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Letter to "The Nation" from a Young Radical

Bhaskar Sunkara The Nation
Liberalism—including much of what’s published in this magazine—seems well-intentioned but inadequate. The solution lies in the re-emergence of American radicalism.

Senate Shoots Down GMO Labeling Bill

Elizabeth Renter Nation of Change
In yet another showing of their lack of concern towards the people who give them their jobs, Senators in Washington D.C. voted against a key GMO labeling amendment to the Farm bill. One that would have allowed states to decide to label the presence of genetically modified ingredients in food products.

The Beauty of Bounded Gaps

Jordan Ellenberg Slate
All right. Most Portside readers are not into pure mathematics . . . it's too hard, too boring, not relevant to real life, whatever. We hope you'll give this article a chance, even if you don't "get" every detail. It's still a very cool and very rewarding read. And it gives just a taste of what it feels like when a mathematician (or scientist) scores a break though . . . and opens up a whole new, previously unimagined, world. -- Moderator

Race and Biology

The idea that some racial groups are, on average, smarter than others is without a doubt among the most discussed (and debunked) “taboos” in American intellectual history. It is an argument that has been advanced since the days of slavery, one that helped push through the draconian Immigration Act of 1924, and one that set off a scientific firestorm in the late 60s that’s hardly flagged since.

Senator Uses Farm Bill To Ban Some Ex-Convicts From Food Stamps For Life

Aviva Shen Think Progress
The Senate unanimously agreed to ban certain ex-convicts from receiving food assistance for life. Under this amendment, anyone convicted for a violent crime or sexual assault will be shut out of the program for life, even if they served their time or committed the crime long ago.

Striking Dubai Workers Face Mass Deportation

Chris Arsenault ALJAZEERA
Backed by security forces, bosses at Arabtec - a massive construction firm with interests across the oil-rich Gulf states - ended a strike on Monday, but the fallout continues as more workers are receiving deportation orders. The strike ended after management refused to accept demands for increased wages from people earning about $200 a month to complete mega-projects in 40 degree Celsius heat.