Archive
Wal-Mart Does Something Right
Once, I indirectly forced a neighbor to drive far out of her way for a head of broccoli. I think she's forgiven me, but I'm not sure the love is still the same. She was kindly caring for my child and running errands when she turned toward Wal-Mart for a quick stop. My...
Kissing the Koch Ring
After the Supreme Court's democracy-mugging decree that let corporations dump unlimited amounts of money into our elections, a guy named Larry sent me an email that perfectly summed it all up: "Big money has plucked our eagle!" Thanks to the court's freakish Citizens...
A Crash Course on Reality
I was always one of those kids who got As in school. Give me an assignment, I’ll do it. A test? I’ll take it. Lecture to me, and I’ll absorb every word. Now that I’m back at school 11 years after getting my college degree, though, I suddenly find myself in a very...
Billionaires United
The Nincompoop Caucus Sets a Record
The GOP-led House of Representatives has already achieved a historic legislative record. A record in futility, that is. And absurdity. In February, for the 56th time, they focused the entire array of brain cells in their 245-member caucus on an effort that would...
In OtherWords: February 25, 2015
This week in OtherWords, Donald Kaul sizes up Rudy Giuliani and I explain why there's no safe way for freight trains to lug crude oil across the country. Do you want to make sure you don’t miss the latest from OtherWords? Please subscribe to our free weekly...
Some Good News from the Middle East
There's not much good news coming out of the Middle East these days. But one reason to take heart is the progress of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the West. Even as new conflicts sprout up elsewhere, a three-decade standoff between Tehran and Washington could...
Giuliani: Nutball or Sleazeball?
I’m trying to make up my mind about Rudy Giuliani: I can’t decide whether he’s a nutball or a sleazeball. For now I’m going with a sleazy nutball, but I’m open to suggestions. In a series of hysterical attacks on Barack Obama in recent weeks, Giuliani has all but...
The Lobbyists at Your Dinner Party
Remember the old food pyramid? Until "MyPlate" replaced it a few years ago, the U.S. government's official dietary advice for Americans fit neatly into that triangle. The government recently moved toward updating those standards again. And the result isn’t nearly as...
Going off the Rails
When 27 CSX tanker cars loaded with fracked North Dakota crude tumbled onto a West Virginia riverbank on President’s Day, the ensuing fireballs leveled a house and forced hundreds of people to flee amid a heavy snowstorm. Even though 19 of the derailed cars — each...
