Census Citizenship Question: A No-Win Scenario for Countless Families
Reading Time: 4 minutes Critical funding for education, housing, and nutritional programs hangs in the balance if households are asked to disclose citizenship in the 2020 census.
What Will Erdogan Do After Losing Key Election?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Turkey’s authoritarian president has just suffered a major symbolic and financial blow in Istanbul’s mayoral election rerun. The outcome means that the future of NATO’s second-largest member is even more uncertain.
The Frightening Rise of Algorithms
Reading Time: 13 minutes Why and how algorithms are taking over our lives, why we should care, and what we can do about it.
Ooops, They’re Doing It Again — Media on Track to Screw Up 2020
Reading Time: 5 minutes The media totally flubbed the 2016 primary and general election. And that’s being kind. So far, it looks as though corporate news outlets will make the same mistakes again by putting profit over useful information on the candidates.
Will We Overdose on Our Oil Addiction?
Reading Time: 2 minutes Despite decades of promises by US presidents to reduce reliance on oil and gas, consumption has only increased. How did we get here, and what might it mean if the economics of oil growth are operating in the red?
Tell Us, Mr. Sater, About Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin
Reading Time: 6 minutes Felix Sater, a key figure in President Donald Trump’s life, is being questioned today by the House Intelligence Committee. Since we’ve been watching him long before he became a person of interest, we already have a wish list of questions designed to pick the locks on his knowledge that is so dangerous to Trump.
Will Trump’s New Directive ‘Lobotomize’ Federal Brain?
Reading Time: 4 minutes President Donald Trump wants to cut the number of federal advisory panels by one-third. Critics say this will make it much harder for agencies to rely on objective facts to do their job protecting the environment as well as public health and safety.
How to Pay for Slavery: House Takes Another Look at Reparations
Reading Time: 3 minutes A solid majority of Americans agree that blacks in the US are still suffering the consequnces of 250 years of slavery. But what should be done about it? The House of Representatives is taking a look today on how a historic wrong can be righted.
Kansas Already Picked the First Winner of the Democratic Primary
Reading Time: 3 minutes Kansas Democrats are using ranked-choice voting for the 2020 primary election, hoping to increase voter participation and to create fairer voting systems.
Patriot Games — Chinese Consumers Protect Huawei From Trump’s Attacks
Reading Time: 6 minutes President Donald Trump has gone after Chinese electronics giant Huawei in recent months. But his attacks may have backfired because the company now has a heroic reputation back home and sales are soaring. At the same time, companies like Apple are suffering.
Trump, McConnell, Roberts — Who Will Be Russia’s Favorite Pawn?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is doing everything in his power to make sure that US elections remain vulnerable. He is just the latest Republican to play into Russia’s hands — and he likely won’t be the last.
The Paradox of Global Warming and Colder Winters
Reading Time: 1 minute Climate change may be understandable, but how can change related to global warming possibly lead to colder winters? It’s actually not that complicated.
Who Should Censor Online Speech?
Reading Time: 18 minutes David Kaye, UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression, distils the global challenges of our most consequential free-speech issue.
Trump and the Mystery of Stupidity
Reading Time: 6 minutes Witty, hilarious, and incisive comments that explain stupidity — and breathtaking specimens of the thing itself as shown in statements of US politicians.
Study Claims Science Nonprofit Serves as Lobbyist for Food Industry
Reading Time: 5 minutes Is an organization that says it promotes science and public health actually lobbying on behalf of the food industry? A new study suggests it is.
Why the UK’s Anti-Trump Protests Failed to Pack a Punch
Reading Time: 4 minutes The anti-Trump movement had high hopes for a massive protest against the US president in London but, amid D-Day celebrations, Brexit turmoil, and Trump fatigue, the show of resistance fell a bit flat this time around.
Facing Human Extinction, Activist Wants to ‘Go Down Swinging’
Reading Time: 18 minutes Randy Hayes had hoped for an “elegant transition” away from fossil fuels, but now there isn’t time for even a “semi-elegant transition.”
Mueller Is No Match for Trump’s Shamelessness and Indecency
Reading Time: 4 minutes President Donald Trump’s complete lack of shame and total disregard for the truth help him when he goes up against anybody with honor and a sense of duty.
Land Restoration Pioneer Sets a Shining Example
Reading Time: 1 minute Half a century ago, a former industry tycoon rolled up his sleeves and began to convert a large plot of barren land in Texas into a biodiverse habitat. His efforts now serve as an example of what individuals can do to make a difference
National Gun Violence Awareness Day: Should Be Every Day
Reading Time: 7 minutes On National Gun Violence Day, we present seven stories that illustrate the US’s obsession with guns and some of the issues we must face before the epidemic of gun deaths can be addressed in a meaningful way.