at which the California Nurses Association, another union striking in solidarity, spoke. Pomaikai Neil, a nurse and representative of that union stated, “Kaiser wants to save money on the backs of healthcare workers. As registered nurses, we feel the pressure to work harder with less resources every time we miss our meal breaks, when we are told we will do the same job with less staff, or when we do grueling 16 hour shifts to make sure our patients are safe.”

Neil also stressed the issues posed by AI in the mental health field. “Imagine sharing your emotional information with your therapist and having them ask you if an artificial intelligence device can join in? Heavy usage of artificial intelligence can exacerbate psychosis and create dangerous relationships with unregulated technology.”

Neil continued, “The hallmark of mental health is human connection. A robot cannot learn empathy. CNA nurses stand with NUHW in their fight against the unilateral implementation of AI and we demand that Kaiser address the limited access to safe care by investing in staffing.”

NUHW and CNA are some of the many unions locked in struggle with Kaiser. Their demands surrounding AI are reflective of modern concerns around technology now melding with decades-long labor struggle. So long as Kaiser continues with further usage of AI and cost cutting around staffing, the labor struggle across different sectors of healthcare is sure to only heat up further.

#SanJoseCA #CA #Labor #Strike #Healthcare #NUHW #CNA #

San José, CA – The price of regular gasoline has soared a dollar a gallon on average since Trump ordered this country to war with Iran. According to the American Automobile Association or AAA, the average price has gone from $2.96 a gallon a month ago to $3.98 gallon on March 24, or more than 34%.

How high could they go? No one really knows, but according to my “Trump secretly loves California” theory, since Trump has brought the national price of gas closer where the California price was before the war started ($4.63), it is quite possible that $5 a gallon gasoline could be seen in gas stations across the country in the near future.

But gasoline prices are just the visible “tip of the iceberg” for consumer price inflation. Diesel prices are up 43% since the start of the war, even more in percentage terms than gasoline, and are now more than $5.35 a gallon on average nationwide. While very few individuals have cars that run on diesel, most trucks and farm equipment use diesel fuel. The rise in diesel prices will further squeeze smaller farmers and truckers, while the increase in costs will be showing up in food prices and the prices of almost all goods which are shipped to markets.

The cost of urea, the basic building block for nitrogen fertilizers, is also up 45% since the war started. Part of this is because the in response to the U.S.-Israeli attack and bombing campaign, most the major exporters of urea are either directly affected by the war (Saudi Arabia and Oman), or indirectly, as they (Egypt, China, Malaysia and Indonesia) import the natural and petroleum gas used in urea production from the Mideast. This will squeeze farmers even more, and some of the costs will pass through to higher food prices.

Finally, Qatar is a major producer and exporter of helium, which is a by-product of natural gas production. Helium is used in the production of MRI machines, production of semiconductors, and other industrial uses. Helium prices up 70 to 100%, will likely lead to shortages, depending on how long the war lasts.

While Trump has been saying from the start of the war, more than three weeks ago, that the war is almost over, the fact of the matter is that more than 5000 U.S. troops, both Marines and Army, are on the way to the Middle East, signaling another escalation of the war, with U.S. boots on the ground.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy #Inflation #Gas #Featured

San Jose, CA – On March 15, over 40 people gathered in downtown San Jose to demand an end to the U.S. war on Iran. They chanted “Hands off Iran,” to supportive honks from people driving past the protest. Community members waved Iranian and Palestinian signs and held signs reading, “No war on Iran” and “San Jose: divest from genocide.” The protest was part of the Anti-War Action Network National Day of Action.

Philip Nguyen of San Jose Against War stated, “On March 7, the United States and Israel bombed several Iranian oil storage facilities in Tehran, causing untold amounts of destruction and creating large black rainclouds with acid rain. These were not precision strikes on military targets; this was chemical warfare waged on civilians.”

Palestinian-American community member Dina Saba stated, “We are now spending more than $1 billion per day on this illegal war on Iran.”

Saba continued, “Our tax dollars are paying for Israel’s education, universal healthcare and subsidized housing while the average American continues to struggle to pay rent, to put food on the table, and is barely surviving paycheck to paycheck.”

Drusie Kazanova of Freedom Road Socialist Organization addressed the crowd, saying, “Iranians are being killed by the thousands, and everyday people in the United States who have nothing to gain from these criminal attacks are watching the prices of basic goods soar. American billionaires are the ones making this war, and the rest of us are being made to pay.”

Kazanova continued, “From Iraq, to Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon, Iran – these wars, which have killed millions, have all been waged in order to secure the economic and geopolitical interests of the billionaire ruling class.”

Nassim Nouri of the Green Party stated, “We are not represented. We all know it. And it doesn’t seem like all the shouting in the world that we do on the street is getting to the ears of those bought politicians that sit in Washington and feed us the lies about the evil people ‘over there.’”

Nouri continued, “The evil people are right here. Yes, we need a regime change – we need a regime change right here, in Washington D.C.”

John Duroyan of Students for Democratic Society at San Jose State University spoke about SDS’s campaign demanding that the university cut ties with war profiteers like Lockheed Martin, saying, “We say no jobs for genocide, no tech for genocide, no tech for war and intervention, no more money for Trump’s wars!”

Duroyan continued, “SJSU administration remains shamefully complicit. So while you in the community are fighting for divestment in the city, we the students are fighting for divestment on this campus.”

Nguyen gave a call to action to demand that the city of San Jose pass an ethical investment policy, saying, “San Jose Against War and other organizations are ramping up for the city council meeting where they’ll be voting on their annual investment portfolio. We’re going to show up and demand that they pass an ethical investment policy.”

Nguyen continued, “This policy would divest and bar any future investments in companies complicit in genocide, companies enabling ICE, and companies who profit from prisons.”

San Jose Against War and other organizations will be mobilizing to the San Jose City Council meeting at San Jose City Hall on Tuesday, March 24, at 1:30 p.m. to give public comment demanding ethical investment.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Iran

San José, CA – Over 100 people gathered on March 8 in downtown San José for a rally and march to Robert F. Peckham Federal Building courthouse. Protesters condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s brutalization of women throughout Trump’s second term, including Renee Nicole Good, who ICE fatally shot in Minneapolis.

San José organizations, as part of the San José Coalition Against Trump (SJCAT), called the rally to demand an end to Trump’s attacks on women, emphasizing immigrant women on this International Women's Day.

Trump’s immigration enforcement has resulted in the financial instability of households impacting undocumented families, advocates say.

Jessica Aviles, co-chair of the Community Service Organization San José (CSO SJ), highlighted women impacted in the South Bay by ICE. Aby Peńa, wife of Ulises Peña Lopez, and her daughter found themselves facing economic and health instability due to ICE’s separation of their family. “Although Aby has been faced with hardships, she has not backed down,” Aviles said. Aviles stated that CSO SJ continues to demand Legalization for All and ICE out of San José.

Community leader Teresita Garcia with Pacientes Defensoras spoke about the need to speak for impacted women and to be in solidarity with women who, due to Trump’s cuts, are finding it difficult to access medical treatment.

“We must unite to win all that can be won,” stated Megan Sweet, San José district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization member.

“There is no liberation for all women if immigrant women are still threatened by ICE,” Sweet continued, calling for solidarity with immigrant women. Sweet also condemned attacks against trans women in the United States and U.S. and Israeli bombing of women in Iran.

Shaena Reyes, San Jose Against War member stated, “We have seen recently in Iran, the U.S. and Israel bombed a girl’s school.” According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, the bombing killed at least 165 people. Reyes demanded that the city of San Jose pass an ethical investment policy, divesting city funds from major corporations such as Microsoft that have contracts with ICE and Israel.

Union president of the Association of County Educators, Riju Krishna, spoke out against layoffs and for standing in solidarity with educators in the South Bay who are currently fighting for a decent contract that defends education.

“Women, especially immigrant women, show up every single day. We speak, we stand up, we fight back,” Krishna stated. She condemned the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s proposed classroom closures as what would result in negatively impacting families and educators in San José.

“Our fight is bigger than one contract, because we stand together today for freedom, dignity and justice,” stated Krishna.

#SanJoseCA #CA #WomensMovement #InternationalWomensDay

This is about the same as the increase in the price of regular gasoline nationwide. According to the American Automobile Association, the price of gas had gone up 43 cents a gallon, or more than 14% since the war started on February 28.

I detoured past my daughter’s elementary school on my way home. It looked exactly the same, with a few children playing in the playground, about average for a non-school day. I was thinking of the girls’ school in Iran, which the United States had bombed on the first day of the war, killing some 175 people, mainly young girls, along with their teachers, school staff and likely a few parents. This was one of the United States so called “precision” missiles, which was guided to a civilian target, irrespective of the loss of life.

With the price of future contracts for delivery in April soaring above $100 a barrel on Sunday, March 8, up by almost 40% in the week since the war started, the price of gasoline and other petroleum products have even more room to rise. Diesel fuel is up about 14%, jet fuel is up over 50%, raising costs for trucking firms and airlines, with smaller businesses being hard hit. Larger corporations will use their market power to pass on the costs to consumers, while smaller firms are more likely to take losses, and if higher prices persist, even go out of business altogether.

According to the U.S. military, the war with Iran is costing about $1 billion per day. But Congressional Republicans have given an estimate that is twice as high, or $2 billion per day. Now nine days into the war, $10 to $20 billion dollars have already been spent, and the number grows with each passing day.

Another week and the costs of the war will be almost the same as the money the federal government saved by allowing the Affordable Care Act subsidy expansion to expire. At a time when food aid is being cut, health care is being cut, and more than 300,000 federal government staff have been cut, more and more of the claimed savings from those cuts are being spent on war.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy #Iran