After months of protest, teachers, students and parents in Seattle, Washington, have won their campaign to reject standardized tests in reading and math. In January, teachers at Garfield High School began a boycott of the test, saying it was wasteful and being used unfairly to assess their performance. The boycott spread to other schools, with hundreds of teachers, students and parents participating. Last week, the school district backed down, announcing that the Measures of Academic Progress — or MAP test — is now optional for high schools, but those refusing the test must find another way to gauge student performance. We speak with Jesse Hagopian, a high school history teacher and union representative at Garfield High School.

As the carbon dioxide in the air hits 400 parts per million for the first time in human history, some are arguing that the best way address climate change is to use the controversial practice of geoengineering — the deliberate altering of the Earth’s ecological and climate systems to counter the effects of global warming. Supporters of geoengineering endorse radical ways to manipulate the planet, including creating artificial volcanoes to pollute the atmosphere with sulfur particles. Many scientists and environmentalists have raised concerns about geoengineering technologies designed to intervene in the functioning of the Earth system as a whole. We’re joined now by Clive Hamilton, professor of public ethics at Charles Stuart University in Canberra, Australia. Hamilton’s new book, "Earthmasters: The Dawn of the Age of Climate Engineering," lays out the arguments for and against climate engineering, and reveals the vested interests behind it linking researchers, venture capitalists and corporations.

Hundreds of farmworkers and their supporters are in New York City ahead of Wendy’s shareholder meeting to demand improved working conditions for those who pick its tomatoes. The fast food giant — which has nearly 6,600 restaurants in the U.S. and around the world, ranking second only to McDonald’s — is the latest target in the Fair Food campaign organized by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. So far McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King and Taco Bell have all joined the White House-recognized Social Responsibility Program, agreeing to pay an extra penny per pound of tomatoes to raise wages and only buy from fields where workers’ rights are respected. We speak with CIW farmworker and organizer, Gerardo Reyes-Chavez.

• 6 Reported Dead in U.S. Drone Strikes on Yemen
• Obama Speech to Outline Drone, Guantánamo Policy
• Protests Mark 100th Day of Guantánamo Hunger Strike
• Syria: Dozens Reported Dead in Fighting Near Lebanon Border
• Russia Sends Advanced Missiles to Syria
• Sectarian Violence Kills Dozens in Iraq
• Leading Pakistani Politician Shot Dead
• Imprisoned Ex-Argentine Dictator Jorge Rafael Videla Dies at 87
• AP Head Open to Lawsuit for "Unconstitutional" DOJ Spying
• Report: DOJ Monitored Journalist's Emails, Phone Records in North Korea Leak Case
• White House Was Informed of IRS Issues Weeks Earlier
• Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Anti-Abortion Law
• Chicago Teachers March Against School Closings
• Thousands Protest Education Cuts in Philadelphia
• Hate Crime Alleged in Shooting Death of Gay New Yorker

As deportations break records, an immigration bill is being debated in the Senate that would create a Frankenstein process. It will leave millions by the wayside.

We turn now to climate justice activist Tim DeChristopher, who was released last month after 21 months in federal custody. DeChristopher was convicted of interfering with a public auction in 2008 when he disrupted the Bush administration’s last-minute move to auction off oil and gas exploitation rights in Utah by posing as a bidder. He is the subject of the new documentary, "Bidder 70." "We need to be building power as a social movement. One of the weaknesses for the climate movement," DeChristopher explains, is that "we still have this huge divide between the political side of the movement that focuses on Washington and the grassroots side of the movement that’s been building real power."

The Justice Department’s disclosure that it had secretly subpoenaed phone records from the Associated Press has prompted a wave of comparisons between President Obama and Richard Nixon. Four decades ago, the Nixon administration attempted to block The New York Times from publishing a secret history of the Vietnam War leaked to the newspaper by whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. Two days after the Times first published excerpts of what became known as the "Pentagon Papers," the Nixon government asked for and received a Supreme Court injunction against the newspaper, arguing that publication of the documents posed a "grave and immediate danger to the security of the United States." We speak to James Goodale, the general counsel at The New York Times during the Pentagon Papers crackdown. Goodale is a leading legal expert on the First Amendment and has just published a new book, "Fighting for the Press: The Inside Story of the Pentagon Papers and Other Battles." Goodale said he wrote the book in part because of the work of Julian Assange of the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks, and how he is likely being targeted by the U.S. government in an ongoing grand jury probe. "My book is meant to be a clarion call to the journalist community: Wake up! There’s danger out there," Goodale says. "You may not like Assange, but wake up! The First Amendment is really going to be damaged. If Obama goes forward and succeeds, he will have succeeded where Nixon failed."

A Pentagon official predicted Thursday the war against al-Qaeda and its affiliates could last up to 20 more years. The comment came during a Senate hearing revisiting the Authorization for Use of Military Force, or AUMF, enacted by Congress days after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. At the hearing, Pentagon officials claimed the AUMF gives the president power to wage endless war anywhere in the world, including in Syria, Yemen and the Congo. "This is the most astounding and most astoundingly disturbing hearing that I’ve been to since I’ve been here," said Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine. "You guys have essentially rewritten the Constitution here today." We play excerpts of Thursday’s Senate hearing and our recent interview with Jeremy Scahill, author of the new bestseller, "Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield."

• Guantánamo Hunger Strike Enters 100th Day; 30 Prisoners Being Force-Fed
• Number of Syrian Refugees Tops 1.5 Million
• Obama: U.S. Won't Take Unilateral Action Against Assad
• Obama Defends Secret Subpoena of Associated Press Phone Records
• DOJ Releases Completely Blacked-Out Memo on Surveillance of Text Messages
• Obama Appoints New Acting IRS Commissioner
• Audit of Witness Protection Program Finds Gaps in Tracking of Terror Suspects
• Note by Boston Bombing Suspect Cites U.S. Wars in Iraq, Afghanistan as Motive
• 9 Afghan Civilians, 6 Americans Killed in Kabul Suicide Bombing
• Cause of Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Still Unknown 1 Month Later
• 3rd U.S. Military Official Tasked with Sexual Assault Prevention Is Accused of Abuse
• Senate Panels Advance Obama Nominees for Labor Dept., EPA with No Republican Support
• House Lawmakers Reach Tentative Deal for Immigration Reform
• 7 Still Missing After Texas Tornadoes; At Least 6 Dead
• LulzSec Computer Hackers Get Jail Terms in Britain
• Case Dropped Against Florida Teen Arrested for Science Experiment
• Today Marks 45th Anniversary of Catonsville 9 Protest Against Vietnam War
• Woman in El Salvador Asks Supreme Court for Life-Saving Abortion

by The Editors

An elite class of Black millionaires has “accumulate wealth at the expense of the vast majority” of South Africa’s people, said community organizer and researcher Molefi Ndlovu, on the latest edition of Black Agenda Televsion. These “Black Diamonds,” as they are called, have become “a sort of middleman, people who push the envelop for the people who hold real power in the country.”

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A flotilla of nine fishing boats—their passengers wielding picket signs instead of fishing poles—blocked the grain ship Mary H from docking in Kalama, Washington.

Students and administrators at New York City’s Cooper Union are clashing over the future of one of the last private universities in the United States to offer free tuition. Activists are occupying the president’s office for a ninth day after the school said fiscal problems would force an end to more than a century of free tuition for undergraduates. We host a debate with three guests: Mark Epstein, the chairman of the board of trustees for Cooper Union; Victoria Sobel, a Cooper Union student organizer who is among the activists who have occupied the president’s office for over a week; and Reuters finance blogger Felix Salmon.

David Cay Johnston, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and president of Investigative Reporters and Editors, joins us to discuss the growing scandal over the Justice Department’s seizure of telephone records from Associated Press editors and reporters. The action came as part of a probe into the leaks behind an AP story about how U.S. intelligence thwarted a Yemen-based al-Qaeda bombing plot on a U.S.-bound airplane. "This is a very troubling aspect of this administration — it is hostile to the news media," Johnston says. "They’re behaving much more like a corporation than like the people’s government."

The acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, Steven Miller, has been forced to resign days after the IRS apologized to tea party and other right-wing groups for putting extra scrutiny on their bids to become tax-exempt organizations. While the IRS targeting of tea party groups has made headlines for days, far less attention has been paid to the roots of the crisis. After the 2010 landmark Supreme Court decision Citizens United, there was a spike in new political organizations seeking tax-exempt status under tax code Section 501(c)(4). The court ruled these groups could raise unlimited corporate money without disclosing donor information. Several groups have claimed to be social welfare organizations while spending tens of millions of dollars on political operations. We speak to David Cay Johnston, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who writes about taxes issues. "One of the questions that needs to be examined in the real scandal here is: How did MoveOn, how did Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS, how did Bill Burton’s progressive Democratic group get approved as exclusively social welfare organizations?" Johnston says. "There are a bunch of folks out there arguing that, well, 'primarily,' that phrase that pops up in IRS regulations, can mean 49.9 percent of your activity. I’m sorry, is there an adult in America who’s been in a romantic relationship who thinks that 'exclusively' is 49 percent of the time?"

• IRS Commissioner Forced to Resign over Extra Scrutiny of Right-Wing Groups
• Holder: Deputy Signed Off on AP Subpoenas
• Holder Unsure of How Many Journalist Subpoenas He's Approved
• Report: Verizon Gave Justice Dept. Records of 2 Journalists
• White House Seeks Revival of Media Shield Law
• Dem Rep. Blasts Holder for Drug War, Marijuana Crackdown
• Suicide Attack Kills 10 in Kabul; Group Tells AP of Plans to Target U.S. Soldiers
• U.N. General Assembly Condemns Syrian Gov't as Toll Passes 80,000
• Palestinians Mark 65th Anniversary of "Nakba"
• Up to 6 Dead in Cambodia Shoe Factory Collapse
• White House Releases Emails on Benghazi Talking Points
• U.S. Earns $50.6 Billion Profit on Student Interest
• Regulators Back Down on New Derivatives Rule
• Hundreds Take Part in Milwaukee Fast-Food, Retail Strike
• North Dakota Abortion Clinic Challenges New Restriction
• Charges Dropped Against NYPD Officer in Shooting Death of Ramarley Graham
• New DNA Evidence Could Clear Florida Death Row Prisoner

TCRP seeks a dedicated assistant legal manager — an individual who has initiative, creativity, and is committed to civil rights in Texas — to help support its work for low-income people around the state. Although the position is in Austin, it includes supporting staff in TCRP’s four regional offices as well. The earliest start date is July 19, 2013.

Primary Duties: assist in helping coordinate and support TCRP’s legal and educational program. doing client outreach and interviews; maintaining client contact; assist attorneys with case preparation and investigation, including requesting documents through freedom of information laws; prepare documents for filing in state and federal court; draft affidavits and documents; manage case files; provide referrals and general information to potential clients; assist in hiring and supervising volunteer interns; supervise correspondence with jail inmates; manage TCRP’s social media accounts; make referrals to social service providers.

Salary: $28,500-$30,200 depending on experience, plus excellent benefits (medical, some dental reimbursement, cafeteria plan, retirement). Informal work setting; staff colleagues dedicated to social justice.

Qualifications: bilingual (read, write, and speak Spanish and English fluently) strongly preferred, but not necessary); experience or similar background preferred; organizational ability; typing and computer skills (including proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel, and familiarity with major social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter); compelling commitment to human rights; prior community volunteering.

To Apply: Please send résumé, letter, writing sample, and three work references to: Andres Martinez, Assistant Legal Manager Texas Civil Rights Project, 1405 Montopolis Drive, Austin, TX 78741 via email at andres.tcrp@gmail.com.

The Texas Civil Rights Project, a nonprofit foundation, promotes civil rights and economic and racial justice throughout Texas, for poor and low-income people. TCRP is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, people with disabilities, women, and LGBT are encouraged to apply.

TCRP seeks a dedicated assistant legal manager — an individual who has initiative, creativity, and is committed to civil rights in Texas — to help support its work for low-income people around the state. Although the position is in Austin, it includes supporting staff in TCRP’s four regional offices as well. The earliest start date is July 19, 2013.

Primary Duties: assist in helping coordinate and support TCRP’s legal and educational program. doing client outreach and interviews; maintaining client contact; assist attorneys with case preparation and investigation, including requesting documents through freedom of information laws; prepare documents for filing in state and federal court; draft affidavits and documents; manage case files; provide referrals and general information to potential clients; assist in hiring and supervising volunteer interns; supervise correspondence with jail inmates; manage TCRP’s social media accounts; make referrals to social service providers.

Salary: $28,500-$30,200 depending on experience, plus excellent benefits (medical, some dental reimbursement, cafeteria plan, retirement). Informal work setting; staff colleagues dedicated to social justice.

Qualifications: bilingual (read, write, and speak Spanish and English fluently) strongly preferred, but not necessary); experience or similar background preferred; organizational ability; typing and computer skills (including proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel, and familiarity with major social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter); compelling commitment to human rights; prior community volunteering.

To Apply: Please send résumé, letter, writing sample, and three work references to: Andres Martinez, Assistant Legal Manager Texas Civil Rights Project, 1405 Montopolis Drive, Austin, TX 78741 via email at andres.tcrp@gmail.com.

The Texas Civil Rights Project, a nonprofit foundation, promotes civil rights and economic and racial justice throughout Texas, for poor and low-income people. TCRP is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, people with disabilities, women, and LGBT are encouraged to apply.

by Your World News

For some time now, Black Agenda Report has been calling the Obama administration not the lesser of two but the more effective evil, able to enact measures that white Democrats or Republicans could not without massive public opposition. Your World News Films, directed by Solomon Comissiong, presents the documentary "The More Effective Evil: The Impact of President Obama on the Black Community and Humanity."

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The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor rallied yesterday against sale of the L.A. Times to Charles and David Koch, billionaire brothers who fund anti-union causes.

Following last week’s guilty verdict in Guatemala’s historic genocide trial, reporter Allan Nairn says the United States should follow Guatemala’s lead and indict the Reagan administration officials who supported the genocide under General Efraín Ríos Montt. "All of [these crimes] were crimes not just of General Ríos Montt, but also of the U.S. government," Nairn says. Former President Ronald Reagan once called Ríos Montt "a man of great personal integrity." After the verdict, Judge Yassmin Barrios ordered the attorney general to launch an immediate investigation of "all others" connected to the crimes.