Goodwill Ain’t So Great

The nonprofit agency takes advantage of workers with disabilities thanks to an antiquated act; people who stay up late show a higher incidence of the “Dark Triad” of personality traits — Machiavellianism, psychopathy and narcissism; meanwhile, the Egyptian military’s civilian death count is proof the Arab Spring has been halted. These discoveries and more below.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that have found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

Goodwill Industries International: Pay Disabled Workers a Real Wage Goodwill Industries pays thousands of workers with disabilities less than minimum wage by exploiting a provision in the Fair Labor Standards Act left over from the 1930s.

Stop Hating on Early Risers: It’s the Night Owls You Should Worry About There’s not much you can do about whether you’re an early bird or a night owl. But researchers who looked for different personality traits among early rises and late nighters found that amongst those who stay up, incidence of the so called “Dark Triad” of personality traits—Machiavellianism, psychopathy and narcissism—were higher.

The Arab Spring is Being Stifled by the Force of Arms The grotesque murders of ordinary Egyptians by their own military says everything about the non-progress of the Arab spring.

China’s Internet Freedom Double-Talk NSA leaker Edward Snowden’s original choice of Hong Kong as a refuge has kept the antagonism between the U.S. and China over cyber-issues squarely in the spotlight.

If Trayvon Were Pakistani… President Barack Obama surprised the White House press corps when he preempted the normal daily briefing to offer his unscripted ideas on the Trayvon Martin case.

Another Journalist With Children in the Israeli Military The New York Times recently published a news brief, reporting that Israel is going to re-investigate an incident in which an American citizen, Tristan Anderson, was permanently maimed.

The Future for Egypt is Looking Increasingly Bloody As impoverished crowds gather in support of Mohamed Morsi, the well-heeled march behind their images of the General.