A City Invokes Seizure Laws to Save Homes

Shaila Dewan The New York Times
Scarcely touched by the nation’s housing recovery and tired of waiting for federal help, Richmond is about to become the first city in the nation to try eminent domain as a way to stop foreclosures.

Strike in Colombia Highlights Free Trade Failure

Dave Johnson Campaign for America's Future
A large strike in Colombia underscores the dangers of free trade agreements and suggests that we should pay close attention to current negotiations around the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

China's Arsenic Contamination Risk Is Assessed

Rebecca Morelle BBC
In the last few years the amount of geospatial information - electronic maps - that's become available is large. Information is available on such factors as climate data, land use, and distance to the river or elevation. Using this information, and by looking at the types of rocks present in the country, and in particular their age, the researchers pinpointed the regions where the toxic element is most likely to be found.

The High Probability of Being Poor

Matt Bruenig The American Prospect
A slight majority of people still spend at least one year of their adult life in poverty, and for some demographic groups, almost everyone experiences poverty at some point.

50 Years Later, the Untold History of the March on Washington & MLK’s Most Famous Speech

Amy Goodman/Juan Gonzalez Democracy Now!
I think we’ve often forgotten the economic issues that were really central to the march, in hindsight. That’s something that we need to remember as we remember this march, that it really was—and I think had a very profound effect on shifting the national conversation, even within the civil rights movement itself, toward a major focus on the connections between racial equality and economic justice.

Trying to Inspire a New Generation

Trip Gabriel The New York Times
A lineup of civil rights heroes, current movement leaders, labor leaders and Democratic officials addressed a vast crowd that stretched east from the Lincoln Memorial to the knoll of the Washington Monument.

The Story of Gershwin, Harlem and the Blues

Israeli pianist Astrith Baltsan performs Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, explaining the inspiration of the music in the young Gershwin's fascination with Harlem blues.

Deport the Statue

Do you think we should Deport the Statue of Liberty? Click here for YES or here for NO. Legals for the Preservation of American Culture (LPAC) says #takelibertyback and #deportthestatue NOW!