Truthout's readers have sustained us for over a decade with your support, enabling us to publish truly independent news without relying on corporate advertising. We need your help today: Our fundraising drive has started slowly, and we must raise over $40,000 more in order to continue bringing you the important reporting and analysis you crave. Will you be a hero and chip in? Click here to donate. (Truthout is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. EIN: 20-0031641) You can also donate by check, made payable to: Truthout, P.O. Box 276414, Sacramento, CA 95827 (Please include your email address on your check.) Or call in your donation: 213.489.1971 Maya Schenwar | Life on Penalty of Death Maya Schenwar, Truthout: The death penalty isn't the only way our criminal justice system kills. We must work to conceive of how to confront harm and solve problems without depriving people of their lives. Read the Article Hundreds Protest Genetically Engineered Eucalyptus Trees in North Carolina Mike Ludwig, Truthout: Opponents say the tropical, genetically altered trees, which would be grown as fuel for biomass energy plants, would threaten native species and turn forests into mono-crop fuel generators. Read the Article Republican Lies Thwart Attempts to Reach Democratic Ideal of Educated Citizenry The Daily Take, The Thom Hartmann Show: Thomas Jefferson may have touted the importance of an informed citizenry, but what if the information that is educating citizens is coming from Republican lies? Read the Article Michael Winship | Good Consumers, Bad Citizens Michael Winship, Moyers & Company: When did we stop being citizens and become merely consumers? Read the Article Paul Krugman | When Economic Prudence Is Seen as Folly Paul Krugman, Krugman & Co.: A look back at Britain's economic policy in the 1930's reveals that "doing the responsible thing is a recipe for economic failure," says Krugman. Read the Article Maya Angelou Writes of Mothers and Daughters: Reconciliation and Unconditional Love Maya Angelou, Random House: Sent away to live with her grandmother at an early age, Maya Angelou has written a memoir about abandonment, forgiveness and love. Read the excerpt from her new book, "Mom & Me & Mom." Read the Excerpt Are Washington, Moscow and Beijing Using the Global Arms Trade to Create a New Cold War? Michael T. Klare, TomDispatch: In the early months of 2013 arms sales, the power dueling and competition that comes with them have been gaining momentum. Read the Article The Judicial Amendments' 1-2-3-4 Punch to Collective Bargaining Ellen Dannin and Ann C. Hodges, Truthout: In this week's installment of their series on the National Labor Relations Act, the writers examine how judicial amendments have severely eroded Congress's stated policy of restoring equality of bargaining power between employers and employees. Read the Article Puerto Rican Independentista Oscar López Rivera's 32 Years of Resistance to Torture Hans Bennett, Upside Down World: A new book examines the broader political significance of Puerto Rican activist Oscar Lopez Rivera's case, while providing an unflinching look at how imprisonment and draconian policies like solitary confinement and no-contact visits affect prisoners and their loved ones. Read the Book Review On the News With Thom Hartmann: Members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns Received Letters Poisoned With Ricin, and More In today's On the News segment: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the nonprofit he founded called Mayors Against Illegal Guns each received a letter containing the deadly poison ricin; Congressional Budget Office says tax breaks will cost our nation $12 trillion dollars over the next decade; California legislators are trying again to pass a bill of rights for domestic workers; and more. Watch the Video and Read the Transcript War on Democracy in Wisconsin: Bill Would Enact Voter ID, End Disclosure, Limit Early Voting and Expand Lobbyist Influence Brendan Fischer, PRWatch: Lawmakers are describing a new bill in Wisconsin as a "sweeping assault on democracy." The most troubling provision eliminates most disclosure requirements for "issue ads." Read the Article |