Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner showed up to Occupy Syracuse at 8:00 AM today to announce they had 24 hours to vacate the park or face eviction, claiming they were using propane without a permit. So the occupation immediately applied and are breaking no laws. Call the Mayor and friends to put a stop to their selective, arbitrary actions denying the rights of Occupy Syracuse.

While students were on their holiday break, Arizona issued a disturbing wake-up call to anyone who thought the education system had evolved to reflect America’s diversity. In a legal challenge to a controversial law passed in 2010, an administrative law judge pummeled a flagship educational initiative by supporting restrictions on programs based on Latino history and culture.

The Department of Justice has announced a $335 million settlement with Countrywide, the former subprime mortgage giant now subsumed into Bank of America, on claims of housing discrimination. And once again we see that Countrywide doesn’t have to admit wrongdoing for their crimes.

It’s not often that human rights and business profits line up on the same side of a political debate, but Alabama is a special place. The Cotton State was not only ground zero for some of the worst abuses under Jim Crow; it was also the flashpoint for early struggles that fused economic empowerment with civil rights, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Today, Alabama is once again a focal point for racial and class struggles, ignited by an anti-immigrant law that tests our definitions of economic citizenship in a world of fluid borders.

In a welcome development, Elizabeth Warren, the leading Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, has posted a strong statement of support for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

In a stinging report, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division released their findings of a two-year investigation into Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, showing that he unfairly targeted Latinos and discriminated against them at the expense of other crimes in his jurisdiction, including sexual assault crimes.

As reported, Occupation Boston yesterday received word that state court Judge Frances McIntyre lifted the temporary restraining order and denied the preliminary injunction paving the way for eviction. Mayor Thomas M. Menino quickly issued a statement that the city “strongly encourages” protesters to leave Dewey Square.

Although many observers had expected this result, this judge did something new. She created a new dangerous theory: “occupation” is conduct that is not entitled to First Amendment protection.

Governor Deval Patrick signed into law today An Act Relative To Gender Identity, “historic legislation to legally protect transgender individuals from discrimination in housing, education, employment and credit. The new law, signed at the State House today, also provides additional civil rights and protections from hate crimes.”

A campaign seeking to open up a dialogue about marriage equality launches with videos featuring prominent black allies. This one starts with civil rights leader, Julian Bond. Will it reach some black voters that are on the fence about the issue?

I’ll never understand Herman Cain and his relationship to the GOP establishment; like former puppet Michael Steele, they don’t see (or don’t care) how rancid race-based politics in the Republican party have become. It’s been quite bold since the election of Barack Obama. My long view is that we do need more minorities (and LGBTs) in the GOP because without decent representation, there’s no incentive for the GOP to woo those demographics, which are currently beholden to the Democratic Party. That said, the Republican leadership has made its bed with the fundamentalists and nativist know-nothings, making Cain and other black Republicans curious cases that border on self-loathing.