Archive
A Driving Force
Back in 1898, New York City hosted a global environmental summit. Flummoxed, the assembled experts disbanded early without agreeing on workable solutions. What daunting crisis brought about this precursor of today's big UN climate conferences? Fast-growing cities were...
The Sentence They Don’t Tell You About
Eight years ago I blew the whistle on the CIA’s torture program. I knew there'd be trouble, but I never could've predicted the years-long ordeal that followed. My revelations led to a four-year-long FBI investigation and five felony charges — against me, not the...
Running on Greed
Donald Trump alienated millions of voters with his ugly attacks on Mexican immigrants and John McCain's war record. But he rocketed to the top of GOP presidential polls anyway. Is Trump's racism driving this surge? Maybe. But I'd argue it's something else: his...
Holder Proves You Can Go Home Again
Novelist Thomas Wolfe famously wrote: "You can't go home again." But Eric Holder has proven him wrong. Holder, who served as President Barack Obama's attorney general until stepping down earlier this year, recently returned to his old home — Covington & Burling....
What’s the End Game?
I was researching a billionaire who made a fortune in the pomegranate business when I came across an old New Yorker article that opened a window into her life. Every minute of her day is booked in a life devoted to the constant quest for more money. It made me wonder:...
Hillary or Bernie?
Co-Branding America’s Wonders
While Americans celebrate the 100th anniversary of our National Park Service, America's so-called "leaders" are aggressively converting these jewels of the common good into just another corporate cash cow. This commercialization started with "co-branding" agreements,...
In OtherWords: July 29, 2015
This week in OtherWords, Donald Kaul weighs in on the GOP's response to Donald Trump's bile and Christine Dickason talks about her devotion to farmers' markets. Along with Olivia Alperstein — who helped me research my column on coal's demise — Christine is wrapping up...
To Fight Racism, Protect the Right to Vote
The cold-blooded murder of nine people at a Charleston church made it impossible to deny the persistence of racism across the nation. So do the symbols of support for slavery and segregation that remain emblazoned on public property throughout the South, and scattered...
Who Will Care For Grandma?
Who will take care of grandma? It’s a question we need to answer. As baby boomers grow older, the elderly population — seniors who are 80 and older — will increase almost 200 percent by 2050. Our long-term care system isn’t ready. Studies show that older Americans...
