Social Justice

Can Eminent Domain Be Used to Avert a Foreclosure Mess? This California City Thinks So

Governments usually use eminent domain powers to displace people. But one hardscrabble Bay Area city is going to the mat to do just the opposite—stabilize its economy and keep residents where they are.

Mark Andrew Boyer | Oct 19, 2013

Protest at Columbia University. Photo by Tristin Moone.

Native rights

Decolonize the Holidays: An Alternative to Columbus Day (and Canadian Thanksgiving)

Three states have already dropped Columbus Day, while a movement begins to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead.

Ray Stoeve | Oct 16, 2013

Activism | Renewable energy

Pro-Coal Kids’ Pages Pulled from Government Site as Public Pressure Increases

Two sections that essentially told kids that coal was safe and good for the environment disappeared today from the website of a state agency in Illinois.

Jeff Biggers | Oct 15, 2013

Rosa Linarez. Photo by Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern.

Sustainable food and farming

Market Offers Wealth of Tradition—and Veggies—for Immigrant Farmers and Shoppers

Many Latino immigrants have agriculture in their past. A market in suburban Maryland makes it possible for them to put that knowledge to work in the here and now.

Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, Sarah Meade | Oct 8, 2013

Emma Goldman street art. Photo by Dr. Case.

Activism

Why the Government Shutdown Is Not Anarchist Utopia

Real anarchists aren't just for abolition of the state. They're for a society in which ordinary people can freely and democratically govern themselves.

Nathan Schneider | Oct 4, 2013

A Sikh prayer ceremony. Photo by Maryland GovPics.

In Sikh Response to Hateful Beating, A Lesson for Us All

When Dr. Prabhjot Singh was attacked by a group of young men who believed he was a Muslim, he responded by advocating love and compassion.

Kevin Kahakula’akea John Fong | Oct 4, 2013

Activism

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Meet its Real-Life, Climate-Defending, Disney-Dissenting Villains

When their name appeared in Joss Whedon's new TV show, the environmentalist group Rising Tide took to social media to fight back.

James Trimarco | Oct 2, 2013

One Vibe Founders photo courtesy of One Vibe Entertainment

Activism | Mental health

The Nairobi Mall Attack: Let’s Give Our Boys Something Better to Be a Part Of

When the Westgate Mall was attacked by a terrorist group that aggressively recruits young men, one Kenyan asked—how can we respond to the pain and vulnerability of our boys before groups like Al-Shabab can reach them?

Simon Okelo | Sep 28, 2013

Domestic Worker photo by Sharon Mollerus

Activism | Jobs

White House Makes History by Granting Minimum Wage to Home Care Workers

The Obama administration makes good on its promise to give direct care workers the same rights as nearly everyone else—and to top it all off, California follows suit.

Christa Hillstrom | Sep 28, 2013

Jobs

Escape from an L.A. Sweatshop: How Modern-Day Slaves Become Lobbyists

Lured from Mexico into forced labor at an American factory, Flor Molina’s human trafficking story was typical. What’s remarkable is what she did next.

Christa Hillstrom | Sep 21, 2013

Mental health | Health care

The Mass Shooting That Didn’t Happen: Averting Violence with Kindness

What can we do to help men like Aaron Alexis, the Navy Yard shooter, find another way to deal with their trauma? The story of Michael Hill suggests that kindness is part of the answer.

Aqualus Gordon | Sep 20, 2013

Indian Garment Workers photo by UUSC4all

Activism | Jobs

For Safer Factories, CEOs Are Listening to Workers on the Frontlines

The future of corporate responsibility means hearing firsthand from factory workers about their conditions.

Samir Goswami | Sep 19, 2013

Criminal justice reform

Why Is Texas Planning to Execute a Man Who Killed No One?

The controversial Law of Parties expands the guilt for murder to include accomplices and those who knew the crime was going to occur.

Amanda Lusky, Joan Braune | Sep 19, 2013

Mental health

Women Are Vets, Too: Meet the Organization that Acts Like It

At events known as "Stand Downs," which take place in more than 200 cities and towns across the United States, vets from all walks of life gather to support one another.

Ray Stoeve | Sep 18, 2013

Activism | Citizens United

6 Good Things Occupy Wall Street Made Possible (That You Probably Already Take for Granted)

Now that the encampments are gone, what do we have to show for our movement? As it turns out, quite a bit.

James Trimarco | Sep 18, 2013

Straw Poll at Zuccotti Park. Photo by Collin Anderson.

Activism

Occupy at Two: How a Flawed and Fleeting Utopia Changed the World

Author Rebecca Solnit brings you back to the encampments of Occupy, and to the months that forged new friendships, changed the horizons of possibility, and terrified elites.

Rebecca Solnit | Sep 17, 2013

The Real Cost of Gold in the Philippines

We think of gold as a sign of prosperity, but the farmers and communities most affected by mining just want their rivers and land back.

John Cavanagh, Robin Broad | Sep 14, 2013

Lincoln Memorial LightBrigade. Photo by Elvert Barnes.

Activism

How People Pushed Back on Syria—and Slowed the March Toward War

In Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other cases, the people protested and got war anyway. Why—at least, so far—has the story played out differently with Syria?

Sarah van Gelder | Sep 12, 2013

Activism

Finding the Gold in “Tough” Neighborhoods

To transform economically and socially depressed areas into healthy, vibrant communities, we have to focus on their strengths and trust residents to solve their own problems.

Jay Walljasper | Sep 12, 2013

Activism | Local economies

Detroit Bankrupt? Six Ways the Motor City Is Thriving

National media accounts of Detroit's bankruptcy miss the growing industries, strong communities, and policy changes laying the foundation's for the city's recovery.

Larry Gabriel | Sep 7, 2013