Archive
How Would Francis Invest?
When Pope Francis unveiled his letter to the world about how we must stop trashing the planet, he nearly broke the Internet. The pithy document included hundreds of zingers, including this line: “Whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenseless before the...
What Caused the Charleston Massacre?
The recent mass murder of worshippers in an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina raises troubling questions for all Americans. First among them: How could this have happened? I think the answer to that one is easy. We live in a heavily armed society....
Pope Francis Weighs In on Newfangled Crops
Does genetically engineering crops — creating seeds with the DNA of other species inserted in them, like a tomato with DNA that includes genes from a fish — violate religious principles? People with a vested interest have tried for years to speak on the Vatican’s...
The Wheels Come off Jeb’s Victory Wagon
A funny thing happened to Jeb Bush on his way to the White House. He was rolling assuredly toward his coronation as the next GOP presidential nominee. He was sacking up millions of dollars in campaign cash from his dynastic family's extensive coterie of reliable...
Homegrown Terrorist
Snake Oil Won’t Cure Inequality
At last, America's political leaders now feel the pain of the poor and empathize with the millions of working families slipping out of the middle class. For years, politicians paid no attention to the ever-widening chasm between the rich and the rest of us. But it's...
5 Key Things Pope Francis Says about Climate Change
Pope Francis just released an “encyclical,” a fancy word for a sort of intimate letter that is meant to serve as a guide to understanding our personal relationship to some of the most complex issues of the day through religious doctrine. This particular encyclical is...
In OtherWords: June 17, 2015
This week in OtherWords, Jill Richardson skewers feeble efforts by McDonald's to burnish its brand and I point out that world leaders — aside from Pope Francis — aren't as bold as they sound on climate change. Do you want to make sure you don’t miss the latest from...
Paying the Pink Tax
You probably think you know about all the taxes you pay. Income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes — it seems like the list is endless. But there’s one tax I’ve been paying for most of my life that you might not know about. If you’re a woman, chances are you’re paying...
The Year of the Internet Voter
In the 1996 election it was the soccer mom. In 2004 it was the NASCAR dad. Could 2016 be the year of the Internet voter? The Internet has grown from a fad to an essential tool to a platform that’s catalyzed a growing political constituency. Pollsters have identified a...