The Ann Arbor News reports the judge has increased the legal fees the University must pay to Revolutionary Worker’s League lawyers George Washington and Miranda Massie – to $200,000. Both will be paid over $200 per hour for work on the case. It’s no suprise, but the Daily doesn’t have a story about this in their paper today.

The Ann Arbor News also has this piece about a bunch of anti-war signs being stolen from west side lawns. AAPD Lt. Michael Logghe told the News he hadn’t heard about the thefts, but told the newspaper “This is personal property, and no one can come along and take it if they want to.” Thanks Lt. Logghe. Thanks.

One of the Daily’s editorials today complains about the “State Street Lofts” project now under construction where Olga’s restaurant has stood abandoned for years. While I agree that rents are too high in Ann Arbor, I fail to see how dense, mixed-use development necissarily leads to ‘gentrification.’ If anything, new buildings will increase the housing stock in Ann Arbor and help decrease rents. The editorial staff should have discussed Spoon Equities’ Collegian, a project planned for Maynard street that had to be scaled back because the million-dollar condos didn’t sell. Construction in general doesn’t cause gentrification, developers like Spoon Equities do. If the Daily is serious about cutting rents, they should be agitating about the Ann Arbor Tenant’s Union, which may not exist next year, thanks to the good work done by the current MSA executives, especially Joe Bernstein.

Iraq Update:

The Al Jazeera news channel has rushed an english version of their website online (they had been planning one for sometime this spring). Although the headlines look promising, it appears none of the stories are posted yet.

Clear Channel, a massive media company with links to Bush that not only owns 1,200 radio stations but also plans most major artist’s tours around the U.S. has been organizing pro-war rallies. New York Times Columnist Paul Krugman wrote about it in his column today.W4 Country, a local country station owned by Clear Channel has a photo of the Dixie Chicks with a line through it, and a prominant link to this webpage, an “Iraq News” page hosted on clearchannel.com. (Click on the poll – 66% of voters thiink the ‘battle for Baghdad’ will take “will involve weeks of bloodshed”)

Here’s what war really looks like , you let me know the minute they put anything realistic on FOXNEWS.

Author: Rob