Health Care Isn’t a Bargaining Chip

Health Care Isn’t a Bargaining Chip

Conservatives and progressives don’t agree on much these days. Regardless of their party leanings, though, a clear majority of Americans believe that politicians shouldn’t meddle in a woman’s personal health care decisions. Yet for too long, women’s health care...
Urban America’s Slow-Motion Crisis

Urban America’s Slow-Motion Crisis

Baltimore, my hometown, is facing its highest rate of homicides in decades. Along with other cities that are reporting higher than usual violent crime rates this summer, Baltimore’s murder rate is up by 33 percent this year. It’s a terrible reminder that the violence...
Missing the Forest for the AC

Missing the Forest for the AC

Most of us care about conservation, at least a little. But sometimes we miss the forest for the trees — or in this case, the AC. Take the hostel I recently stayed at in California. All the lights in the hostel were compact fluorescents — those energy-efficient coils...
Pensions Powered by Climate Change

Pensions Powered by Climate Change

If I had $17 million in savings, I’d take advantage of that financial security and retire early. That’s the average total retirement assets of chief executives at the top 30 U.S. oil, natural gas, and coal companies, according to a recent report by the Institute for...
The GOP Whiffs Again on Health Care

The GOP Whiffs Again on Health Care

In advice to baseball rookies, Hall of Fame star Ted Williams said: “If you don’t think too good, don’t think too much.” This should be taken to heart by bush-league congressional leader John Boehner. The Republican speaker of the House keeps thinking he...
Bear This in Mind

Bear This in Mind

On August 7, an experienced hiker was found dead and half eaten by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. The offending bear was later euthanized. A week later, a black bear injured a man near Yosemite National Park. The man had left a bag of trash outside his...