William Rivers Pitt | Who Needs Republicans?
William Rivers Pitt, Truthout: In the 10 days since the Republicans took full control of Congress, Democrats in the Senate, House and White House have flexed hard in favor of a ruinous “trade” deal, a poisonous oil pipeline and an ongoing disaster of a war.
Why Prisons Don’t Work, and How We Can Do Better: A Conversation With Maya Schenwar
Victoria Law, Waging Nonviolence: If prisons don’t work, how do we do better? How do we address the harm violent offenders cause without locking them up? With 2.3 million behind bars in the United States, it’s a question that everyone should be asking. Truthout’s Maya Schenwar provides some answers in her new book.
US Sanction Relief Fails, Threatening the Nuclear Talks
Gareth Porter, Truthout: US policy fails to lift many sanctions on Iran at all and postpones others, including UN Security Council sanctions, until late in the process; consequently, Iran is unlikely to accept US demands just a few days before the deadline for agreement.
What About the Other Iraqi Militias?
Julio Sharp-Wasserman, Truthout: Crimes by ISIS militias are rivaled by those of US-backed Shiite militias enlisted in the fight against ISIS. Mainstream reporting neglects this fact, obscuring valuable larger lessons about US foreign policy and military intervention generally.
Gerald E. Scorse, Truthout: Roth accounts are inherently unfair, contributing to the continuation of income and wealth inequality even as they impoverish the US Treasury. It’s time for a change.
Women Hold the Lever to Move the World
Rivera Sun, Truthout: By connecting a consumer boycott of the meat and dairy industry to demands for renewable energy, the US public – particularly women – can take climate action into their own hands.
Laura Flanders | Sexist Smoke Serves Clinton Camp
Laura Flanders, GRITtv: When the stench of sexism is in the air, it’s no surprise that feminist hackles rise, and that’s typically worked for Clinton’s political fortunes. But can we remember that there are plenty of models of valiant feminist leadership that, in contrast to the senator, don’t involve waging war?
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Ethan Nadelmann’s Fiery TED Talk: What Has the War on Drugs Done to the World?
Sharda Sekaran, Drug Policy Alliance: Twenty years ago, Ethan Nadelmann left his teaching position at Princeton University to become a full-time advocate for ending the drug war. As the founding executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, Ethan’s vision and leadership have had a monumental impact.
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Sayantani DasGupta, The Feminist Wire: Apple’s and Facebook’s recent offers to female employees of elective egg-freezing benefits have been roundly critiqued as a not-so-subtle message for women workers to delay their childbearing in favor of advancing their careers and corporate profits.
Ayotzinapa’s Uncomfortable Dead
Charlotte María Sáenz, Other Worlds: Because there is no conclusive proof yet, the 43 missing Ayotzinapa students remain undead. Their parents refuse to accept this verdict, and in doing so, reveal the state’s incompetency not only to deliver justice, but also to act with any kind of legitimacy or credibility.
Taking Stock of the Money Midterms
Marge Baker, OtherWords: In the first national elections since the Supreme Court’sMcCutcheon v. FEC decision – which removed overall federal limits on contributions to political candidates and party committees – the tidal wave of special-interest spending was even heavier than the most dire predictions.
Economic Update: Extreme Capitalism
Richard D. Wolff, Truthout: This episode looks at low Irish taxes on corporations, interns fighting back, the thriving opium market, Volkswagen bringing new labor relations to the United States and big banks caught cheating again. We also discuss college sports, the business oligarchy in the United States and forgiving countries’ debts.
BuzzFlash
Finally a Member of the Oligarchy Is Indicted for Culpability in Worker Deaths: 29 Coal Miners Killed
Mark Karlin, BuzzFlash at Truthout: Don Blankenship is a nasty piece of work, even in the pitiless, exploitative business of coal mining, but his outlook on profits before lives is not uncommon in the extraction industry and in corporations in general.
Obama Team Hints at Keystone Pipeline Veto
Jim Hightower: Net Neutrality Stands in the Way of Larger Corporate Profits
Jon Stewart Skewers Stupid Racist Coverage of Minneapolis Mayor
Watch the Video at Comedy Central
Why the Press Is Less Free Today
Read the Article at The New Yorker
Riot Cops Arrest Walmart Employee Protesters at Peaceful Sit-In
Don’t Ask How to Feed People, Ask How to End Poverty
Read the Article at The New York Times
Pope Francis: “Unbridled Consumerism” Is Destroying Our Planet
Spirit In Action 