Portside

Carried interest allows hedge-fund and private-equity managers, as well as many venture capitalists and partners in real estate investment trusts, to treat their take of the profits as capital gains — taxed at maximum rate of 23.8 percent instead of the 39.6 percent maximum applied to ordinary income. So why didn’t Democrats close it when they ran Congress?

Power To The People: What Protesters Need To Know About Their Rights And What Cops Can Do. Advice and reminders from experts for citizens protesting abusive policing.

“We want democracy, but we don’t have the theory or skill to do it”

On December 4, 1969, Chicago police raided Hampton’s apartment and shot and killed him in his bed. He was just 21 years old. Black Panther leader Mark Clark was also killed in the raid. Authorities claimed the Panthers had opened fire on the police who were there to serve a search warrant for weapons, evidence later emerged that told a very different story: the FBI, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Chicago police conspired to assassinate Fred Hampton.

A new book and film highlight the story of four brilliant teenagers who try to chase the American dream

The “red-red-green” coalition has taken office in Thuringia, German -- having squeezed through to victory by one single wavering vote.

Attorneys general in at least a dozen states are working with energy companies and other corporate interests, which in turn are providing them with record amounts of money for their political campaigns, including at least $16 million this year. They share a common philosophy about the reach of the federal government, but the companies also have billions of dollars at stake. And the collaboration is likely to grow.

Only the U.S. and Israel voted against UN resolutions calling for the prevention of an arms race in outer space and prohibiting the manufacture of new weapons of mass destruction. These two resolutions were among several dealing with disarmament passed by the UN General Assembly December 2nd. The U.S., Israel, Canada, and Micronesia voted against a resolution calling on Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while 20 countries abstained.

President Obama's new policing task force is a welcomed first step, but bolder change is needed to fix the broken relationship between law enforcement and communities of color. The Administration's current proposals are not enough to significantly transform policing nationally or ensure the country learns the right lessons from the tragedies in Ferguson and New York.

With the acquittal of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on all charges of murder and corruption, the military-backed regime of former General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is sending a strong message that Egypt’s authoritarian rulers and their repressive institutions are not accountable for their actions. But, Mubarak’s actual conviction took place three years ago in Tahrir Square when millions of Egyptians condemned his repressive 30-year rule.