- For the first time in three years, Greece sold bonds to European investors to demonstrate that the indebted nation is making a comeback. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras praised the three billion euro bond sale, boasting that “the worst is clearly behind us.” (“Greece’s €3Bn Bond Sale Doesn’t Mean Its Debt Crisis Is at An End,” The Guardian, July 25, 2017; “Greek Debt Crisis: ‘People Can’t See Any Light at the End of Any Tunnel’,” The Guardian, July 30, 2017)
- Chicago police officers elected a fiery new union president Kevin Graham in April who pledged to take on the “anti-police media”. This provoked a drive to reform the police union contract, which had expired at the end of June. Community activists have identified 14 current contract provisions which shield police officers who are under criminal investigation. One such provision allows police officers to wait 24 hours to give a statement after shooting someone. Another prohibits anonymous complaints against officers. (“How Chicago’s Police Union Contract Ensures Abuses Remain in the Shadows,” In These Times, June 26, 2017)
- Retired Kentucky coal miner T.J. Fannin stacks up cases of bottled water in his house for cooking and drinking. For over a decade, the chemical pollutants in drinking water in eastern Kentucky have exceeded safety levels set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. (“The Place in America Where (Almost) No One Drinks Their Tap Water,” Christian Science Monitor, May 18, 2017; “Troubled Waters: A Coalfield County Loses Trust In Water And Government,” Ohio Valley Resource, Jan. 27, 2017)
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