Howard Zinn, the Boston University historian and political activist who was an early opponent of US involvement in Vietnam and a leading faculty critic of BU president John Silber, died of a heart attack today in Santa Monica, Calif, where he was traveling, his family said. He was 87. "His writings have changed the consciousness of a generation, and helped open new paths to understanding and its crucial meaning for our lives," Noam Chomsky, the left-wing activist and MIT professor, once wrote of Dr. Zinn. "When action has been called for, one could always be confident that he would be on the front lines, an example and trustworthy guide."

Today, several students from Universities across the state attempted to occupy the Hibernia National Bank building in San Francisco. This building which has remained empty for years was recently sold for almost 3 million dollars in a neighborhood where thousands live without homes and hundreds die each year while lacking shelter. This space has been left empty because of the profit motive – placing the surplus value that could be acquired over the possible human needs that space could and should have fulfilled.

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court is expected on Tuesday to issue its latest decision on the fate of Mumia Abu-Jamal, arguably America's most famous death-row inmate, convicted of slaying a Philadelphia policeman, a crime he denies committing.

Students are being forced to pay more for less.  Government bureaucrats have slashed the higher education budget for the second straight year.  And the cuts are only getting worse. Our tuition has ratcheted up 10% and the Post-Secondary Education Review Commission is discussing as much as a 30% increase next Fall. They have already cut classes and majors, jammed every class to bursting, layed off whole crews of UNO workers, and restricted access to labs and buildings. Dirt is piling up in the buildings and students are watching the classes they need to graduate evaporate.

The Angola 3 Coalition suffered a tragic loss this Christmas. Althea Francois, one of Angola 3's earliest supporters and a life-long activist for peace and social justice, crossed over to the ancestors on December 25th at the far too early age of 60.

This is a selection of underreported news taken from my Smygo list. Subjects include anarchist and libertarian activism around the world, the crimes of states (notably Israel), the Iraqi civil resistance, the economic crisis, worker-owned-and-controlled businesses, commentaries by Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, etc.

Mariano Abarca Roblero, one of Mexico's most prominent anti-mining organizers, was shot to death on the evening of November 27, 2009, in front of his house in Chicomuselo, Chiapas. He left behind a wife and four children. Another man was wounded in the shooting.

College students in California are protesting a 32% increase in tuition. Students are occupying buildings in protest.

Blog: California is Occupied

Current Updates: IndyBay

IndyBay: Inside the UC Occupations Guerilla Film Screening: Everything Belongs to Everybody

CounterPunch: Behind the Privatization of the UC, a Riot Squad of Police

Spokewoman on UC Berkeley Protest

UCSC Student Occupation of Kerr Hall Ends

Student occupation at UC Santa Cruz ends

41 arrested in UC Berkeley protest

Photos: UC Berkeley Strike and Occupation

Days of Action Against the Tuition Hikes

Students and Workers Resist Privatization at UCLA Regents Meeting

UCB Wheeler Occupation UPDATES

Occupy Everything! Photos from UC Berkeley

UC Students Fight Back Against Administration’s War on Public Education

ELP has learned of an arrest in Mexico where a 16-year-old is accused of ELF activity. Below is a report about his arrest. If anyone knows the 16-year-old and have contact details for him please contact ELP.

While Israeli border guards fired tear gas and a foul-smelling spray from behind the high concrete barrier, protesters levered open a space under one the pre-cast panels and used a hydraulic car-jack to topple it out of position.

“No matter how tall, all walls fall,” read one banner pasted onto the structure by Palestinian youths helped by Israeli activists, who say the wall on Palestinian land and through Palestinian communities is simply a land grab by Israel.