The food-stamp economy
On the last day of every month, shoppers at Walmart load their carts with food and household items and wait for the midnight hour. Is this the new normal in America? Full Article
Battle of Seattle protestors win case against city
SEATTLE (Reuters) - A federal jury found the city of Seattle guilty on Tuesday for violating the constitutional rights of about 170 demonstrators protesting globalization during the 1999 World Trade Organization meetings.
The jury ruled that the city had violated the due-process rights of protesters, but determined that Seattle had not violated the plaintiffs' First Amendment rights to free speech.
Nearly 50,000 protesters engulfed Seattle seven years ago and the city erupted into chaos when anti-globalization demonstrators clashed with police and vandalized property in an event that came to be known as the "Battle of Seattle."
After the protesters overwhelmed police, Seattle's mayor closed off parts of downtown and declared it a no-protest zone, but opened the area to WTO delegates, police, shoppers and business owners.
Police arrested anyone who protested within that zone.
Prior to the trial, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman ruled that police had made the mass arrests without probable cause.
The city has already paid nearly $1 million in settlements and lawsuits stemming from the WTO protests, but damages from the latest verdict will be determined during the penalty phase of the class action lawsuit.
Attorneys for the city said they will appeal the decision.
