| Jan 18, 2017 | Economy / BusinessGreat magicians are masters of diversion. They attract our attention with one hand while using the other to trick us into thinking a supernatural act is taking place. But even the best street performers could learn a lesson from the folks in Congress who are trying to...
| Jan 11, 2017 | Rights / DemocracyNot long ago, I saw a comment on an online article about the rise in protests for black civil rights. “We gave you a president,” wrote the commenter. “We gave you your damn Oscar. What more do you want?” Never mind the White House. What many...
| | Economy / BusinessGetting time off when you’re sick, or need to care for a new child or ailing parent, shouldn’t be a luxury enjoyed only by those who are financially well off. Yet low-wage workers in the United States — the workers who need paid leave the most — typically have this...
| Dec 28, 2016 | Economy / BusinessIn a lot of ways, 2016 was a big year for reducing inequality. Five states raised their minimum wage through citizen-led ballot initiatives. A job-killing free trade agreement, the TPP, was blocked as a result of massive public demonstrations against it. More...
| Dec 21, 2016 | Economy / BusinessA little over 80 years ago, NAACP founder W.E.B. Du Bois wrote “Black Reconstruction in America,” a groundbreaking essay that looked at the racial politics of the post-Civil War years. The major failure of those years, Du Bois insisted, was that poor...
