Archive
Toxic Waste on Tap
You've probably heard that Flint, Michigan has lead in its water and it’s poisoning the locals. But did you know that this debacle is a symptom of our ailing democracy? Governor Rick Snyder has appointed “emergency managers” to govern many Michigan cities, including...
Manna from Hell
War is hell. Unless, of course, you happen to be a global corporate peddler of rockets, drones, bombs, and all the other hellish weaponry of military conflict. In that case, war is manna from hell. So bring it on. Indeed, it seems as if Beelzebub himself is in charge...
Oscar, in Black and White
Zuckerberg’s Get-Away Car
Let us now praise “Lord Zuckerberg, The Magnificent!” Mark Zuckerberg, the wunderkind of Silicon Valley who co-founded Facebook and amassed roughly a gabillion dollars in personal wealth, is now being hailed as a new giant of American altruism. This started after the...
In OtherWords: January 20, 2016
This week in OtherWords, John Kiriakou explains why judges should sentence more people to probation and Jill Richardson describes how community gardens bring people together. If you haven’t already subscribed, please ensure that you don’t miss the latest from...
Your Fear of Terrorism Could Get You Killed
One in 3.5 million: That’s the risk you’ll die from a terrorist attack in the United States, Ohio State professor John Mueller estimates. Rounded generously, that chance comes to 3 one-hundred thousandths of a percent. That’s not how most Americans see it, though. In...
You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught
We all remember the teachers who most influenced us. Life lessons learned in the classroom stay with you for decades. I was lucky to have several great teachers, but my fifth grade teacher stands out the most. Nancy Livingston taught for 25 years in Princeton, New...
Digging Up a Mountain of Debt
For the first time in more than 30 years, the federal government has decided to hold off on authorizing new leases for coal mining on federal land. It will undertake a review to see whether taxpayers are getting a fair deal while assessing the program’s environmental...
Obama Takes a Walk on the Greener Side
Until now, President Barack Obama has embraced gas and oil fracking, encouraged the construction of new nuclear reactors, and hailed government investment in wind and solar power. In keeping with this “all-of-the-above” energy strategy, he’d call for climate action...
Let’s Put Prison Sentences on Probation
You may have heard there's a growing political movement against mass incarceration. Someone should clue in the judges. In the past 30 years, federal judges have turned to imprisonment — as opposed to probation — as the punishment of choice for even minor crimes,...
