Archive
I Am Not Sybrina Fulton
My 15-year-old son is a hulking 6'6". He wears a hoodie and listens to hip hop. But I've never had to explain to him that his neighbors might find him threatening. I've never told him that police officers might assume that if he's hanging out on the sidewalks of our...
The Fracking War on Coal
When the EPA opened a new comment period on Jan. 8 for the public to weigh in on proposed greenhouse gas limits for new coal-fired power plants, it didn't take long for the overblown rhetoric denouncing President Barack Obama's so-called "War on Coal" to begin. The...
We’ve Got a Long Way to Go, Baby
When General Motors named Mary Barra the company's new CEO in December, the announcement made instant headlines. No woman had ever steered a major global automaker . But the hurrahs for GM's historic hire turned into hoots of derision when a company filing revealed...
Keeping Sludge Away from Your Seedlings Is Harder than You Think
Spring is so close we can almost taste it. If you're a gardener, you've already counted how many weeks until the last frost, ordered your seeds, and perhaps even began starting your seedlings indoors. And if you're like some gardeners, once it's warm enough, you'll...
Buying More Than a Piece of the Rock
One thing about the tea party Republicans in Congress is that they do know who butters their biscuits. Several have recently rushed forward with an anguished plea in defense of Wall Street barons, CEOs, and billionaires: Stop the vilification of wealthy people! I'm...
Reading the Tea Leaves on Iran
Here are some simple things to keep in mind about U.S. relations with Iran: The many influential Americans seeking war with the Middle Eastern country include: 1. Munitions companies that profit from the sale of missiles, helicopters, bullets, etc. 2. TV pundits who...
The Right to Equally Obscene Pay
The Senator from Oz Fights Crazy with Crazy
In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy assessed the odd things she was experiencing and said to her little dog, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." Lately, Sen. Pat Roberts has gained a new understanding of what Dorothy meant. The Kansas Republican has been in...
What Obama Should Order Next: Paycheck Fairness
When President Barack Obama talked about pay equity in his State of the Union speech last month and connected the dots between gender and low-wage work, advocates in the audience were ecstatic. Representative Rosa DeLauro, lead sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act...
Obama Orders, But Not Enough
Some Federal contract workers will get $10.10 an hour. Giving a boost to their buying power. It's a step, we suppose, in the right direction But U.S. workers need much more protection. Like a living wage that keeps pace with inflation, Paid sick leave without being...
