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Davos Man Is a Neanderthal Protectionist

Dean Baker - Beat the Press Center for Economic and Policy Research
Davos Man is also fine with government regulations that reduce the bargaining power of ordinary workers. For example, Davos Man has not objected to central bank rules that target low inflation even at the cost of raising unemployment. Nor has Davos Man objected to meaningless caps on budget deficits, like those in the European Union, that have kept millions of workers from getting jobs.

Obama Commutes Sentences of Oscar Lopez Rivera and Chelsea Manning

The Guardian
1. Barack Obama has commuted the sentence of Oscar López Rivera, a victory for the Puerto Rican independence activist who is considered to be one of the world’s longest-serving political prisoners. 2. Chelsea Manning, the US army soldier who became one of the most prominent whistleblowers in modern times when she exposed the nature of warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan is to be freed in May as a gift of outgoing president Barack Obama.

The Revolt of Working Parents

Alexia Fernandez Campbell The Atlantic
Mothers—and some fathers—are increasingly suing employers for discriminating against working parents. They are succeeding.

Jails in LA County Knowingly Expose Prisoners to Deadly Fungal Infection

Kenneth E. Hartman, Diana Zuñiga and Christina Tsao Truthout
For nearly three years, the LA No More Jails Coalition has been organizing against the construction of a new women's jail in the city of Lancaster, California, which sits at the northern edge of LA County -- home to the largest jail system in the country. The fight has been a long one, and organizers continue to work to ensure that public funds are diverted away from another jail, and instead invested toward alternatives.

Cuban Medical Internationalism: Fidel Castro’s Legacy Lives On

Stephen Bartlett Other Worlds
In an effort to highlight the rarely acknowledged gifts of the Cuban Revolution and the late Fidel Castro, "Cuban Medical Internationalism: Fidel Castro’s Legacy Lives,” takes a look at the extraordinary and unparalleled contributions that Cuban medical professionals have made around the world, and in particular during times of crisis and in countries with inadequate medical care. December 2016 a Cuban medical brigade returned from Haiti.

Trump's America and the New World Order: A Conversation With Noam Chomsky

C.J. Polychroniou, Truthout
Are Donald Trump's selections for his cabinet and other top administration positions indicative of a man who is ready to "drain the swamp?" Is the president-elect bent on putting China on the defensive? What does he have in mind for the Middle East? And why did Barack Obama choose at this juncture -- that is, toward the end of his presidency -- to have the US abstain from a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements?

Young Black Men Again Faced Highest Rate of US Police Killings in 2016

Jon Swaine and Ciara McCarthy The Guardian (US)
Young black men were again killed by police at a sharply higher rate than other Americans in 2016, intensifying concerns over the expected abandonment of criminal justice reform by Donald Trump’s incoming administration.

My Dinners With Harold

Daniel Duane California Sunday Magazine
Daniel Duane examines how a shy Ph.D. in English literature revolutionized the science of cooking and became revered in the most famous kitchens in the world.

Next Time Trump Bashes Mexico, Remember This

Michael Hogan History News Network
Many US historians have advanced the theory that Lincoln spoke against the war for political reasons, subsequent speeches disprove that theory as do his letters to his law partner, William Herndon. He railed against the war a second time a month after his famous “spot resolutions” over objections of the younger members of his party, and even voted for an amendment condemning the war which was tacked on to a resolution honoring war hero Zachary Taylor, who would be next

Dr. Martin Luther King TODAY: Collection of Articles

SaVonne Anderson Mashable
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential black leaders in history. His legacy has inspired people around the world to fight for equality — but that hyper-visibility also led to the whitewashing and sanitization of his life. It's a disservice to King's memory to ignore the full scope of his beliefs and his complexity as a person. His words can teach us a lot about what it means to be an activist and advocate for social justice.