Archive
Pay Fair or Pay Up
Have you ever complained about the cost of funding social programs for the poor? Then you should support a living wage for workers. That’s the message supporters of the Responsible Business Act are sending employers in Chicago. The bill would charge Cook County...
Trying a Fossil Fiend
Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders wants the Justice Department to investigate and potentially prosecute ExxonMobil for corporate fraud. The Vermont senator is alarmed by reports that the energy giant spread doubt about climate change despite knowing since 1977 that...
Instead of Pardoning a Turkey, Obama Should Free This Man
As Thanksgiving approaches, I’ve got a suggestion for President Barack Obama. Instead of following the White House tradition and “pardoning“ a turkey destined for a holiday dinner table, Obama should extend that courtesy to some of the thousands of human beings caged...
Don’t Let Them Blind You with Their Science
When I first began researching agriculture, I had no idea how organic farming worked. I saw it as a somewhat backward yet non-toxic and desirable way to grow food. Organic farmers didn’t use fertilizer, I figured, so maybe the plants would be smaller. And they didn’t...
Staffing Up for Corruption
Oh, great — just what America's Big Money politics needed: more campaign consultants. Already, candidates are walled off from people, reality, and any honesty about themselves by a battalion of highly specialized consultants controlling everything from issues to...
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Who Can Corral the Crazy Caucus?
House Republicans are in turmoil. House Speaker John Boehner gave up his position because he couldn’t stand the job anymore. Next in line was Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who started running but quickly backed off. Rep. Paul Ryan says he’s thinking about taking the job, even...
In OtherWords: October 21, 2015
This week in OtherWords, John Kiriakou points out that Hillary Clinton should have known better when she attacked Edward Snowden while Donald Kaul explains why the leading Democratic presidential candidate’s odds are so good. Do you want to make sure you don’t miss...
Obama’s Unholy Trade Policy
Pope Francis waxed radical on several big issues in his speech to Congress last September. He condemned the arms trade, called for climate action, and challenged lawmakers to protect the most vulnerable among us. It was wonderful. But for some reason, there was one...
Taking out the Trash Burners
Having scored one big victory for jobs and the environment, a group of Baltimore activists is trying to take things to the next level. Curtis Bay, their heavily polluted Baltimore neighborhood, had been bracing for a $1 billion garbage incinerator that would have...
