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How Charles Dickens Redeemed the Spirit of Christmas

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Initially intending to voice his concerns about the poor as a pamphleteer, Dickens instead crafted a story about the redemption of an old miser, believing that it would garner more public attention and support. Today that story remains perhaps Dickens’ most celebrated work, A Christmas Carol.

Is War With Russia Ahead?

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A hot war with Russia is the last thing the Biden administration wants right now. Nor is an actual détente with Moscow on the horizon. But could Putin’s aggressive move raise the profile of U.S.-Russian relations in such a way as to lay the foundation for a cold peace?

Manchin Killed Build Back Better Over Inflation Fears. He’s Wrong.

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What really matters is how much the bill would spend in excess of any taxes raised to pay for the program. The higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations that the House version of the bill calls for would reduce economic activity – by taking money out of the economy – offsetting some of the impact of the spending that would stimulate it.

What’s the Point of Holiday Gifts?

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Shouldn’t the holiday season simply be about family, friends and food? And wouldn’t everyone just be better off spending their own money on things they know they want? Gift exchanges may seem wasteful and impractical. But as social scientific research reveals, the costs and benefits of gift-giving aren’t what they seem.

Teaching to Transgress: bell hooks Will Endure

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As a leading Black intellectual, hooks pushed the feminist movement beyond the preserve of the white and middle-class, encouraging Black and working class perspectives on gender inequality. She taught us about white supremacist capitalist patriarchal values – giving both the words to define it and the methods to dismantle it.

Fruitcakes: Maligned and Misunderstood

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Haters and disrespect aside, fruitcake is still a robust American tradition, with 2 million sold each year, though a quip attributed to former “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson has it that “There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other.”

The Problems With Banning Cell Phones in the Workplace

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Bans on employees using cellphones are relatively common in workplaces such as factories, farms and fast-food chains. Such employer rules are legal, and there is relatively little that employees can do about it. But different situations have indicated the necessity for workers to have access to their phones, for safety’s sake.

Coffee, Good to the Last Drop? Don’t Be So Sure.

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You’ve probably heard it before: drinking coffee is good for your health. Studies have shown that drinking a moderate amount of coffee is associated with many health benefits, including a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But while these associations have been demonstrated many times, they don’t actually prove that coffee reduces disease risk. In fact, proving that coffee is good for your health is complicated.

The White Flight Behind Native Americans’ 87% Population Growth

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Birth rates among Native Americans don’t explain the massive rise in numbers. And there certainly is no evidence of an influx of Native American expatriates returning to the U.S. Instead, individuals who previously identified as white are now claiming to be Native American. This growing movement has been captured by terms like “pretendian” and “wannabe.”

Facing Record Exceeding 1,000 Manatee Deaths This Year, Wildlife Officials Seek Permanent, Effective Solutions

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In 2017, manatees were upgraded from an “endangered” designation to “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pointing to an increase in the manatee population and habitat improvements because of conservation efforts. That trend appears not to have lasted. The number of deaths this year is estimated to be about one-sixth of the population of manatees in the waters of the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico.

China’s Ongoing Genocide of the Uyghurs

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After 18 months of deliberations and three hearings of evidence from witnesses and experts – including anthropologists, political scientists and international lawyers – the London-based Uyghur Tribunal has ruled that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is guilty of crimes against humanity and genocide, by coercive birth control.

Tornadoes and Climate Change: The Twists Ahead

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The deadly tornado outbreak that tore through communities from Arkansas to Illinois on the night of Dec. 10-11, 2021, was so unusual in its duration and strength, particularly for December, that a lot of people including the U.S. president are asking what role climate change might have played – and whether tornadoes will become more common in a warming world.

How Canada Is Dismantling Anti-Black Racism in Schools

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With ample data demonstrating the effects of systems that undermine educational opportunities of Black students, it’s clear that access to education isn’t equitable and inclusive. Here’s a model of targeted improvements based on strategic community engagement that school boards can learn from and enact.

Why is Inflation So High? 3 Questions Answered.

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Consumer prices jumped 6.8% in November 2021 from a year earlier – the fastest rate of increase since 1982, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics published today. Here’s what’s driving the recent increase in inflation and how it affects consumers, companies and the economy.

Democrats’ Failure to Protect Abortion Rights

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Conservative Republicans started prioritizing a high court takeover, with the explicit aim of ending legal abortion, more than 40 years ago. Democrats and progressives stuck their heads in the sand. Women, denied autonomy over their own bodies, are poised to pay the biggest price.

Voters Approved Nonpartisan School Boards 23 Years Ago. GOP Lawmakers Want That to Change.

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Florida’s local school boards, which oversee public school districts in 67 counties, are currently nonpartisan. That goes back more than 20 years, following a ballot initiative in November 1998. At that time, voters approved allowing school board members to be nonpartisan. GOP lawmakers are pushing to overhaul those boards by requiring elections to be partisan.

The GOP Normalizes Islamophobia

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Rep. Lauren Boebert insinuating that Rep. Ilhan Omar could have been a suicide bomber isn’t just about an unhinged Congresswoman stoking the extreme fringe of the Republican base. The real issue is the ongoing normalization of Islamophobia in America, which has soared to frightening new heights since 9/11.