Portside

Think of this as the year that democracy of, by, and for the billionaires shall not perish from the Earth. In other words, these days, if you have billions of dollars, you can shout from the skies and the rest of us have to listen. They are: Sheldon Adelson, Charles and David Koch, Sam Walton, Rupert Murdoch, Linda McMahon, or hedge fund honchos like John Paulson and Steven Cohen.

The meaning of the Zephyr Teachout-Tim Wu 'victory' - not just for New York and New Yorkers - but for the whole country. This was a loud and clear message from the grassroots that says - "Enough, the people - all the people - come before profits." This was the message to the Democrats, especially to Hillary Clinton, and others - You better listen up. People are going to vote their values.

Weakening ISIS requires eroding the support it relies on from tribal leaders, military figures, and ordinary Iraqi Sunnis. Here's how to do it without bombs. As has been the case with so many presidents before him, he is telling the rest of the international community that national sovereignty can be violated at will without regard for international law, the U.N. Charter and other treaties whenever it suits the U.S.

In ten days, world leaders are coming to New York City for a UN summit on the climate crisis. UN Secretary- General Ban Ki--moon is urging governments to support an ambitious global agreement to dramatically reduce global warming pollution. With our future on the line and the whole world watching, we'll take a stand to bend the course of history. We'll take to the streets to demand the world we know is within our reach.

Health Affairs study says single-payer reform could save $150 billion annually on hospital overhead

Housework is a necessary labor for families, but it is largely unpaid, except when others are hired to do it. Families may pay others to cook, clean or take care of their children, but they don’t pay themselves. This year, Italy considered a proposal in which the government, or in some cases the husband or partner, would pay wives for this thankless task. And a few years ago, India considered a similar bill. Should housekeeping be compensated?

“This campaign is only the beginning of a campaign about fighting back,” Teachout said. “We have to be very clear with our elected officials in Albany—including the governor, the senators, the members of the Assembly—that we are not going away. Our agenda is not going away. We’re not just voting, we are organizing, we are grassroots lobbying and we are holding our elected officials’ feet to the fire.”

No one likes taxes, but government services cost money. And there is little evidence that tax cuts at the state level help juice a state's economy. A study in 2013 by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found deep cuts in income taxes to be "an approach that has not worked particularly well in the past and is not supported by the preponderance of the relevant academic literature.

For expanded Isis strikes, president relies on legal authority he disavowed only a year ago.

NPR taketh away; The team with a racist name; Truthy-ness; Net neutrality; El Machete strikes