Last week, Mayor Nutter presented another round of budget cuts that represent a continued attack on the poor and working people of Philadelphia.

Join the Los Angeles Independent Media Center, the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA), and Cinebang! for a screening of Humble Beauty, an hour-long documentary that tells the stories of a group of talented homeless and formerly-homeless men and women who create art -- fine art painting -- in the worst area of LA, known as "skid row."

It’s also about the ubiquity of art in human life. People strive to make art, no matter how humble the circumstances.

KIWA will also display work by artists featured in the film. The exhibition will begin March 5 and continue until Tuesday, March 10th. LA IMC Calendar: Humble Beauty Screening and Art Show

Grad students at the University of Minnesota marched last week to protest exorbitant, and ever increasing student fees. The fight is perhaps most clearly illustrated by a brief review of the numbers: most TAs and RAs at the U earn less than the living wage for Minneapolis, which stands around $18,553. When fees are subtracted (which this year was about $1100) most grad students in the College of Liberal Arts make less than the income needed to qualify for food stamps ($13,500). read more

While almost $2.5 trillion of our money was squandered on easy term loans to banks and investment houses, we lost 2.6 million jobs in 2008! One million jobs were lost just between Nov. 1st and Dec. 31st of 2008. With a good deal more suffering likely, we are in the most difficult economic times since the Great Depression.

* What are the root causes of the economic crisis?
* What should we fight for? What is a "recovery?"
* How do the millions of people who voted for change help make it happen?

Here is a warning posted to emails by Eric Sheptock about DC's "Migration" plan for the homeless for the duration of the Inauguration. SHAME ON OBAMA for demanding the homeless pack up and leave!

I have had personal experiences with this cash cow. Only problem is that the cash went back to them 5 maybe 10 times what was originally borrowed. I wanted the experience, one to see if it was real. Two, cause I could find ways to spend it. Read More

Past Payday Loan Coverage: DC Council Caps Payday Loan Interest; Check'N'Go Sues Whistleblower | "Check'n'Go" Payday Loan Sharks Protested In Anacostia

It is Christmas time, but there is little holiday cheer at the Stella D’Oro cookie factory in the Bronx. The 136 workers at the famous Italian biscuit company, members of the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers (BCTGM) International Union Local 50, have now been on strike for more than four months and it may be several more before they head back to work. The workers’ contract extension expired at the end of July and Local 50 called the strike when the owners walked out of negotiations on August 13. Read More | Audio from Building Bridges Radio

Related: Day Laborers in Woodbridge and Manassas Face Hunger

The situation for the day laborers in Woodbridge and Manassas is increasingly grim, and hunger has become a major issue. Last Sunday Woodbridge Workers Committee volunteers conducted our second bi-weekly food distribution of the winter. During the night, freezing rain fell and distribution began under dangerous conditions. By noon, we distributed over 200 bags of food - enough to last an individual 4 or 5 days. The total cost of last week's distribution alone was over $1,000 and winter has just begun.

March in Sacramento To Protest War On Homeless

On December 23rd, homeless people and supporters took to the streets of Sacramento to protest oppressive laws and discrimination. Marching through the cold streets of Sacramento they demanded safe ground, the right to live without being arrested, fined, and their property being confiscated. In Sacramento there are more then twelve hundred people who go to sleep under the skies every night.

Sacramento lacks affordable housing and places to rent often require high deposits and credit checks. There are not enough shelters, and a "anti-camping" ordinance is used to harass the homeless, despite the fact that they have nowhere to sleep. This law allows the police to arrest and fine people who are sleeping in the streets and to seize their personal belongings (blankets, personal documents, camping gear) making their survival even harder. A leaflet distributed by the Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee at the demonstration reads "the powers that be have ordained that rich and poor alike are forbidden to sleep under a bridge. The problem is that only the poor need a bridge to sleep under on a rainy night."

The march started on 12th street and ended at Cesar Chavez Park. Homeless people spoke about the condition they face everyday, the difficulties of overcoming social barriers and their demand for a safe ground. At the end of the event the names of homeless people who died last year in Sacramento were read. This coincided with National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the homeless people who die every year.

Photos: 1 | 2 | | | Related Links: Sacramento Loaves & Fishes | Francis House of Sacramento | National Coalition for the Homeless | Sacramento housing alliance | Relocalize Sacramento! | Sacramento Food Not Bombs | His Streets Ministries

Equality Texas mourns the death of Jennifer Gale, a 47-year-old transgender homeless woman who died December 17th. Jennifer's body was found Wednesday morning. She was lying in an outdoor walkway at the First English Lutheran Church in Central Austin. A perennial candidate for public office in Austin and Dallas, Jennifer's notoriety came through years of putting herself in the public eye. She took a shot at nearly every city office, from council seats, to the mayor's office. She never won, but in 2004, Gale came closer than ever, winning more than 38 percent of the vote for a seat on the Austin ISD School Board.

Jennifer’s voice rang through Austin Council Chamber doors every week, often times in support of the homeless population of which she was a part. "Let's give the homeless a place to exercise that need jobs and need help," said Gale Tuesday night before the city’s Health Services Board. Her death points to critical problems faced by the homeless, and especially by homeless women and the transgender homeless. “Jennifer most nights slept outdoors,” said Austin Mayor Will Wynn. “Jennifer, we believe, is the 136th person who has died sleeping on the streets (of Austin) over the last 12 months.” [read full article]

Related: The Longest Nights - Worcester Remembers Those Who Died From Homelessness | More Queer People Murdered. Lesbian and Gay Organizations Seem to Care Less by Bash Back! News

Longest Night remembrance witnesses are being held throughout Worcester as part of the national homeless persons memorial day, on December 21st. Witnesses have been and will be held to recognize the deaths of 7 Worcester residents that died from homelessness this past year. Three of these individuals were women All are invited to participate as we remember Ruby, Nancy, Joyce, Robert, Ziggy, Lenny and Michael. Dec. 17th Witness - Ruby Dec. 18th Witness - Nancy Dec. 19th Witness - Joyce, 5pm @ 856 Main St. Dec. 21st, Memorial Service, 3pm @ PIP Shelter, 701 Main St. Original

We must encourage democratically organized political expressions which reflect the growing anger and disillusionment of poor and working class communities. All available forms of non-violent protest – from sit-ins to occupations, from education to mass direct action – must be employed in this struggle.

For the past several years, Worcester has held local Longest Night observances, the national homeless persons memorial day, on December 21st. This year observances will be held each evening December 17th to 19th to mark the tragic deaths of three homeless women this past year, and a memorial service for all 7 Worcester Deaths will be held on December 21st at the P.I.P. Shelter. All are invited to participate as we remember Ruby, Nancy, Joyce, Robert, Ziggy, Lenny and Michael. Earlier Stories Midnight on the Steps Reflection | 2005 article & photos

Today on the streets of Woodbridge and Manassas, the temperature was in the 20s, with the wind gusting to more than 40 mph. Despite this extreme weather, nearly 200 men were huddled outside the 7-11s desperately seeking work. Many told us that they hadn't worked in weeks, and that when they finally found some, they were ripped off by their employers. About a dozen volunteers for Woodbridge Workers Committee and Mexicanos Sin Fronteras put in many dozens of hours purchasing, packing and distributing bundles of food, enough to last an individual 4 or 5 days. It still costs about $800 each time we provide a food bundle for 200 workers. (Our goal is bi-weekly distributions through the winter). To provide a warm cap, gloves and socks, in addition to any winter coats we collect costs over $10 for each worker.

Getting donations to help the homeless

The holidays are a busy time. You want to have fun. It’s easy to forget that there are those of us who are not well off. Especially you can forget that some of us do not have houses, or family. But it really doesn't take long to set up a donation day if you’re willing to help

I am a volunteer at the Beacon, a homeless day center, A part of Cathedral Health Outreach Ministries in Houston located at 1212 Prairie, 77002 and I would like to express major injustice in witnessed today, 11/03/2008.

We have guidelines guests are expected to follow and if they are not followed the guest is asked to leave for the day. Today, Michael X; who has had difficulties before because he is mentally ill, was asked to leave. Officer Cuffy; a jailer at the Southeast Houston Jail on Mykawa who, decided Mr. X wasn’t leaving fast enough so Cuffy slammed Mr. X into a locked glass door then drug him outside, kicked him like an animal and drug him to the street so visibility is limited. All the volunteers then witness Cuffy pull out his billyclub and stuck him at east 9 times while Mr.X was still on the ground. He was then cuffed and another office came to take him too jail but it was determined he was too injured and he was sent to St. Joseph hospital. He was later released and not arrested. So, Michael X was effectually beat for no reason, whatever reason Officer Cuffy had for the initial brutality. [Read Full Story]

NYPD policy targets homeless people for fare evasion on the M35 bus in Harlem

One man present who had been charged with fare beating on the m35 that morning, who did not want to give his name, claimed that he and five others here in court were picked up that morning after boarding the bus at approximately 6:30am on their way to an outpatient facility in Harlem. They are homeless, living in the shelter, and the bus is their connection to job interviews, mental health facilities, friends and family. None of them had money for the fare, and all snuck on the bus from the back door.

I personally have yet to stay at 801 East throughout the day when it is hypothermic. However, more than one man has told me that food was not provided by DHS/Catholic Charities during hypothermia.

Poverty seems to have been swept under the rug during the '08 election. While the crisis that is befalling the middle class is urgent, so too is the plight of the poor. With our economy in such dire straights the ranks of the poor will only swell. It behooves us to take a look at poverty here at home.

While many people look upon our fair city and see the glittering new buildings and the prosperity of one segment of our population, the inner city residential neighborhoods go unseen. Neighborhoods on the North East and North West portion of the city are in ruins. Abandoned houses are everywhere and all the problems that they draw are making many neighborhoods dangerous and nearly unlivable.

Rochester, NY, the “Flower City,” has the 10th highest poverty rate in the nation with nearly 30% of the population living below the poverty line. In the US 1 out of 8 people are living in poverty, in NY state the numbers are 1 out of 7, and in the City of Rochester it is a dismal 1 out of 4. In a city that brags of being so modern and prosperous this is a shame. Read More | | | Additional Information: Foodlink Hunger Study | Poverty and Violence: Assault on Human Rights – Workshop/Conference Friday 10/17 | Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign | Social Welfare Action Alliance

Photographer Brenda Ann Kenneally, author of Money, Power, Respect, documents the permanently poor in Troy, N.Y., once a proud industrial boomtown with a rich labor history. As the U.S. economy falls further into recession, politicians continue to focus on the endangered middle class while the 40 million Americans living below the poverty line have disappeared from the discussion.