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Portside aims to provide material of interest to people on the left that will help them to interpret the world and to change it.

Poster of the Week

Center for the Study of Political Graphics Center for the Study of Political Graphics
CSPG's Poster of the Week recalls that the U.S. practice of war includes herbicides targeting productive croplands.

Dear Mr. President: Please Stop With These Science "Moonshots"

Jonathan M. Gitlin Ars Technica
Science doesn't need another moonshot, and it really doesn't need another vaguely thought-out initiative dropped on it during a State of the Union address. What it needs is much more important—and probably much more difficult politically, because those needs are much less flashy. What science needs is stable, sustainable budget growth. Take the NIH budget and promise to grow it at a percent or two above inflation for a number of years. The number 10 would be good.

Bernie Sanders Releases Outline of Universal Health Care Plan—And It's Pretty Good

By Kevin Drum Mother Jones
Bernie’s plan will cover the entire continuum of health care, from inpatient to outpatient care; preventive to emergency care; primary care to specialty care, including long-term and palliative care; vision, hearing and oral health care; mental health and substance abuse services; as well as prescription medications, medical equipment, supplies, diagnostics and treatments. As a patient, all you need to do is go to the doctor and show your insurance card-you'll save $$$$$

GOP Tickles the Dragon’s Tail

Michael Winship Bill Moyers and Company
After years of flirting with America’s right wing and egging on a growing rage, the GOP establishment is "shocked" by Trump's success -- and scrambling to save face.

The Tragedy of Al Jazeera America's Demise

Ari Paul FAIR - Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting
But if AJAM gave us one thing in its brief life in the United States, it was a dedication to covering economic inequality and the growing opposition to it in the wake of Occupy Wall Street.

Fox Creek Fracking Operation Closed Indefinitely After Earthquake

CBC News
Still, Gu said, there were two fairly large quakes in the area in January 2015, one of which had a magnitude of 4.4. He wasn't able to confirm that they were caused by fracking, but said it is "highly probable." The energy regulator said at the time that the 4.4 magnitude quake was likely caused by hydraulic fracturing.

Walmart to Close 269 Stores as Retailers Struggle

Hiroko Tabuchijan The New York Times
The giant retailer, based in Bentonville, Ark., said in a statement that it would shutter 154 stores in the United States, or about 3 percent of its locations, as well as 115 stores overseas.
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