Let’s Talk About Inequality, Baby

Occupy has opened up the conversation about economic inequality in the U.S.; UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi has had her hand in more than just the UC system; and a woman says she had an affair with Herman Cain for more than a decade. 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.

The links below open in a new window. Newer ones are on top.

Debating inequality Finally, and in large part because of the Occupy movement, the issue of economic inequality in the United States is being discussed and debated.

The return of the sitcom laugh track After a few years of silence, sitcoms are giggling again.

The Democratic Promise of Occupy Wall Street Regular politics in Washington now resembles an ecological dead zone where truth perishes in a polluted environment.

AT&T hits wall in bid to boost might The Obama administration’s two-pronged attack on AT&T’s T-Mobile deal represents a sea change in antitrust enforcement that stands to have political and business ramifications far beyond dropped calls and deals for the hottest smartphone.

Loving Animals: Toward a New Animal Advocacy The world of animal rights is busy, perplexing and uneven.

Linda Katehi and the neoliberal reform of Greek Higher Education Linda Katehi has come under the spotlight because of her role as chancellor of UC Davis, her support of an openly corporate higher education and her stance regarding brutal police tactics against peaceful demonstrators at UC Davis.

Why the Media Misses and Distorts the Occupy Story News dissector Danny Schechter on why mass media covers and miscovers Occupy Wall Street.

Woman Claims She Had 13-Year Affair With Herman Cain An Atlanta woman is claiming that she had a 13-year-long extramarital affair with Herman Cain that ended eight months ago, shortly before the Georgia businessman launched his presidential campaign.

Give Thanks to Citizens With Cameras A menacing crowd of protesters had encircled police and they had no choice but to defend themselves with pepper spray. Or at least, that is the story campus cops at UC Davis initially told. Video of the Nov. 18 incident tells a different story.