Death in Black and White

Death in Black and White:

This essay has been updated to reflect news developments. We, black America, are a nation of nearly 40 million souls inside a nation of more than 320 million people. And I fear now that it is clearer than ever that you, white America, will always struggle to understand us. via Pocket

If Not Trump, What?

If Not Trump, What?:

Donald Trump now looks set to be the Republican presidential nominee. So for those of us appalled by this prospect — what are we supposed to do? Well, not what the leaders of the Republican Party are doing. They're going down meekly and hoping for a quiet convention. via Pocket

There’s No Such Thing as a Free Rolex

There's No Such Thing as a Free Rolex:

THIS week, the Supreme Court heard McDonnell v. United States, the case of Bob McDonnell, the former governor of Virginia who is appealing his 2014 conviction for public corruption. via Pocket

The Real Reason Middle America Should Be Angry

The Real Reason Middle America Should Be Angry:

Like many "flyover" cities, St. Louis's decline is not mainly a story of deindustrialization, but of decisions in Washington that opened the door to predatory monopoly. The people of St. via Pocket

What Research Says about Defeating Terrorism

What Research Says about Defeating Terrorism:

So what have psychologists had to say about the problem? Quite a lot. But their cool-headed observations seem to have been drowned out by the all-too-familiar chorus of senators, celebrities and others waging their own rhetorical jihad against Islam. via Pocket

New study sheds light on what happens to women who are denied abortions

New study sheds light on what happens to women who are denied abortions:

In the US, there are many laws limiting when and how women can receive abortions. But there is almost no research on what happens to women who seek out abortions and are denied them. via Pocket

The Case for Reparations

The Case for Reparations:

Two hundred fifty years of slavery. Ninety years of Jim Crow. Sixty years of separate but equal. Thirty-five years of racist housing policy. Until we reckon with our compounding moral debts, America will never be whole. via Pocket

Arbitration Everywhere, Stacking the Deck of Justice

Arbitration Everywhere, Stacking the Deck of Justice:

On Page 5 of a credit card contract used by American Express, beneath an explainer on interest rates and late fees, past the details about annual membership, is a clause that most customers probably miss. via Pocket

The five extra words that can fix the Second Amendment

The five extra words that can fix the Second Amendment:

John Paul Stevens served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court from 1975 to 2010. This essay is excerpted from his new book, "Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution." Following the massacre of grammar-school children in Newtown, Conn. via Pocket

America's gun problem, explained

America's gun problem, explained:

It has become an unfortunate American tradition: Following a mass shooting, President Barack Obama yet again takes to the lectern to address the nation on yet another horrific act of gun violence in the US, typically making no effort to hide his anger and frustration at this routine. via Pocket

Sidekick chemicals reverse antibiotic resistance in microbes

Sidekick chemicals reverse antibiotic resistance in microbes:

As microbes continue to build immunity to antibiotics, researchers are scrambling to design new therapies and figure out ways to restore the killing power of the once-potent medicines. via Pocket

The Most Important 2016 Issue You Don’t Know About

The Most Important 2016 Issue You Don't Know About:

We've seen plenty of economic issues discussed in this presidential election: the proper level of financial regulation, the high cost of prescription drugs, the clustering of wealth at the very top. via Pocket

White working-class nostalgia, explained by John Wayne

White working-class nostalgia, explained by John Wayne:

1973 was a pretty grim year in the US. The Watergate scandal reached its peak. The Vietnam War entered its final throes. The turbulent cultural revolutions of the 1960s had everyone raw-nerved and exhausted. via Pocket

Disturbing data: The rich and powerful get their policies adopted, even if opposed by most voters

Disturbing data: The rich and powerful get their policies adopted, even if opposed by most voters:

You won't be shocked to learn that wealthy people get the policies they want from government more often than those of low or moderate means. via Pocket

No Cost for Extremism

No Cost for Extremism:

This article appears in the Spring 2015 issue of The American Prospect magazine. And click here for a free PDF of this 25th Anniversary Issue of the Prospect. via Pocket

11 ways race isn’t real

11 ways race isn't real:

Every time someone struggles to explain or select a racial identity, every time we have a public debate about should check get to check box, and every time a person's looks don't seem to match up with what they call themselves, it's a reminder that race is a social and political construct. via Pocket

Watch Out for These Products That Charge More for "Women's Versions"

Watch Out for These Products That Charge More for "Women's Versions":

Women are being charged $1,351 more than men, per year, for almost identical products, just labeled "for women." This pricing phenomena, often called the "Pink Tax", can typically be avoided by shopping in the men's section for identical products and paying close attention to pricing. via Pocket

Rich Kids Stay Rich, Poor Kids Stay Poor

Rich Kids Stay Rich, Poor Kids Stay Poor:

On Friday, a team of researchers led by Stanford economist Raj Chetty released a paper on how growing up in poverty affects boys and girls differently. via Pocket

Poverty stunts IQ in the US but not in other developed countries

Poverty stunts IQ in the US but not in other developed countries:

As a child develops, a tug of war between genes and environment settles the issue of the child's intelligence. One theory on how that struggle plays out proposes that among advantaged kids—with the pull of educational resources—DNA largely wins, allowing genetic variation to settle smarts. via Pocket

Donald Trump’s bankruptcies reveal how fat cats win

Donald Trump's bankruptcies reveal how fat cats win:

Donald Trump has declared bankruptcy at least four times. No, that sentence isn't exactly true. Four times during his business career, Trump has availed himself of the protection of the bankruptcy laws so that businesses he owned could continue operating without paying all their debts. via Pocket

The Revenge of Scott Walker

The Revenge of Scott Walker:

Only weeks after giving up on his lackluster presidential campaign in the face of national indifference, Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin is back to making mischief in his home state. Last Friday, Mr. via Pocket

Why Self-Driving Cars Must Be Programmed to Kill

Why Self-Driving Cars Must Be Programmed to Kill:

When it comes to automotive technology, self-driving cars are all the rage. via Pocket

Why It's Time To Reassess Walter Mondale's Place In History

Why It's Time To Reassess Walter Mondale's Place In History:

Even for those with more than a passing interest in American political history, the name Walter Mondale usually symbolizes one and only one thing: one of the worst electoral defeats in the history of the presidency. via Pocket

The Future Of The Democratic Party Will Be Decided By The Supreme Court

The Future Of The Democratic Party Will Be Decided By The Supreme Court:

Matt Yglesias published a widely shared piece arguing that the Democratic Party is in "deep trouble" Monday morning. The piece is excellent and you should read it. Yglesias's piece, however, ignores what may be the greatest looming threat facing Democrats in the years following 2016. via Pocket

Guess Who Else Is a Socialist?

Guess Who Else Is a Socialist?:

One of the side benefits of a well-watched national political debate is the exposure it brings to something obscure and forgotten — like Denmark. Who doesn't love a country that gave us a dish of frikadeller and rugbrod to go with paid parental leave and universal health care? via Pocket

Yes, Soda Taxes Seem to Cut Soda Drinking

Yes, Soda Taxes Seem to Cut Soda Drinking:

For about a decade now, policy makers and the soda industry have been fighting about the idea of a big soda tax. Proponents say it would fight obesity by reducing consumption of sugary drinks. A leading objection by the industry is that the tax simply would not work. via Pocket

Prison phone companies charging “endless” fees to families of inmates

Prison phone companies charging "endless" fees to families of inmates:

The Federal Communications Commission is poised to cap the rates charged for phone calls made to and from prisons, saying inmate calling services are overcharging prisoners, their families, and attorneys. via Pocket

The War on Women Is Over—and Women Lost

The War on Women Is Over—and Women Lost:

When she was 20 years old, Renee Chelian began every Friday with a predawn drive to an airplane hangar outside Detroit. There she met an abortion doctor, and a pilot who flew them to Buffalo, New York. This was 1971. Roe v. via Pocket

Slavery’s Long Shadow

Slavery’s Long Shadow:

America is a much less racist nation than it used to be, and I’m not just talking about the still remarkable fact that an African-American occupies the White House. via Pocket

Kristof: Lessons From the Virginia Shooting

Kristof: Lessons From the Virginia Shooting:

The slaying of two journalists Wednesday as they broadcast live to a television audience in Virginia is still seared on our screens and our minds, but it’s a moment not only to mourn but also to learn lessons. via Pocket

Why do we have allergies?

Why do we have allergies?:

Allergies such as peanut allergy and hay fever make millions of us miserable, but scientists aren’t even sure why they exist. Carl Zimmer talks to a master immunologist with a controversial answer for Mosaic. For me, it was hornets. via Pocket

Taking down the Confederate flag isn’t enough

Taking down the Confederate flag isn’t enough:

In the wake of the June 17 mass shooting by Dylann Storm Roof in Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church, the nation has debated the pervasive influence of racism throughout American society. via Pocket

The high cost of being a Minnesota legislator

The high cost of being a Minnesota legislator:

Branden Petersen hit his peak income at the age of 23. He was the youngest sales manager for home improvement chain Lowe’s in the Midwest region, and he was moving up fast. He was one promotion away from a mid-six figures salary. via Pocket

Tearing Down the Confederate Flag Is Just a Start

Tearing Down the Confederate Flag Is Just a Start:

Suppose African-Americans marked their heritage with flags depicting Nat Turner’s rebellion of 1831, in which slaves massacred about 60 whites before the uprising was crushed? The flag wouldn’t be celebrating the murder of whites, via Pocket

It’s Not Just About Bad Choices

It’s Not Just About Bad Choices:

WHENEVER I write about people who are struggling, I hear from readers who say something like: Folks need to stop whining and get a job. It’s all about personal responsibility. via Pocket

Scott Walker and the Fate of the Union

Scott Walker and the Fate of the Union:

On his first day of work in three months, Randy Bryce asked his foreman for the next day off. He wanted to go to the Capitol in Madison, Wis., and testify against a proposed law. via Pocket

This Age of Derp, Kansas Edition

This Age of Derp, Kansas Edition:

Menzie Chinn notes the continuing failure of the Kansas experiment with supply-side tax cuts. And yes, it is an experiment — Gov. via Pocket

The Insecure American

The Insecure American:

America remains, despite the damage inflicted by the Great Recession and its aftermath, a very rich country. But many Americans are economically insecure, with little protection from life’s risks. via Pocket

Can Bruce Bartlett save the GOP by bursting its 'bubble'?

Can Bruce Bartlett save the GOP by bursting its 'bubble'?:

Bruce Bartlett has 24-karat conservative credentials. He worked in the Reagan White House, the George H.W. Bush Treasury Department, for former Texas Rep. Ron Paul and the Heritage Foundation. via Pocket

​Food deserts: why it costs much more to try to eat on $29 a week

​Food deserts: why it costs much more to try to eat on $29 a week:

Much has been said recently about Gwyneth Paltrow’s Twitter post showing the $29 worth of food she attempted to live on last week in order to raise awareness about cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the food stamp program. via Pocket

Fraternity of Failure

Fraternity of Failure:

Jeb Bush wants to stop talking about past controversies. And you can see why. He has a lot to stop talking about. But let’s not honor his wish. You can learn a lot by studying recent history, and you can learn even more by watching how politicians respond to that history. via Pocket

Obama’s Advance Team Should Be Fired

Obama’s Advance Team Should Be Fired:

The Obamas are proving singularly inept at choosing appropriate venues to highlight their initiatives. In June 2011 Michelle invited giant retailers, including Walmart to the White House to launch her effort to persuade the country’s largest retailers to move into inner city “food deserts. via Pocket

What ‘Wild’ Has Wrought

What ‘Wild’ Has Wrought:

ON THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL, Calif. — THIS is arguably America’s greatest hiking trail, a 2,650-mile serpentine path running through desert and wilderness from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. via Pocket

A question for Scott Walker about Iran: What’s your alternative?

A question for Scott Walker about Iran: What’s your alternative?:

It’s probably too soon to take Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker seriously as a possible next president. He looks strong in the latest polls. via Pocket

Enjoying the Low Life?

Enjoying the Low Life?:

The United States is the most powerful colossus in the history of the world: Our nuclear warheads could wipe out the globe, our enemies tweet on iPhones, and kids worldwide bop to Beyoncé. Yet let’s get real. All this hasn’t benefited all Americans. via Pocket

It Takes a Party

It Takes a Party:

So Hillary Clinton is officially running, to nobody’s surprise. via Pocket

De Blasio's big microphone, and the little party pulling Democrats back to the left

De Blasio's big microphone, and the little party pulling Democrats back to the left:

The agenda of a political party you’ve likely never heard of, one with just a handful of members and that’s never elected a candidate of its own to an office higher than state senator, is driving much of the national conversation. via Pocket

Economics and Elections

Economics and Elections:

Britain’s economic performance since the financial crisis struck has been startlingly bad. A tentative recovery began in 2009, but it stalled in 2010. via Pocket

Denmark’s Drug-Free Pigs

Denmark’s Drug-Free Pigs:

PRESIDENT OBAMA didn’t need to issue a $1.2 billion National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, which he did last week, to figure out how the United States could reduce the antibiotic-resistant bacteria created by the country’s agriculture industry. via Pocket

A Little Respect for Dr. Foster

A Little Respect for Dr. Foster:

ONE sign of a landmark shift in public attitudes: A poll last year found that Americans approved more of gays and lesbians (53 percent) than of evangelical Christians (42 percent). That’s partly because some evangelical leaders were intolerant blowhards who give faith a bad name. via Pocket

Mornings in Blue America

Mornings in Blue America:

Two impossible things happened to the U.S. economy over the course of the past year — or at least they were supposed to be impossible, according to the ideology that dominates half our political spectrum. via Pocket

Hidden Healthcare Horrors

Hidden Healthcare Horrors:

One of the odder subplots of the health reform saga has been the almost pathetic efforts of Republicans to come up with Obamacare horror stories. via Pocket

The Other Biological Clock : How Old Will Your Kids' Grandparents Be?

The Other Biological Clock : How Old Will Your Kids' Grandparents Be?:

A few months ago I was sitting in the vast dining room of an assisted-living home in Washington, D.C., watching my 5-year-old niece bounce like a pinball between tables of seniors. It was a startling sight–that small, smooth blond blur amid a hundred crinkly faces. via Pocket

Charlatans, Cranks, and Cooling

Charlatans, Cranks, and Cooling:

Branko Milanovic notes Lee Kwan Yew’s explanation of the success of Singapore and other Asian economies; partly Confucian culture, partly air conditioning. If you’ve ever tried to walk around Singapore, you know whereof he speaks. via Pocket

Trillion Dollar Fraudsters

Trillion Dollar Fraudsters:

By now it’s a Republican Party tradition: Every year the party produces a budget that allegedly slashes deficits, but which turns out to contain a trillion-dollar “magic asterisk” — a line tha via Pocket

When Liberals Blew It

When Liberals Blew It:

Fifty years ago this month, Democrats made a historic mistake. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, at the time a federal official, wrote a famous report in March 1965 on family breakdown among African-Americans. via Pocket

Can One Union Save the Slumping U.S. Postal Service?

Can One Union Save the Slumping U.S. Postal Service?:

Let’s begin with the bad news. The U.S. Post Office, the oldest, most respected and ubiquitous of all public institutions is fast disappearing. In recent years management has shuttered half the nation’s mail processing plants and put 10 percent of all local post offices up for sale. via Pocket

Building the First Slavery Museum in America

Building the First Slavery Museum in America:

Louisiana’s River Road runs northwest from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, its two lanes snaking some 100 miles along the Mississippi and through a contradictory stretch of America. via Pocket

The qualified 'miracle' of Minneapolis

The qualified 'miracle' of Minneapolis:

A recent article in the Atlantic magazine — “The Miracle of Minneapolis,” by Derek Thompson — brought out the anticipated reactions. via Pocket

Who Decides?

Who Decides?:

Who decides? Conservative Republicans in Texas are split on the issue. Darren Hodges, a Tea Party councilman in the West Texas city of Fort Stockton, fiercely defends his town’s recent decision to ban plastic bags. via Pocket

The Miracle of Minneapolis

The Miracle of Minneapolis:

No other place mixes affordability, opportunity, and wealth so well. What’s its secret? If the American dream has not quite shattered as the Millennial generation has come of age, it has certainly scattered. via Pocket

Unconscious Racial Bias Taints the Legal System

Unconscious Racial Bias Taints the Legal System:

In the wake of the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, angry demonstrators and subdued academics alike have charged that the American legal process is tainted by racism. But polls suggest most white Americans don’t see things that way, leading to something of a standoff. via Pocket

Dying To Be Free

Dying To Be Free:

The last image we have of Patrick Cagey is of his first moments as a free man. He has just walked out of a 30-day drug treatment center in Georgetown, Kentucky, dressed in gym clothes and carrying a Nike duffel bag. via Pocket

Why chicken is making so many of us sick

Why chicken is making so many of us sick:

This content is made possible by the generous sponsorship support of UCare. Foodborne illness is a huge health problem in the United States. According to the U.S. via Pocket

The case for mandatory vaccinations

The case for mandatory vaccinations:

Should vaccinations be mandatory? Measles outbreaks and recent remarks by presidential hopefuls Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie that they should be voluntary have thrust this question into the center of American politics and policy debate. via Pocket

Smart Guns Save Lives. So Where Are They?

Smart Guns Save Lives. So Where Are They?:

BOULDER, Colo. — JUST after Christmas, Veronica Rutledge of Blackfoot, Idaho, took her 2-year-old son to a Walmart store to spend holiday gift cards. via Pocket

Fake Engine Noise Is the Auto Industry's Dirty Little Secret - Slashdot

Fake Engine Noise Is the Auto Industry's Dirty Little Secret - Slashdot:

I don’t know why, but I find the idea of pumping in engine noise fascinating. Good discussion about whether external noise is a safety issue for pedestrians, and whether silence in cars is golden.

Kicking Dodd-Frank in the Teeth

Kicking Dodd-Frank in the Teeth:

The 114th Congress has been at work for less than a week, but a goal for many of its members is already evident: a further rollback of regulations put in place to keep markets and Main Street safe from reckless Wall Street practices. via Pocket

Save the Honeybee, Sterilize the Earth

Save the Honeybee, Sterilize the Earth:

A decade ago, people started panicking about the collapse of the honeybee population and the crash of our food supply. But today there are more honeybees than there were then. We have engineered our way to a frenzied and precarious new normal. via Pocket

Social Programs That Work

Social Programs That Work:

WASHINGTON — HARDLY anyone knows it, but since its earliest days the Obama administration has been pursuing the most important initiative in the history of federal attempts to use evidence to improve social programs. via Pocket

The Radical Case for Cities Buying Sports Teams, Not Sports Stadiums

The Radical Case for Cities Buying Sports Teams, Not Sports Stadiums:

And this isn’t an uncommon scenario. The city of Miami and Dade County spent more than $800 million in 2009 on a new stadium for the Marlins… via Pocket

The Science of Why Cops Shoot Young Black Men

The Science of Why Cops Shoot Young Black Men:

"You’re not, like, a total racist bastard," David Amodio tells me. He pauses. "Today." I’m sitting in the soft-spoken cognitive neuroscientist’s spotless office nestled within New York University’s psychology department, but it feels like I’m at the doctor’s, getting a dreaded diagnosis. via Pocket

What if Whites Were the Minority?

What if Whites Were the Minority?:

In the responses to my “When Whites Just Don’t Get It” series, I’ve been struck by the lack of empathy some whites show for members of minority groups. So imagine if the world were reversed. Then “the talk” might go like this: “Nope. That’d be easy. via Pocket

Chris Rock: 'If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets.'

Chris Rock: 'If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets.':

Writing for New York magazine, Frank Rich interviews Chris Rock. If you read the whole thing, your estimation of Rock as a social critic and political analyst will rise, and, of course, he’s kinda funny too, but edgy funny. Here are a few highlights: Rock Replies: “Oh, people don’t even know. via Pocket

White America's scary delusion: Why its sense of black humanity is so skewed

White America's scary delusion: Why its sense of black humanity is so skewed:

Many white folks aren’t violent. But here’s how ignorance and lack of empathy make life so unsafe for black people The failure of a St. Louis county grand jury to indict Darren Wilson, the former police officer who killed Michael Brown, created a maelstrom of protests last week. via Pocket

Is Everyone a Little Bit Racist?

Is Everyone a Little Bit Racist?:

Let’s start with what we don’t know: the precise circumstances under which a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo., shot dead an unarmed black teenager named Michael Brown. via Pocket

http://ift.tt/1zyW2hG

http://ift.tt/1zyW2hG:

via Pocket

The Masterful Marketing of the Heimlich Maneuver

The Masterful Marketing of the Heimlich Maneuver:

Awhile back, I choked on a piece of beef stew. It happened as these things usually do: One minute I was happily sitting in a Dominican restaurant down the block having a “business lunch” with a friend, and the next I couldn’t breathe. This was not ideal. via Pocket

Plutocrats Against Democracy

Plutocrats Against Democracy:

It’s always good when leaders tell the truth, especially if that wasn’t their intention. via Pocket

Beyond Hope

Beyond Hope:

THE MOST COMMON WORDS I hear spoken by any environmentalists anywhere are, We’re fucked. via Pocket

When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Part 3

When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Part 3:

SOME white Americans may be surprised to hear Archbishop Desmond Tutu describe Bryan Stevenson, an African-American lawyer fighting for racial justice, as “America’s young Nelson Mandela. via Pocket

The No. 1 Cause of Traffic Fatalities? It’s Not Texting

The No. 1 Cause of Traffic Fatalities? It’s Not Texting:

I don’t yet have a copy of Matt Richtel’s new book, A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention. via Pocket

John Oliver explains why the U.S. drone program is so terrifying

John Oliver explains why the U.S. drone program is so terrifying:

Host John Oliver of HBO’s Last Week Tonight criticized the U.S. government’s drone program for inflicting fear in children. Oliver uses a segment to discuss U.S. drone program and the legacy President Barack Obama will leave behind. via Pocket

Polarization in America is here to stay. What now?

Polarization in America is here to stay. What now?:

By now, it’s obvious to everyone that U.S. political life has become extremely polarized. Not only are lawmakers further and further apart, but the American people are too, geographically and ideologically. via Pocket

The Debate About the Role of Government in The Republican City of Somerset, Kentucky

The Debate About the Role of Government in The Republican City of Somerset, Kentucky:

When two politicians debate the role of government, its almost always Democrat vs. Republican. Which is why it was so refreshing and instructive to read of the debate taking place among Republicans in a small city in southeastern Kentucky. via Pocket

Who Had It Easier, Reagan or Obama?

Who Had It Easier, Reagan or Obama?:

OVER the past few weeks I’ve been reading Ken Adelman’s fascinating history “Reagan at Reykjavik: Forty-Eight Hours That Ended the Cold War.” Adelman, who led Reagan’s arms control agency, was an adviser at Reagan’s 1986 Iceland summit meeting with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. via Pocket

Is last year's model better? iPhone 6 creates a storage space dilemma

Is last year's model better? iPhone 6 creates a storage space dilemma:

The new iPhone offers several features over its 5S predecessor: a faster processor, bigger screen, near field communications for payments, and purportedly longer battery life.

But it has the same base storage (16 GB) as the iPhone 3G, which premiered 5 years ago! (In that time, storage costs for solid state drives have fallen by 80%).

Apps have grown significantly in size, to take advantage of many new features and higher resolution screens. And data plans have become limited, requiring more local storage for those not constantly on wifi.

For a customer signing a new 2-year contract with a wireless provider, the iPhone 6 will cost $199. But for $50 less, the same person could last year’s flagship phone, iPhone 5S, with double the storage capacity - 32GB. To get more than that on the new phone model, you have to get the 64 GB upgrade for a total of $300, twice what the 5S costs.

There are probably enough people with grandfathered unlimited data plans for whom the cloud (via a cellular data connection) can supplement the measly 16 GB base storage. But Apple’s refusal to increase the base storage for it’s flagship phone is pretty cheap, and I wonder if it will drive some Apple phone purchasers to last year’s model in search of a better deal.

10 reasons why you shouldn't vote for a vet

10 reasons why you shouldn't vote for a vet:

Maryland Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Douglas Gansler committed a campaign faux pas this week when he intoned that his opponent, Lieutenant Governor and Iraq war veteran Anthony Brown, was not as prepared to do a “real job.” The situation is full of peculiarities. via Pocket

After Ferguson, Race Deserves More Attention, Not Less

After Ferguson, Race Deserves More Attention, Not Less:

MANY white Americans say they are fed up with the coverage of the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. A plurality of whites in a recent Pew survey said that the issue of race is getting more attention than it deserves. via Pocket

The Slow Motion Lynching of President Barack Obama

The Slow Motion Lynching of President Barack Obama:

I’ve watched liberal and right wing commentators alike blame the president for being lynched. They say “he’s not reaching out enough” or “he’s too cold.” It’s the equivalent of assuming that the black man being beaten by a couple of thug cops must have “done something.” via Pocket

Test If Your Batteries Are Dead By Dropping Them on a Hard Surface

Test If Your Batteries Are Dead By Dropping Them on a Hard Surface:

Skip the battery tester and use this quick and easy way to test if your batteries are dead: Just drop them. The video above by electrical engineer Lee Hite explains why dead batteries bounce, in very thorough scientific detail. On YouTube, he says: via Pocket

'The US Economy Performs Better Under Democratic Presidents. Why?'

'The US Economy Performs Better Under Democratic Presidents. Why?':

In case you missed this research from Blinder and Watson: The US economy performs better under Democratic presidents. Why?, by Alan S. via Pocket

Growing Pressure on Obama to Do Something Stupid

Growing Pressure on Obama to Do Something Stupid:

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Arguing that his motto “Don’t do stupid stuff” is not a coherent foreign policy, critics of President Obama are pressuring him to do something stupid without further delay. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C. via Pocket

Bring Back the Party of Lincoln

Bring Back the Party of Lincoln:

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. via Pocket

A Call for a Low-Carb Diet

A Call for a Low-Carb Diet:

People who avoid carbohydrates and eat more fat, even saturated fat, lose more body fat and have fewer cardiovascular risks than people who follow the low-fat diet that health authorities have favored for decades, a major new study shows. via Pocket

Writing Skills

Writing Skills:

via Pocket

A gut microbe that stops food allergies

A gut microbe that stops food allergies:

A class of bacteria commonly found in the guts of people—and rodents—appears to keep mice safe from food allergies, a study suggests. The same bacteria are among those reduced by antibiotic use in early childhood. via Pocket

Why reform conservatives should embrace a universal basic income

Why reform conservatives should embrace a universal basic income:

Reform conservatives — colloquially known as “reformocons” — are having their day in the sun. They made the cover of The New York Times Magazine with their push to move the right away from its myopic focus on tax cuts, starving government, and helping businesses owners. And now Rep. via Pocket

Is a Hard Life Inherited?

Is a Hard Life Inherited?:

YAMHILL, Ore. — ONE delusion common among America’s successful people is that they triumphed just because of hard work and intelligence. via Pocket

Do You Let Your Kid Walk to School or Play Outside Alone?

Do You Let Your Kid Walk to School or Play Outside Alone?:

Recently, a mother in Florida was arrested for allowing her 7-year old son to walk alone to a park about half a mile from home. Putting aside the possibility of being arrested, do you or would you let your school-age kids walk to school and elsewhere alone? via Pocket