The GOP’s Attack on Voting Rights Was the Most Under-Covered Story of 2016

The GOP's Attack on Voting Rights Was the Most Under-Covered Story of 2016:

There were 25 debates during the presidential primaries and general election and not a single question about the attack on voting rights, even though this was the first presidential election in 50 years without the full protections of the Voting Rights Act. via Pocket

How to Make Fun of Nazis

How to Make Fun of Nazis:

For decades, Wunsiedel, a German town near the Czech border, has struggled with a parade of unwanted visitors. It is the birthplace of one of Adolf Hitler's deputies, a man named Rudolf Hess. And every year, to residents' chagrin, neo-Nazis marched to his grave site there. via Pocket

A New Kind of Classroom: No Grades, No Failing, No Hurry

A New Kind of Classroom: No Grades, No Failing, No Hurry:

Few middle schoolers are as clued in to their mathematical strengths and weakness as Moheeb Kaied. Now a seventh grader at Brooklyn's Middle School 442, he can easily rattle off his computational profile. via Pocket

How to Take Down Kim Jong Un

How to Take Down Kim Jong Un:

At my Senate confirmation hearing a few years ago, I made a promise to the panel deciding my fate: never to use the phrase "there are no good options. via Pocket

The Return of Monopoly

The Return of Monopoly:

On July 15, 2015, Amazon marked the twentieth anniversary of its founding with a "global shopping event" called Prime Day. via Pocket

The Short, Unhappy Life of a Libertarian Paradise

The Short, Unhappy Life of a Libertarian Paradise:

Colorado Springs has always leaned hard on its reputation for natural beauty. via Pocket

Is It Time to Break Up Google?

Is It Time to Break Up Google?:

In just 10 years, the world's five largest companies by market capitalization have all changed, save for one: Microsoft. Exxon Mobil, General Electric, Citigroup and Shell Oil are out and Apple, Alphabet (the parent company of Google), Amazon and Facebook have taken their place. via Pocket

Gerrymandering means Democrats are playing a rigged game — in Georgia and everywhere else

Gerrymandering means Democrats are playing a rigged game — in Georgia and everywhere else:

The Democratic Party is going all-in on Georgia. More than $8 million in outside donations and 7,000 volunteers have come to the aid of Democrat Jon Ossoff, who is hoping to clear the 50 percent mark during Tuesday's special election in the Atlanta suburbs. Liberals see a lot riding on the race. via Pocket

‘Pivotal Moment’ for Democrats? Gerrymandering Heads to Supreme Court

'Pivotal Moment' for Democrats? Gerrymandering Heads to Supreme Court:

The hand-to-hand political combat in House elections on Tuesday in Georgia and last week in Kansas had the feel of the first rounds of an epic battle next year for control of the House of Representatives and the direction of national politics as the Trump presidency unfolds. via Pocket

Want to rescue rural America? Bust monopolies.

Want to rescue rural America? Bust monopolies.:

Since President Trump's election, much has been made of his rural, heartland voters, and how politicians can better serve them, with most discussion centering on international trade and globalization. via Pocket

How the Airlines Became Abusive Cartels

How the Airlines Became Abusive Cartels:

The recent United Airlines bumping debacle has prompted calls for reforms in the system of auctions that reward fliers for voluntarily giving up seats. Delta Airlines has now authorized payments as high as $9,950 to induce passengers to give up seats on overbooked flights. via Pocket

What Gorsuch Means

What Gorsuch Means:

A few minutes after Neil Gorsuch was nominated to the Supreme Court, former Obama Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal had an opinion piece in the New York Times. In it, Katyal argues that Democrats should confirm Gorsuch, who is "an extraordinary judge and man. via Pocket

I'm a Silicon Valley liberal, and I traveled across the country to interview 100 Trump supporters — here's what I learned

I'm a Silicon Valley liberal, and I traveled across the country to interview 100 Trump supporters — here's what I learned:

Sam Altman runs a prestigious Silicon Valley startup incubator, Y Combinator. He did not vote for Donald Trump. But he wanted to learn about how the rest of America thinks and feels. So he spent months traveling the country, interviewing Trump supporters. via Pocket

How the Anti-Vaxxers Are Winning

How the Anti-Vaxxers Are Winning:

HOUSTON — It's looking as if 2017 could become the year when the anti-vaccination movement gains ascendancy in the United States and we begin to see a reversal of several decades in steady public health gains. The first blow will be measles outbreaks in America. via Pocket

More women seek birth control to last as long as Trump's term

More women seek birth control to last as long as Trump's term:

ST. LOUIS – Angelica Thompson was working part time and earning her college degree in genetics when she got a serious boyfriend. Thompson sought care at the campus health clinic, where she chose a hormone implant under her skin that prevents pregnancy for up to three years. via Pocket

Reuters finds lead levels higher than Flint’s in thousands of locales

Reuters finds lead levels higher than Flint's in thousands of locales:

A Reuters examination of lead testing results across the country found almost 3,000 areas with poisoning rates far higher than in the tainted Michigan city. Yet many of these lead hotspots are receiving little attention or funding. ST. via Pocket

North Carolina is no longer classified as a democracy

North Carolina is no longer classified as a democracy:

In 2005, in the midst of a career of traveling around the world to help set up elections in some of the most challenging places on earth – Afghanistan, Burma, Egypt, Lebanon, South Africa, Sudan and Yemen, among others – my Danish colleague, Jorgen Elklit, and I designed the first comprehensive via Pocket

Is Donald Trump a Threat to Democracy?

Is Donald Trump a Threat to Democracy?:

Donald J. Trump's election has raised a question that few Americans ever imagined asking: Is our democracy in danger? With the possible exception of the Civil War, American democracy has never collapsed; indeed, no democracy as rich or as established as America's ever has. via Pocket

Rising inequality has crushed the dream of upward mobility

Rising inequality has crushed the dream of upward mobility:

A child born in 1940 had an extremely good chance of growing up to earn more money than his parents did. via Pocket

The Perfect Weapon: How Russian Cyberpower Invaded the U.S.

The Perfect Weapon: How Russian Cyberpower Invaded the U.S.:

WASHINGTON — When Special Agent Adrian Hawkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation called the Democratic National Committee in September 2015 to pass along some troubling news about its computer network, he was transferred, naturally, to the help desk. His message was brief, if alarming. via Pocket

Why Obamacare enrollees voted for Trump

Why Obamacare enrollees voted for Trump:

CORBIN, Kentucky — Kathy Oller is so committed to her job signing up fellow Kentuckians for Obamacare that last Halloween, she dressed up as a cat, set up a booth at a trick-or-treat event, and urged people to get on the rolls. via Pocket

Inequality Is Killing The American Dream

Inequality Is Killing The American Dream:

Decades of rising income inequality and slowing economic growth have eroded a pillar of the American dream: the hope that each generation will do better than the one that came before, according to new research released Thursday. via Pocket

Judges Find Wisconsin Redistricting Unfairly Favored Republicans

Judges Find Wisconsin Redistricting Unfairly Favored Republicans:

Federal courts have struck down gerrymanders on racial grounds, but not on grounds that they unfairly give advantage to a political party — the more common form of gerrymandering. The case could now go directly to the Supreme Court, where its fate may rest with a single justice, Anthony M. via Pocket

How Democrats Killed Their Populist Soul

How Democrats Killed Their Populist Soul:

In the 1970s, a new wave of post-Watergate liberals stopped fighting monopoly power. The result is an increasingly dangerous political system. It was January 1975, and the Watergate Babies had arrived in Washington looking for blood. via Pocket

How extralegal actions with a veneer of normalcy can lead to a nightmare

How extralegal actions with a veneer of normalcy can lead to a nightmare:

Community Voices features opinion pieces from a wide variety of authors and perspectives. (Submission Guidelines) Seventy-eight years ago next week there was a meeting in Berlin that was extraordinary in the way that it was ordinary. via Pocket

Executive Pay Clawbacks Are Gratifying, but Not Particularly Effective

Executive Pay Clawbacks Are Gratifying, but Not Particularly Effective:

If the goal is to keep corporate executives honest, compensation clawbacks aren't doing the job. That's what the recent action by Wells Fargo's board shows. via Pocket

My Four Months as a Private Prison Guard: A Mother Jones Investigation

My Four Months as a Private Prison Guard: A Mother Jones Investigation:

Have you ever had a riot?" I ask a recruiter from a prison run by the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA). "The last riot we had was two years ago," he says over the phone. "Yeah, but that was with the Puerto Ricans!" says a woman's voice, cutting in. "We got rid of them. via Pocket

The U.S. Constitution: Time to update, to ensure a functioning government

The U.S. Constitution: Time to update, to ensure a functioning government:

It has become increasingly clear that the U.S. Constitution is in dire need of amendment. via Pocket

After Three Decades of Neglect, Antitrust Is Back on the Democratic Platform

After Three Decades of Neglect, Antitrust Is Back on the Democratic Platform:

An activist displays a stylized US flag at an Occupy Wall Street rally in New York City on September 18, 2011. (Photo: David Shankbone) For the first time in 28 years, the Democratic Party platform calls for vigorous, stepped-up enforcement of our anti-monopoly laws. via Pocket

http://ift.tt/2dwDnCu

http://ift.tt/2dwDnCu:

The article, entitled "Under Pence, state gave incentives to companies that offshored jobs," ran August 28 and is here. Cook's exposé is a textbook roadmap for reporters in every state. via Pocket

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http://ift.tt/2dpogq2:

via Pocket

Who Benefits From Strong Unions? Everyone.

Who Benefits From Strong Unions? Everyone.:

via Pocket

Daughters and Trumps

Daughters and Trumps:

As the father of no daughters, I'm appalled by Donald Trump's comments about groping women. As the husband of no wife, I'm offended. via Pocket

This Republican mayor has an incredibly simple idea to help the homeless. And it seems to be working.

This Republican mayor has an incredibly simple idea to help the homeless. And it seems to be working.:

Republican Mayor Richard Berry was driving around Albuquerque last year when he saw a man on a street corner holding a sign that read: "Want a Job. Anything Helps." via Pocket

Debugging

Debugging:

via Pocket

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