Archive

What Happened to All Those Foreclosed Houses?

What Happened to All Those Foreclosed Houses?

We know that millions of American families lost their homes after Wall Street's 2007 financial crash. But where did all those houses go? It turns out that Wall Streeters themselves formed profiteering investment groups that rushed out to scoop up tens of thousands of...

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In OtherWords: August 9, 2017

In OtherWords: August 9, 2017

This week, in the sweltering month of August, Sarah Anderson explores the surprisingly short history of a treasured luxury: air conditioning. Most Americans now have it at home. But at work, it's another story. Moreover, as the technology spreads to developing...

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Talking About a Revolution

Talking About a Revolution

It’s long been clear that if we want to avoid catastrophic climate disruption on a scale that threatens human civilization, we need to leave vast amounts of fossil fuels in the ground. Environmental writer Bill McKibben pointed out the math in a crucial 2012...

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How Air Conditioning Unites — And Divides

How Air Conditioning Unites — And Divides

Before air conditioning, even presidents had to suffer. In the summer months, Abraham Lincoln used to ride a horse every evening from the White House to a cottage at a higher elevation four miles away. There he'd join his family in an attempt to escape the muggiest...

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Soda Doesn’t ‘Feed the World’

Soda Doesn’t ‘Feed the World’

Coca-Cola has a new ad in which a young girl wishes to grow a garden for the whole world. Then, as a grown woman who works for Coca-Cola, she says that she's fulfilling that dream. The phrase "feed the world" is one that should always be questioned, because it's often...

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Turning Churches into Super PACs

Turning Churches into Super PACs

You know what's wrong with American politics? It's that there just aren't enough ways for giant corporations and mega-rich political donors to funnel their big bucks into our elections and buy our government. At least that's what Donald Trump, the Republican Party,...

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