Rights and Democracy
Guilty of Being Poor
Here’s something you might not know about Ferguson, Missouri: In this city of 21,000 people, 16,000 have outstanding arrest warrants. In fact, in 2013 alone, authorities issued 9,000 warrants for over 32,000 offenses. That’s one-and-a-half offenses for every resident...
Cruzing to Coverage
A Quiet Corporate Coup on Capitol Hill
Being a Congress critter isn’t the cushy job many people assume. After all, they must draft laws, organize hearings, write speeches, round up votes, and do all sorts of other things. Oh, wait… my mistake. Members have staff to do all that, including telling the...
Shining a Light on Corporate ‘Dark Money’
If 2014 was the "Year of Dark Money" in elections, then 2016 is likely to be the "Year of Way, Way More Dark Money" — that is, unless something big changes soon. One of the most troubling aspects of the explosion of big money in politics in recent years is the rapid...
For Rent: The GOP’s No. 3
Representative Steve Scalise might not be for sale, but he is available for long-term lease. The lease is straightforward: Lobbyists pony up millions of corporate dollars to "keep and expand our [Republican] majority in Congress," as Scalise puts it. Then that...
Standing Up for Our Neighbors
As a teaching assistant in a class on race in the United States, I've probably paid more attention to the #BlackLivesMatter movement than a lot of my white peers. The professor who teaches the course here in Madison, Wisconsin — where I'm pursuing a PhD in sociology —...
An American Dream Deferred
One of the most important lessons I learned growing up was that if I played by the rules and worked hard, I could accomplish anything. This was — and still is — an American value taught to all children who grow up in this country and attend our public education...
A Twisted Tribute
General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of staff, wants to honor a particular military hero. Well sure, who doesn't admire General George Washington? Or maybe a hero from the Civil War or World War II? Here's a twist: Maybe it's General Buck...
Kissing the Koch Ring
After the Supreme Court's democracy-mugging decree that let corporations dump unlimited amounts of money into our elections, a guy named Larry sent me an email that perfectly summed it all up: "Big money has plucked our eagle!" Thanks to the court's freakish Citizens...
Billionaires United
