Archive
Dirty-Energy Supporters Cower before Hurricane Francis Strikes
Some of corporate America's biggest climate-change deniers — from Exxon-Mobil to the Koch Brothers — are dreading a potent storm that's gaining strength and headed right at them. It's the category-5 "Hurricane Francis," which threatens to overwhelm their flimsy...
In OtherWords: May 6, 2015
This week in OtherWords, Nathalie Baptiste and LeeAnn Hall put Baltimore's recent upheaval into a context illustrated by cartoonist Khalil Bendib. And I salute the climate movement's patron saint — Pope Francis. In addition to our regular lineup of newsroom-ready...
Nonviolence for Whom?
Ferguson. New York. Baltimore. As cities erupt after decades of oppression and violence at the hands of police, calls for nonviolence can be deafening. "Violence isn’t the answer," the moralists chide when protesters throw rocks and clash with police. They're right....
From Rage to Reform
Another city just erupted in rage in response to a police killing. After a week of peaceful protests following the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, "Charm City" was in flames. The authorities declared a state of emergency and deployed the National Guard. In less...
The For-Profit College Scam
This spring, around 100 indebted college grads came up with a novel strategy for dealing with their crushing debt: They simply weren't going to pay it. These students — the so-called "Corinthian 100" — attended schools owned by the now-defunct for-profit education...
Coddling the Rich
Question: How much did Congress save taxpayers last year when it cut food stamp benefits for 16 million poor children? Answer: Less than the windfall Congress is trying to bestow on a few of the richest American families by ending the federal estate tax. The House has...
Converting the Fossil-Fuel Fundamentalists
Kicking humanity’s addiction to oil, gas, and coal before those industries render the planet uninhabitable may take a miracle. So it’s a good thing that the climate movement found a patron saint. I’m talking about Pope Francis, of course. Before an upcoming encyclical...
Drink Outside the Box
I recently checked out an upscale yoga studio here in Madison, Wisconsin and discovered a new and disturbing trend: boxed water. Boxed water? OK, I've heard of boxed wine — and maybe even drunk a little. But water? The yoga studio in question appeals to a young,...
The Real Drug Racket
Al Capone, the infamous mob boss and bootlegger in Chicagoland during the 1920s, always maintained that he was just a businessman. The only difference between him and others, he insisted, was that the law criminalized his business while legalizing the criminality of...
Baltimore’s Tolerance Double Standard
