We Should Ban All Semi-Automatic Firearms
San Antonio Express-News via ZUMA Atrios says that if lefties want to fire people up about gun control, they need to get more passionate about it: To inspire hardcore single issue voters you have to take an absolutist stance on things. I’m not saying this is good politics….Still, there is literally no politician who goes…
Crown Prince Mohammed Has Cemented His Absolute Control of Saudi Arabia
Shealah Craighead/Planet Pix via ZUMA In early 2015, the King of Saudi Arabia died and was succeeded by the 79-year-old Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. King Salman immediately named his son, Prince Mohammed, Minister of Defense, where Mohammed gained effective control over the kingdom’s military. In 2016, apparently at Mohammed’s urging, Salman began a campaign…
When a Small Town’s Private Prison Goes Bust
Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton, Minn. Mark Vancleave/ZUMA This commentary was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the US criminal justice system. Sign up for their newsletter, or follow The Marshall Project on Facebook or Twitter. Bob Thompson, the city coordinator of Appleton, Minnesota, had a bright idea in the spring of 1990. Thompson,…
He Was a Professional Climate Denier. Then He Switched Sides.
Christopher Dilts/Sipa US/AP The overwhelming majority of scientists as well as most Americans agree that climate change is occurring and it’s mostly caused by human activity. But for climate skeptics, the consensus means nothing. Though global warming deniers may be in the minority, they often have an outsize influence on government officials who are invested in…
This Ex-Prosecutor Is One of 2018’s Most Intriguing Candidates
YouTube/Friends of Paul Pelletier Paul Pelletier, a former Justice Department prosecutor, is the ninth Democrat to join the field of contenders vying for the chance to oust Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), one of the most at-risk Republicans in next year’s 2018 midterm elections. But in a year that has seen thousands of newcomers run for…
Why Did Wilbur Ross Hold Onto His Investment in a Putin-Connected Shipping Company?
John Angelillo/Avalon via ZUMA Here are some things we already know about Wilbur Ross, Donald Trump’s secretary of commerce: He is a multi-billionaire. He has investments in lots of different things. One of his investments is in Navigator Holdings, a large shipping company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. During his confirmation hearings, he…