Recently, the U.S. government levied a $4.5 billion fine against BP, ordered to be paid over the course of four years. Despite being touted as the largest corporate negligence fine in US history, the settlement promised BP that no criminal charges would be pressed.

On April 9th, the Alabama Governor Robert Bentley signed “TRAP” bill HB-57. TRAP stands for “Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers”, but the acronym is quite apt given the implications of the bill. This latest assault on women’s rights has potentially catastrophic implications for women’s health, and most significantly impacts working and poor women in the state.

As battles against school closures and other attacks on public education rage in a number of cities, notably Philadelphia and Chicago, an important election is taking place in the largest local teachers’ union in the country, the United Federation of Teachers in New York City.

This past week in Boston has been almost surreal —- a horrific attack occurred on Marathon Monday that shouldn't be seen in this city or anywhere in the world. Countless acts of solidarity occurred starting with people running towards the explosion to help the hundreds caught in the path of devastation.

A socialist perspective on fighting women’s oppression by Hannah Sell, on behalf of the Socialist Party (CWI England & Wales)

On February 17, 2013 nearly 50,000 people turned out for the largest climate action rally in American History. The sheer size of the crowd shows the level of concern within the population. However, 50,000 is far less than what is necessary to force government to stop dragging its feet. In comparison, nearly 200,000 people showed up for Jon Stewart’s Rally for Sanity in 2010. If the aim is to grow the environmental movement to a comparable size and beyond, the movement must change strategy and widen the demands to include human well-being.

Since 1750 industrial activity has unearthed and burned approximately 500 billion tons of fossil fuels. The addition of this carbon, mostly in the form of carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere has caused the average global temperature to increase 0.8 degree Celsius (1.5 degrees Fahrenheit). Scientists are now projecting a global temperature rise of 4 degrees Celsius (about 7 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100.

Over the last three years, workers at Golden Farm Supermarket in Brooklyn, NY have worked successfully with New York Communities for Change and the local community in Kensington to force their employer, Sonny Kim, to pay minimum wage and to recognize their union, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union/United Food and Commercial Workers (RSDWU/UFCW).

On November 29, 2012, workers at dozens of fast food restaurants in New York City walked off the job, formed pickets outside, and raised demands for higher wages, better hours, and union rights as part of the Fast Food Forward campaign.

President Obama’s decision to attack Social Security and Medicare in his recent budget is a severe warning to workers and youth of the corporate nature of his administration’s political agenda. Obama is looking to slash essential public services that working people rely on in his drive to sign up Republicans as part of the big business agenda of making the 99% pay for the present crisis.

With the political system increasingly dysfunctional, it is becoming ever more obvious that working people need to organize independently around their own political demands and break away from the Democrats and Republicans. There is a huge anger at the political establishment and a desire for a political voice for the 99%.

Kshama Sawant has been a tireless advocate for working people. After rising to prominence as an Occupy activist, she used her 2012 campaign as a megaphone to air the grievances of those who are ignored by the current system.

Jessica English, a homeless mother of four, moved into a Wells Fargo-owned vacant property in the Eviction Free Zone last February. “I’ve worked all my life, but without a living wage it’s impossible to make it,” said English. “My family’s right to a home should be defended by city officials, but instead I live under constant threat of city police evicting me on Wells Fargo’s behalf. That’s why I’m supporting Ty Moore for City Council and decided to join Socialist Alternative.”

Seamus Whelan, a registered nurse and active member of the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), has seen firsthand the damage that capitalist profiteering has done to our health care system and the unwillingness of the two parties of Wall Street to address the problem. Whelan is running as a Socialist Alternative candidate in the At-Large (citywide) race for Boston City Council. Seamus is also endorsed by the Green-Rainbow Party and numerous union activists.

The bombings today at the Boston Marathon are an absolute tragedy and a horror that shouldn't happen in Boston or anywhere else in the world. We are all checking in with loved ones in the Boston area. Socialist Alternative would like to express our grief, sympathy and solidarity with all the victims of this attack.