California Prisoners Do or Die

Prisoners all over California continue a hunger strike despite nearing death; “Sister Wives” reality TV show stars fight the anti-polygamy law; and economists have resorted to capital bribery to resuscitate the American job market. These discoveries and more, below.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

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Prisoners Near Death as 1,700 California Inmates Continue Hunger Strike to Protest Appalling Conditions A hunger strike started by prisoners at Pelican Bay to protest appalling conditions has spread across California as inmates at 13 prisons joined in solidarity.

CNN’s Piers Morgan Linked to Phone Hacking Scandal CNN evp Ken Jautz might want to have a quiet meeting with Piers Morgan, who hosts a nightly show on the network, to find out what he knows about the News of the World phone hacking scandal, and whether he might be required to help Scotland Yard with its inquiries.

Would Your Dog Eat Your Dead Body? After a Canadian couple died in their rural Saskatchewan home, their seven dogs subsisted for more than a week by eating their remains.

How Britain’s Guardian Is Making Journalism History From WikiLeaks to News of the World’s closure, the trust-owned newspaper has shifted how Britons see the role of the media.

Don’t Call Them Fuddy Duddies A predicted wave of retirements of tenured faculty is presenting colleges with opportunities and practical and programmatic concerns — as well as legal considerations, according to a report released [Tuesday] by the American Council on Education.

‘Sister Wives’ Family Challenges Anti-Polygamy Law When Kody Brown and his four wives agreed to star in a reality show about their polygamous lifestyle, they said they were doing it to fight societal prejudice. Now they’re fighting the law.

Bribing Capital to Create Jobs The jobs crisis is so bad that the best mainstream economists can come up with is to bribe capital to create more jobs.