A jury in El Salvador has convicted four former high-ranking military officers, including an ex-defense minister, for the murder of four Dutch television journalists in the 1980s. The IKON Television journalists were killed in Chalatenango province by Salvadoran soldiers during a planned ambush behind rebel lines on March 17, 1982. This was one of many atrocities targeting foreign nationals during El Salvador’s civil war that created an uproar in the Netherlands.
(“Jury in El Salvador Convicts Three Ex-Officers in 1982 Killing of Dutch Journalists,” New York Times, June 4, 2025; “Top Salvadoran Ex-Military Officers Sentenced for the War-time Killings of Dutch Journalists,” Reuters, June 4, 2025)
In recent testimony before Congress, Donald Trump’s Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins was questioned about his role in degrading services for millions of U.S. military veterans who depend on VA hospitals across the nation to treat physical and psychological war wounds and basic health care.
(“VA Secretary Collins: Indifferent to Public and Congressional Opposition to His Gutting Veteran Care,” American Prospect, May 23, 2025)
Tenants in Kansas City, Missouri declared victory after concluding an 8-month rent strike, the longest tenant action in the midwestern city’s history. The tenants union at Independence Towers negotiated an agreement with the building’s new owners to win commitments to complete years of delayed repairs. The campaign employing tactics used by labor unions is now seen as a model for other tenant groups in affordable housing projects across the nation.
(“Striking Tenants Withhold Rent for 247 Days and Won,” In These Times, June 5, 2025)
