| Oct 9, 2013 | Rights / DemocracyFor the first time in 17 years, Congress failed to provide the funding to keep the entire government running. So now you have two classes of government service and two classes of employees: “essential” and “non-essential.” If you run a national...
| | Economy / BusinessShortly before the first government shutdown in 17 years, President Barack Obama addressed the Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference in Washington. He said the same thing he’s been telling the nation ever since, “We will not negotiate whether...
| | Environment / HealthAmerica’s best idea is in trouble, and I don’t mean our national parks. Yes, our parks are closed, which is a crushing disappointment for millions of would-be visitors and an economic gut-punch for neighboring communities — to the tune of $76 million...
| | Economy / BusinessThe debate over America’s federal budget is getting stale — and getting us nowhere, as the latest government shutdown depressingly reminds us. Political obsession over budget deficits has now morphed into legislative extortion. Today, more than ever, we need to...
| | Food / FarmingThe appeal of fast food chains isn’t their food: mostly fat, salty, sugary, empty-calorie mush. It’s their speed. Order, pay, and — bam — your warmed-over burgerpizzachickentaco delight is instantly handed to you. Yet, for a mega-chain based on speed,...
