The law has a long way to go to catch up to the 21st century. And it's only moving faster.
Is Financial Fraud Too Complex to Prosecute? →
Professor Bill Black thinks not.
But what about the men? On masculinity and mass shootings →
An article from two years ago, but made timely by the incredible amount of abuse against several female game developers and media critics recently.
But we’re talking white, middle class men — the members of this society who have the most privilege and the most power. The question everyone should be asking is not: “Where did he get the gun?” or “Why wasn’t he on medication?” But: “What is happening with white men?”
This isn’t to say that men are somehow naturally inclined towards violence. It isn’t reasonable to argue that men are born angry or crazy. Masculinity, on the other hand, is something worth thinking about.
“It’s hidden in plain sight,” Katz says. “This is about masculinity and it’s about manhood.” Other factors are important too, for example, how masculinity intersects with mental illness or emotional problems or with access to guns. “But we need to be talking about gender front and center.”
The Racist Housing Policies That Built Ferguson →
The Economic Policy Institute has just released a report by Richard Rothstein that gives some sense of how the world of Michael Brown came to be. It turns out that that world was born from the exact same forces that forged cities and suburbs across the country—racist housing policy at the local, state, and national levels. Rothstein's report eschews talk of mindless white flight, and black-hearted individual racists, and puts the onus exactly where it belongs:...
Rooftop solar is just the beginning; utilities must innovate or go extinct →
By now, most people are aware that solar power — particularly distributed solar power, in the form of rooftop panels — poses a threat to power utilities. And utilities are fighting back, attempting to impose additional fees and restrictions on solar customers. These skirmishes generally center on “net metering,” whereby utilities (forced by state legislation) pay customers with solar panels full retail price for the power they produce, which can often cancel out the customer’s bill entirely. That’s lost revenue for the utility.
US General: North Korea May Be Able To Build Nuclear Warheads Small Enough To Fit On Ballistic Missiles →
Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, the commander of US forces on the Korean peninsula, told reporters at the Pentagon today that he believes that North Korea is likely able to miniaturize a nuclear device. However, the US has not yet seen evidence that North Korea has actually conducted a miniaturized nuclear weapon test.
Police in Ferguson committed human rights abuses: Amnesty International →
And whatever your politics on Michael Brown and Officer Darren Wilson...
The use by law enforcement of rubber bullets, tear gas and heavy military equipment and restrictions placed on peaceful protesters all violated international standards, the group said.
The Disgust Election →
Spending by outside groups has gone to $1 billion in 2012 from $52 million in 2000.
If you want to know where your democracy went, look to the top, where the ever-more-insanely-competitive elections are juiced by an increasing number of special interests, but which are controlled by fewer private actors.