Why Mugshots Shouldn’t Be Publicized

Some self-serving websites charge people who have been arrested to take their photos off the Internet; socialists should be outraged about Obamacare; meanwhile, is Obama headed toward isolationism or exceptionalism? 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.

Pope Francis Calls Extraordinary Synod on Family and Marriage Pope Francis’ first Synod of the Bishops was, quite literally, an “extraordinary” one.

Mugshots Shouldn’t Be in the Public Record. Here’s Why. In a feature that ran this past weekend, The New York Times drew some much needed attention to a very ugly business: websites that trawl sheriff and police databases for mugshots, post those mugshots on their own sites, then charge arrestees to have their mugshots taken down.

Ezra Klein’s Wonky Spin on Aggregation The Washington Post unveiled “Know More,” a blog that actually wants you to click away from the site.

Boehner’s Empty Suit A day in the life of the emptiest suit in Washington.

The New Rankings Frontier: Mentions in the Media Scholars often despair over the dumbed-down state of public discourse.

What Do Socialists Think of Obamacare? You know who should be angry about Obamacare? Real socialists.

Jewish Majority More Important Than West Bank Sovereignty Fewer Jewish Israelis favor policies that encourage Arab emigration away from Israel, compared with past.

Is Obamacare Enough? Despite helping expanding affordable insurance, “Obamacare” maintains the patchwork U.S. healthcare system that will still mean high costs, weak plans and, in many cases, no insurance for millions of Americans.

American Exceptionalism And The Obama Doctrine The recent Obama-Putin tiff over American exceptionalism reignited an ongoing debate over the Obama Doctrine: Is the president veering toward isolationism? Or will he proudly carry the banner of exceptionalism?

The Golden Dawn Murder Case, Larry Summers and the New Fascism On September 18, hip-hop artist Pavlos Fyssas, aka Killah P, was stabbed outside a bar in Keratsini, Greece.

Last Hours of Humanity: Warming the World to Extinction If you were standing outdoors looking at the distant and reddening sky 250 million years ago as the Permian Mass Extinction was beginning, unless you were in the region that is known as Siberia you would have no idea that a tipping point had just been passed and soon 95% of all life on earth would be dead.

‘60 Minutes’ Gets Disability Insurance All Wrong Perhaps the biggest enemy of the American social insurance system is the anecdote: the Walmart shopper using food stamps to pay for King Crab legs, the mother who keeps popping out kids just to ensure the benefit checks don’t stop or the infamous welfare queen rolling around town in a Cadillac.