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Politics
An Attempted Mass Killing in Arkansas
Apr 20, 2017 If he gets his way, Arkansas' Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson will execute eight men in 11 days this month.
Trump’s Making Good on One of His Many Campaign Promises: Promoting Unfettered Police Power
Apr 13, 2017 As the world focuses on state violence from Syria to Iraq to Yemen to North Korea, the groundwork is being laid for unchecked state violence here at home. As the world focuses on state violence from Syria to Iraq to Yemen to North Korea, the groundwork is being laid for unchecked state violence here at home.
50 Years Later, a Speech by King Has Lessons for a President
Apr 6, 2017 As the Trump administration attempts to swell the Pentagon budget and gut social programs, Martin Luther King Jr.’s "Beyond Vietnam" speech remains chillingly relevant.
In Trump’s America, Your Privacy Is for Sale
Mar 30, 2017 Unless you are reading this column in a good old print newspaper, odds are your internet service provider knows what you are up to.
Facing Famine, 20 Million People Need Food, Not Bombs
Mar 16, 2017 President Trump's response to the most serious humanitarian catastrophe since the end of World War II is to slash aid, bar refugees and expand the military.
‘A Day Without a Woman’: The Global Strike and Growing Movement Against Donald Trump
Mar 9, 2017 International Women's Day has been celebrated for more than a century, but this year's worldwide day of action had an added sense of urgency.
A Double-Transplant Cancer Survivor Takes On Trump Over Obamacare
Mar 2, 2017 Among the guests in the chamber during the president's first address to Congress was Ola Ojewumi (pictured), a remarkable 26-year-old.The U.S. Rejected Would-Be Refugee Anne Frank — Let’s Not Make a Similar Error Now
Feb 23, 2017 What words of wisdom might Anne Frank offer the Trump administration as it crafts its latest iteration of its Muslim and refugee ban?Resistance Proves Effective as Andrew Puzder, Michael Flynn Are Forced Out
Feb 16, 2017 "When the people lead, the leaders will follow." These oft-quoted words attributed to Gandhi played out in Washington, D.C., this week.
Silenced Twice by the Senate, Coretta Scott King’s Words Live On
Feb 9, 2017 Sen. Elizabeth Warren made history Tuesday by quoting another history-making woman's 1986 letter to a Senate segregationist.
Frederick Douglass: Power Concedes Nothing Without a Demand
Feb 2, 2017 The good news: Donald Trump opened Black History Month by mentioning the renowned abolitionist. The bad news: Trump doesn't seem to realize that Douglass is dead.
It’s Medicare or Coronavirus-for-All
Mar 5, 2020 COVID-19 doesn't care if you're wealthy or poor. Only a single-payer system can ensure that all Americans get the treatment they need.
Trump Officials Are Cynically Spreading Lies About the Coronavirus
Feb 27, 2020 As the epidemic spirals into a pandemic, causing a plunge in the stock market, Donald Trump and Larry Kudlow insist "USA in great shape!"
Medicare for All Should Be a Reality Today
Feb 20, 2020 "People with low or moderate incomes do not get the same medical attention as those with high incomes." President Harry Truman in 1945.
Michael Bloomberg’s Stop-and-Frisk Apology Tour Is Too Little, Too Late
Feb 13, 2020 The former mayor of New York City spent years pursuing and defending a racist policy. For Democratic voters, it should be disqualifying.
The Iowa Fiasco Rings the Death Knell of a Failed 50-Year Experiment
Feb 6, 2020 It's time to ask why two almost entirely white states are allowed to have such a disproportionate influence over presidential nominations.
The Latest Threat to Trans Rights Hurts American Kids
Jan 30, 2020 A new state law criminalizes medical procedures intended to address gender dysphoria for people under the age of 16.
Let 2020 Be the Year of a Truly Free Press
Dec 25, 2019 Jamal Khashoggi's murder reminds us just how dangerous journalism can be, especially when elected leaders choose to look the other way.
Trump Could Be Impeached More Than Once
Dec 19, 2019 Although the Senate may acquit the president this time around, Democrats have compiled a long list of other impeachable offenses.
The Kids Know Another World Is Possible
Dec 12, 2019 Youth activists challenge leaders at the COP25 on the lack of progress in finalizing rules for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
The Activists Guiding Us Through These Dark Days
Dec 5, 2019 As the Nobel Prizes are awarded, people gather in Sweden to celebrate another award for change-makers, whistleblowers and resistance leaders.
Politics
Indigenous Resistance Just Might Save Us All
Nov 27, 2019 This Thanksgiving, let us reflect on the remarkable, ongoing Native American struggle against colonization and catastrophic climate change.
A Violent Epidemic Is Taking American Lives
Nov 20, 2019 Activists are working hard to raise awareness about a growing scourge of violence against against transgender and gender-nonconforming people.
Elizabeth Warren Won’t Admit It, but the Primary System Is Racist
Nov 14, 2019 The Democratic candidate may bristle, but when two of the whitest states in the U.S. set the course of a primary, the problem is clear.
Trump’s Worst Impeachable Offense Hurts the Whole World
Nov 7, 2019 The president's most unconscionable act is missing from the articles of impeachment against him.
A Worldwide Revolution Is Underway
Oct 31, 2019 From Chile to Iraq, popular uprisings against austerity and corruption are spreading like wildfire at a crucial point in history.
Is Mitch McConnell Trying to Kill the Violence Against Women Act?
Oct 24, 2019 A renewal of the crucial law with added protections for women on tribal lands and the LGBTQ+ community is languishing in the Senate.
Trump Is Making a Dangerous Profession Even Deadlier
Oct 17, 2019 The president has been fueling hatred and encouraging violence against journalists for years. It's time he be held accountable.
Americans Can’t Decolonize Their Holidays Soon Enough
Oct 10, 2019 Columbus Day is increasingly being replaced by a celebration of indigenous peoples and their central role in our history and in our future.
Snowden Knows Exactly Why No One Wants to Be a Whistleblower
Oct 3, 2019 Far too many are vilified, persecuted and prosecuted for their courageous acts. Just ask one of the most famous ones alive.
Trump Has Committed a Laundry List of Impeachable Offenses
Sep 26, 2019 Nancy Pelosi has launched an impeachment inquiry against the president. But isn't he already deserving of one, many times over?
Meet the Palestinian Teen Who Beat U.S. Deportation
Sep 12, 2019 A 17-year-old Palestinian refugee, admitted to Harvard University, finally makes it to school after being deported by U.S. border officials.
Greta Thunberg, Frances Crowe and a Passing of the Torch
Aug 28, 2019 Thunberg walks the walk; her work as an activist is just beginning.
Death and Resistance on the U.S.-Mexico Border
Aug 21, 2019 The desert erases evidence of those who fall there.
The Ghastly Return of the Federal Death Penalty
Aug 15, 2019 Attorney General William Bar overturns an effective moratorium on the federal death penalty that has lasted over 16 years.
Trump’s America: Gun Violence and the War on Immigrants
Aug 8, 2019 The president's response to the recent scourge of shootings was predictable and predictably insufficient.
Environmentalists Risk Their Lives to Save the Planet
Aug 1, 2019 Fighting for the planet's survival has become more dangerous for activists around the globe.
Pa’lante Puerto Rico
Jul 25, 2019 "Never has a governor been forced to resign by a popular protest," notes Juan Gonzalez of "Democracy Now!"
The U.S. Women’s Team Takes Its Fight for Gender Equality Global
Jul 11, 2019 The 23 women of the soccer team return from winning the World Cup in France to continue another, more difficult battle for equal pay.
Trump Is Forcing Iran to Follow North Korea’s Dangerous Example
Jul 4, 2019 The lesson to be learned from the difference between how the U.S. president treats Iran and North Korea is painfully clear.
Abolishing Child Migrant Jails Is the Least We Can Do
Jun 30, 2019 Debating the fate of jailed migrant children is important, but the life-and-death crisis that they have been thrown into demands immediate action.
America Must Make Amends for the Horror of Slavery
Jun 20, 2019 This Juneteenth is marked in Congress with historic hearings to discuss reparations and poverty, and offer a vision for a more just nation.
Say Goodbye to the First Amendment
Jun 13, 2019 The crusade against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and whistleblower Chelsea Manning will have a "chilling effect on American journalism."
Ava DuVernay’s Searing Portrait of the Central Park Five
Jun 6, 2019 "When They See Us," the filmmaker's Netflix miniseries, shows the systemic racism at the heart of the wrongful convictions of five young boys.
Saving Migrant Lives Could Land This Man in Jail
May 30, 2019 Scott Warren, a geographer who volunteers with humanitarian aid groups, faces decades in prison for providing food and water in Arizona.
Abortion Bans Are Backfiring Spectacularly Across the U.S.
May 23, 2019 A rash of extreme anti-abortion bills being pushed through state legislatures across the country are igniting a firestorm of opposition.
John Bolton Is the World’s Worst Nightmare
May 16, 2019 Donald Trump's national security adviser has not hidden his terrifying desire to effect regime change in Iran, Venezuela, Cuba and beyond.
The Constitution Desperately Needs a New Amendment
May 9, 2019 The Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA, first introduced in 1923, may now, nearly a century later, be close to passage.
Trump’s Crusade Against Women Goes Global
Apr 25, 2019 Marching in lockstep with Mike Pence and the most anti-choice members on the right, the president is expanding his war against women.
The Horrors of Israeli Occupation Have Been Laid Bare
Apr 18, 2019 Christians and Jews look to the Holy Land as they observe Easter and Passover. Events in the region, though, are no cause for celebration.
Trump’s Vicious Crusade Against Asylum-Seekers Is About to Get Worse
Apr 11, 2019 The effort to challenge Trump's policies got a bit harder with the death at age 89 of Blase Bonpane, a lifelong peace activist.
Harvard’s Tacit Endorsement of Slavery
Apr 4, 2019 Tamara Lanier is suing Harvard University, demanding that the institution return daguerreotypes of her enslaved ascendants to the family.
The Americans Being Decimated by the Opioid Crisis
Mar 28, 2019 There are two leading risk factors for becoming addicted to opioids, and potentially dying of an overdose.
Jacinda Ardern Shows Trump What Leadership Looks Like
Mar 21, 2019 The New Zealand prime minister's response to the Christchurch mosque shootings stands in stark contrast to the U.S. president's.
The Time for Medicare-for-All Has Arrived
Mar 6, 2019 After 75 years of debate, universal health care may be on the horizon at last.
The Triumphant Homecoming of Angela Davis
Feb 21, 2019 The longtime activist uses a recent controversy over a Birmingham Civil Rights Institute award to advocate for a better future.
Who’s Afraid of the Green New Deal?
Feb 14, 2019 It is time for the dinosaurs in power to wean themselves off fossil fuels and support the progressive proposal, or face extinction.
The Countless Ways the Legacy of Slavery Lives On
Feb 7, 2019 Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is not the only politician recently confronted with blackface in his past.
The Movie on Deportation That Trump Needs to Watch
Jan 31, 2019 A gripping film that just premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival covers a topic dear to the president.
Betsy DeVos and the Privatizers She Backs Have Met Their Match
Jan 24, 2019 Los Angeles teachers' big win against charter school expansion and lack of funding for public schools could be an indication of what's to come.
Steve King Stands for Everything MLK Fought Against
Jan 17, 2019 Another King is in the news as the nation remembers Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday: a racist Republican congressman from Iowa.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Politics of Dancing
Jan 9, 2019 The old guard in Congress, both Republican and Democrat, should follow in her footsteps.
Censoring Commentary on War Crimes and Mass Starvation Is No Joke
Jan 3, 2019 Netflix's censorship of an episode of Hasan Minhaj's show within Saudi Arabia has implications that go far beyond the dictatorship's borders.
We Should Be Appalled by What Happened This Christmas at the Border
Dec 27, 2018 Trump tweets incessantly about the border, but he's never mentioned the two young victims of his administration's immigration policies.
The Tragic Lives of the Children Trump’s Policies Target
Dec 20, 2018 Nationwide grassroots organizing and massive media exposure are needed to reverse the abomination of the president's war on migrant kids.
Young Activists School the U.N. at Climate Summit
Dec 13, 2018 At COP24, the gathered heads of state and their climate negotiators would do well to listen to wise youths striving for climate justice.
How Would Mother Jones Eulogize George H.W. Bush?
Dec 6, 2018 As the nation lays its 41st president to rest, we owe it to ourselves to revisit the words of the legendary activist.
American Voter Turnout Is an International Disgrace
Nov 29, 2018 Even though the 2018 elections had the highest midterm voter turnout in half a century, fewer than half of eligible voters cast their ballots.
Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Arabia’s Dismemberment of Yemen
Nov 22, 2018 The slain journalist may achieve through death what he sought in life: putting an end to the brutal war in Yemen.
Why Amazon Wants a Piece of Our Political and Financial Capitals
Nov 15, 2018 There's a reason the two recently announced HQ2 locations for Jeff Bezos' company are a stone's throw from Wall Street and the Pentagon.
After an Election of Historic Firsts, the Real Work Begins
Nov 8, 2018 The bottom shook the top during the midterms, but whether our country's dangerous shift toward authoritarianism gets shaken off its foundation is still to be seen.
Florida on the Verge of a Massive Voter Enfranchisement Success
Nov 1, 2018 In the Sunshine State, a remarkable citizen initiative could restore the right to vote to over 1.4 million Floridians.
President Trump Is the Greatest Threat to National Security
Oct 25, 2018 Playing on fears and stoking divisiveness is the president's go-to strategy, even as tensions build on a national and international level as a result of his rhetoric and direction.
Trump Is Lying About Hurricane Michael
Oct 11, 2018 The president says the government is doing all it can for the victims of the storm, but this is simply false.
Flake’s Elevator Encounter Highlights the Power of Movements
Oct 4, 2018 When the history of Ana Maria Archila and Maria Gallagher's confrontation with Sen. Jeff Flake over Brett Kavanaugh's nomination is written, it cannot be about a single man changing his mind.
Women’s Bodies Should Not Be a Battleground
Sep 27, 2018 The mounting allegations of sexual assault against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, demand a thorough FBI investigation, not a rush to judgment.
Hurricane Florence Blows Open Harsh Realities of American Inequality
Sep 20, 2018 "We have two hurricanes," says the Rev. William Barber about the recent storm. "The hurricane of poverty and lack of health care and lack of living wages that existed prior to the storm, and then we have the storm."
Prisoners Fighting Fires Are Being Denied Justice
Sep 12, 2018 Joining the professional firefighting crews on the front lines of the massive California wildfires are thousands of prisoners, brought out of their jails to engage in this dangerous work, all for a dollar an hour or less.
This Woman Is Going to Prison for Voting
Sep 6, 2018 Crystal Mason didn't know that in Texas you can't vote while on parole or supervised release. What happened next is hard to believe.
Betsy DeVos’ Latest Proposal on Guns Is Almost Beyond Belief
Aug 30, 2018 The education secretary's proposal to divert federal funds from needed programs to arm teachers in the classroom is a terrible idea and might be against federal law.
Silent Sam, Another Confederate Monument, Comes Tumbling Down
Aug 23, 2018 Around the country, people are resisting racism amid a rising white supremacist movement emboldened by the election of Donald Trump.
40 Years Later, One Member of the MOVE 9 Walks Free
Aug 9, 2018 Decades after Philadelphia police launched a massive attack on the house of a radical, back-to-nature, anti-police-brutality and largely African-American organization, Debbie Africa is the first to be released.
A Journalist’s Fight for Asylum and a Free Press
Aug 2, 2018 Emilio Gutierrez Soto, who fled certain assassination in his native Mexico, is released from an immigrant detention center in Texas.
From Sweden to the U.S., Resistance Is in the Air
Jul 26, 2018 Creative protests and acts of solidarity, in concert with the determination and courage of refugees, are changing politics all over the world.
Confront Digital Oligarchs and Defend Net Neutrality
Jul 18, 2018 Add Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to the list of current and potential Trump administration members working to do away with an open internet for good.
In Thailand, the Kids Are All Right. Elsewhere, Not So Much.
Jul 12, 2018 Juxtapose the outpouring of compassion for 12 young Thai soccer players with the catastrophe that millions of children face in Yemen and the U.S. debacle of forced separation of migrant families.
Don’t Let Trump Make America Hate Again
Jul 5, 2018 At a time of summer picnics and other family outings, let's remember that much of the bounty enjoyed at those gatherings will have been harvested by immigrant hands. And let's not forget that other families have been torn apart and jailed.
The Supreme Court, the Muslim Ban and Trump’s Ugly Abyss of Racism
Jun 28, 2018 The highest court in the U.S. delivers a tsunami of decisions, most of which leave no doubt about its fiercely right-wing orientation.
How Four Words Changed the Course of the Immigration Debate
Jun 21, 2018 Fifty years ago, four words broadcast nationally changed the course of the Vietnam War. Now four words have exposed the cruelty of the Trump administration.
Trump’s North Korea Summit Reveals Democratic Party Fault Lines
Jun 14, 2018 After his historic Singapore meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the president sustains a barrage of criticism that he gave away too much to his adversary and gained nothing.
NFL’s Eagles Give Trump a Civics Lesson
Jun 7, 2018 Protest and dissent require courage, and exercising those rights often comes at a cost.
Groups Demand to See Homeland Security ‘Race Paper’
May 31, 2018 The American Civil Liberties Union is among those seeking release of an unredacted version of the paper, which they fear suggests that black political speech "be considered an indicator of criminal conduct or a national security threat."
After Latest Gaza Slaughter: Open an Investigation, End the Occupation
May 24, 2018 People around the globe, including from inside Israel, have expressed outrage at the recent slaughter of Palestinian protesters.
The Catonsville Nine, 50 Years Later
May 17, 2018 Their actions prompted a wave of similar acts of nonviolent civil disobedience and escalated the movement to end the Vietnam War.
How the White House Curbed the U.S. Teacher of the Year
May 10, 2018 Although President Trump presented Mandy Manning with the 2018 education award at the White House, the press was not allowed to witness her acceptance speech.
Kanye West Needs to Visit the Alabama Slavery Memorial
May 3, 2018 The rap artist provoked controversy in an interview with celebrity news website TMZ when he said, "When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... that sounds like a choice."
An Attack on Immigrant Rights and Press Freedom
Apr 26, 2018 The president's crackdown on immigrants and his dislike for the news media collided in Memphis as a well-known journalist was arrested while covering a protest against immigration detention.
Demand Freedom for Siwatu-Salama Ra
Apr 19, 2018 The 26-year-old environmental and racial justice activist was unjustly prosecuted and imprisoned, and now, in the third trimester of a high-risk pregnancy, is serving a mandatory two-year sentence.
Facebook Is No Friend to Democracy
Apr 12, 2018 Social media platforms have become central to our modern lives, but evidence is mounting that who we "friend" and what we "like" and share can be used by malevolent groups.
Teachers’ Red-State Revolt Rolls On
Apr 5, 2018 Their strikes in Oklahoma and Kentucky are part of a national revolution that has been growing for months, arcing from one Republican-dominated state to another.
Chelsea Manning: We Got This
Mar 29, 2018 The whistleblower, who is running against Maryland's Ben Cardin to be the Democratic candidate for the Senate, ends a campaign video with a hashtag that has come to signify her optimism.
The United States’ ‘Criminal War’ in Iraq
Mar 22, 2018 Fifteen years after our calamitous invasion, those most deeply affected, from Iraqi civilians to U.S. veterans, are organizing for peace against tremendous odds.
Gina Haspel’s Disqualifying Record of CIA Torture
Mar 15, 2018 The newly appointed CIA director's career at the intelligence agency spans more than three decades. While her work is shrouded in secrecy, two things are well known.
West Virginia Teachers Strike Revives a Proud Labor Heritage
Mar 8, 2018 A recent victory by public school teachers and staff in the Mountain State is inspiring educators elsewhere to take action for better pay and working conditions.
Student Survivors of Massacre Teach the Country a Lesson
Mar 1, 2018 The NRA could have predicted yet another school shooting, but not the immediate and unrelenting response of the student survivors.
Can Renewed Call for Gun Control Spark Anti-Militarism Movement?
Feb 22, 2018 Undeterred by Florida legislators' inaction on gun control, Stoneman Douglas students who survived the massacre at their school are on the move.
The Trump Budget’s Crushing Cruelty
Feb 15, 2018 The president's plan would slash or completely eliminate core anti-poverty programs that form the heart of the U.S. social safety net.
Uber and Lyft, Driving Taxi Drivers Into Poverty and Despair
Feb 8, 2018 The ride-hailing firms have skirted traditional transportation laws, flooding the streets with cars for hire and causing economic hardship for licensed cabdrivers.
The Stateless of the Union: Trump’s War on Immigrants
Feb 1, 2018 Under the guise of compromise on the fate of nearly 800,000 DACA recipients, the president bashes Latino immigrants during his State of the Union address.
Yance Ford Is the First Transgender Director Nominated for an Oscar
Jan 25, 2018 The filmmaker [pictured] won the nomination for "Strong Island," the tragic tale of the shooting death of his older brother.
Trump’s Roundup of Immigrant Leaders Has Begun
Jan 18, 2018 The detention of prominent immigrant-rights organizers suggests a concerted effort by the administration.
Martin Luther King’s Poor People’s Campaign Reborn
Jan 11, 2018 A new coalition forms to advance the civil rights leader's call for “a radical redistribution of economic and political power.”
Erica Garner: Rest in Peace—and Justice
Jan 4, 2018 The loss of the Black Lives Matter activist, who died at age 27, is incalculable.
The Fight to Protect Journalists
Dec 28, 2017 Reporter Emilio Gutierrez Soto is being held in immigration detention in Texas with his son after fleeing death threats in Mexico in 2008 and seeking political asylum.
The Darkest Day of the Year
Dec 21, 2017 A country's annual budget is often described as a moral document, defining the nation's values. Its tax system codifies its fairness.
Alabama’s Lessons for the Democrats
Dec 14, 2017 The party helped Doug Jones win through voter registration, grass-roots mobilization and the enormous get-out-the-vote effort in the African-American community.
The Doomsday Machine in Donald Trump’s Hands
Dec 7, 2017 Daniel Ellsberg reveals that the Pentagon Papers were not the first classified documents he removed from his workplace, and some are still relevant today.
Respect Existence or Expect Resistance
Nov 22, 2017 At the same time the climate summit was taking place in Bonn, Germany, activists gathered to fight for the planet's well-being.
Trump’s Climate ‘COP-Out’ and the Movement It Has Unleashed
Nov 17, 2017 The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is a catastrophe, but it has inspired a whirlwind of bottom-up climate activism.
Mass Shootings and Domestic Violence
Nov 9, 2017 The mass murder in Sutherland Springs, Texas, was a horrific crime but also horrifically predictable, and emblematic of the systemic problem the U.S. has with guns and violence.
Puerto Rico Suffers While Defending Against ‘Disaster Capitalism’
Nov 2, 2017 As thousands leave the storm-stricken island for the mainland U.S., perhaps never to return, others are arriving: the disaster capitalists.
Khizr Khan and the Wisdom of Gold Star Families
Oct 26, 2017 The openly racist presidential campaign of Donald Trump swept the late Capt. Humayun Khan's parents into the center of a political storm.
I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar
Oct 19, 2017 Although celebrities recently propelled #MeToo into the public forum, it was founded 10 years ago by African-American feminist Tarana Burke.
Corporate TV Drops the Ball on Climate Change
Oct 15, 2017 Forecasters aid and abet Donald Trump's misinformation by consistently ignoring the role of global warming in a recent string of national disasters.
The Time for a Debate on Gun Control Is Now
Oct 5, 2017 While it is too late for the 58 murder victims in Las Vegas, looking at a country where mass shootings were ended over 20 years ago is instructive.
As More People ‘Take a Knee,’ Let’s Remember the Original Inspiration
Sep 28, 2017 Principled positions taken at great risk, such as that of NFL player Colin Kaepernick in solidarity with people of color, are often how movements are born.
Anti-Fascist Heroines Then and Now
Sep 21, 2017 The violent rally in Charlottesville, Va., in August and Trump's repeated defense of the racist gathering marked a turning point in modern America.