Corporations and underfunded schools

Have you heard of “McTeacher’s Night?” ThinkProgress has an explainer about how, under the guise of being good corporate citizens, corporations are taking advantage of poorly-resourced schools. Specifically, during a fundraising event named “McTeacher’s Night,” teachers can work a shift at McDonald’s during which part of the fast food restaurant’s proceeds will go toward those teachers’ …

How climate change affects your health

You can read more here.

I’m not going to tell you how to stop gun violence

But I am going to tell you that one way to figure out what must be done is to stop the freeze on gun violence research and let smart people consider what we should be doing. For a beautiful few hours on Twitter last night, Igor Volsky, director of video and contributing editor at ThinkProgress, was following up …

Why some legislative-types want to do the shopping for the poor

At least, we can only assume as much, as the discussion about precisely what impoverished people on assistance choose to buy through the SNAP program (formerly food stamps). The first examination started in 2003 and Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty and junk food, according to this ThinkProgress article, and continues on to today. Pawlenty’s efforts were …

As we all take a deep breath over religious freedom

DickG. sends this, a ThinkProgress piece on the failed attempt by some conservative Christians to infuse the discussion about religious freedom with homophobia. It’s interesting, and contains this: …some sociologists argue that Christianity’s unusual inclusiveness is precisely what helped it to grow so quickly, what with it famously expanding its ministry to both Jews and …

Sometimes? Right’s right.

Connecticut is the first state to boycott Indiana, after that state’s new, discriminatory “Religious Freedom” law, which is uniquely bad. Why “uniquely?” From that ThinkProgress piece: Under that section, a “person” (which under the law includes not only an individual but also any organization, partnership, LLC, corporation, company, firm, church, religious society, or other entity) …

It’s cheaper to house the homeless than to ignore them

The great Malcolm Gladwell said that back in 2006 with his pivotal New Yorker piece, “Million Dollar Murray.” Candy sends this along, a piece from ThinkProgess, from back in May: Leaving Homeless Person On the Streets: $31,065. Giving Them Housing: $10,051. We made that video at Partnership for Strong Communities, where I’m a consultant. We …

Rape is rape is rape is rape

But a new study says that though the young men surveyed would not set out to rape someone, they would “act on intentions to force a woman to sexual intercourse.” Uh…The study has a provocative title: Denying Rape But Endorsing Forcible Intercourse.” So does this ThinkProgress article: “1 in 3 University of North Dakota Men …

Fewer Americans own guns, yet there are more guns out there

Paul Waldman, of The American Prospect, writes (linked at ThinkProgress:) There is no question that Americans own more guns, and use them more often to kill each other, than citizens of any other advanced Western democracy. As of 2007, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms reported that there were approximately 294 million guns in …