BOSTON/Faneuil Hall – Proclaiming that “now is the time for citizenship,” representatives of the Boston-based Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) and its member organizations held a rally and press conference Thursday near the Samuel Adams statue outside Faneuil Hall to announce stepped up efforts to make U.S. citizenship a reality for many more immigrants living in Massachusetts.

MIRA Coalition Executive Director Eva Millona said “never in our lifetime has it been more important as this time to become a U.S. citizen.” Coalition members anticipate a long and contentious debate in Washington over federal immigration policy to begin soon after Congress and the Obama administration come to grips with health care financing reform.

BOSTON/Faneuil Hall - Over 300 unionized Boston Globe employees, family members and allies held a lunchtime rally outside Faneuil Hall today to drum up local support for their struggle to "save the Boston Globe." The event was organized by the Boston Newspaper Guild - The Newspaper Guild/Communication Workers of America Local 31245 - the Globe's main union.

At issue is the New York Times' standing threat to close down the Boston Globe on May 1st if Globe unions do not agree to give back $20 million in wages and benefits. The Times claims that it cannot keep the Globe open without that amount of money. Many of the 14 speakers at the event touched on their belief that the Times demand is unfair and that management should think first about cutting their own salary and benefits package before cutting large numbers of jobs at the Globe or actually closing the publication forever.

BOSTON/Faneuil Hall - An array of environmental and community organizations held a 100-person rally at Faneuil Hall on Tuesday to announce a new campaign for to renovate every home in the Commonwealth to reduce to be more heat efficient in the winter months and more energy efficient year round - providing 10,000 new "green collar jobs in the process.