People-Powered Media

People-Powered Media

After their state passed universal healthcare legislation this spring, Vermonters were surprised by a gaping omission in national news coverage: they weren’t in it. Despite a statewide grassroots campaign that demanded the historic legislation, most news reports...
High Noon in Washington

High Noon in Washington

Most Americans, riveted by reports about the manufactured crisis surrounding the debt ceiling, assumed that we “dodged the bullet” when Congress finally authorized the U.S. Treasury to pay its bills. The sad, tragic truth for our nation’s economy and...
You Can’t Milk a Butter Cow

You Can’t Milk a Butter Cow

Tim Pawlenty, erstwhile governor of Minnesota, gave up his bid for the presidency after finishing third in Iowa’s Ames Straw Poll, shocking the vast majority of Americans who didn’t know he was running. I don’t know whether it was a wise move or not,...
Diplomas vs. Deportation

Diplomas vs. Deportation

When a group of undocumented young people took the stage at an immigration reform rally outside the White House in late July, they had a catchy chant: “Hey, Obama, don’t deport my mama!” High school students dominated the crowd, which included...

The Ugly Business of Lethal Injection

The pretense of lethal injection as a peaceful and painless way to execute prisoners is unraveling, and this may change the face of the death penalty in the United States. In September 2009, the state of Ohio tried to execute Romell Broom. The execution team, with...