Maya Schenwar | Declaring War on Heroin
Maya Schenwar, Truthout: Even as officials eschew “drug war” language, many states’ actions in response to the heroin panic have taken the same old tack. Overwhelming, well-publicized evidence that mandatory minimums do not reduce crime has apparently been cast aside in the swirl of the heroin scare.
Red Love: Toward Racial, Economic and Social Justice
Lilia D. Monzó and Peter McLaren, Truthout: Racism is exacerbated through a capitalist production process that teaches us that some people have a God-given right to pursue their own economic and social interests without regard for others’ right to thrive in the world, free of fear for their own survival, and with dignity and freedom. The antidote is red love.
Can Congress End the Cuba Embargo? Many Republicans Want the Embargo to Fall
Robert Naiman, Truthout: A left-right coalition, supported by the president and public opinion, could successfully push Congress to end the Cuba embargo.
White House Refuses to Meet With Grieving Black Mothers Whose Sons Were Executed by Cops
Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo and Kevin Berends, Black Agenda Report: Despite thousands of calls and emails, neither Barack Obama nor Attorney General Eric Holder has agreed to meet with the mothers of slain boys and men. The women advocate for changing existing laws providing loopholes that allow police to kill their children with impunity.
Boots on the Ground: The Best Solution to Disaster Response on our Waterways
Marc Yaggi, Truthout: Disasters on our waterways have been occurring at an unprecedented rate in a climate of lax government regulations. In February, 140,000 tons of toxic coal ash sludge and wastewater leaked into North Carolina’s Dan River, highlighting why boots on the ground activism is crucial.
Homeless People: Do You Just “Walk On By”?
Pam Bailey, Truthout: Is there a helpful way to respond when you encounter one of the approximately 578,424 people who are homeless on any given night in the United States?
Little Progress in Lima Climate Talks
Nick Fillmore, Truthout: With yet another United Nations climate change conference making very little real progress, a near-miracle will be required if countries are to reach a meaningful and binding global agreement on carbon emissions at next year’s conference in Paris.
Quiet Distress Among the (Ex) Rich
Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism: The restructuring of the economy to save the banks at the expense of pretty much everyone else has hurt some former members of the top 1% and even the 0.1%. The fact that economic distress has moved pretty high up the food chain is a sign that this recovery isn’t all that it is cracked up to be.
The Perils of Criminal Justice “Reform” and the Promise of Abolition
Nancy A. Heitzeg, Critical Mass Progress: As “criminal justice reform” continues to capture public attention, we must never stop asking the hard questions. Ask early and often, because once these measures are enacted, it may be too late.
Closing in on ALS? Link Between Lethal Disease and Algae Explored
Lindsey Konkel, Environmental Health News: In New England, medical researchers are now uncovering clues that appear to link some cases of the lethal Lou Gehrig’s disease to people’s proximity to lakes and coastal waters – and they suspect that toxic blooms of blue-green algae may play a role.
Warning: Fracking May Harm Public Health
Rebecca Rehr, OtherWords: Federal rules are so weak that the fracking industry faces no national obligation to reveal which chemicals it uses in the process. Yet many of the chemicals widely believed to be used, such as formaldehyde and benzene, are known carcinogens that don’t belong in our air and water.
Paul Krugman | Good Economic News in the US Should Not Lead to Complacency
Paul Krugman, Krugman & Co.: The United States had a genuinely good employment report earlier this month, and we’re finally seeing some actual wage growth. Good news can turn into bad news, however, if it encourages complacency.
BuzzFlash
All Executions Are “Botched” Because Capital Punishment Is Inhumane
Mark Karlin, BuzzFlash at Truthout: Despite the outrage of the media and politicians at “botched” executions, there is no way to make capital punishment humane and morally acceptable.
GOP Lawmaker Wants a Woman to Get Permission From the Father Before Having an Abortion
Jim Hightower: Thinking of Amazon Workers This Holiday Season
Jon Stewart Dismantles Sean Hannity’s Racism Yet Again
Watch the Video at Comedy Central
How Torture Puts Americans at Risk
Read the Article at Consortium News
Arctic Still Heating Up Twice as Fast as Rest of Planet
Read the Article at The Christian Science Monitor
US Executes Fewer Prisoners, but Deaths Are More Brutal
Read the Article at The Guardian
Here’s All the Plastic in the Ocean, Measured in Whales
Spirit In Action 