| 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...
| Jul 13, 2016 | Economy / BusinessParty platforms are dense and often morosely boring documents filled with wonkish policy proposals and partisan jeers at the other side. At over 40 pages, this year’s Democratic Party platform lives up to its predecessors in length and ennui. However, it also includes...
| Jan 13, 2016 | Economy / BusinessMillions of low-paid Americans rang in 2016 with a raise, as a handful of state minimum wage increases went into effect on the first day of January. Many of those raises are a barely noticeable 15 or 20 cents an hour — little comfort to people struggling to make ends...
| Dec 9, 2015 | Rights / DemocracyI’m white. So is Donald Trump. I work as a teaching assistant in a sociology course on race while I pursue a PhD. Trump alone provides enough material to supply half my curriculum. Over the years, he’s said he thinks he’d be better off if he were “a...
