Reading List
The most recent articles from a list of feeds I subscribe to.
The man who bet against humanity — and lost
On February 9, 1970, Johnny Carson did something that would be unthinkable for a late night host today, or really anyone on TV: He gave a full hour of The Tonight Show to a Stanford professor. But Paul Ehrlich, the author along with his wife Anne of the blockbuster book The Population Bomb, was charismatic, […]
Nancy Pelosi tells us how she really feels
Nancy Pelosi’s record of impact is undeniable. Over more than three decades in Congress, the San Francisco juggernaut is frequently cited among the effective legislative operators of her generation — the person who held together the votes for the Affordable Care Act, who twice ascended to the House speaker’s chair, and who built a fundraising […]
What do we do with Cesar Chavez’s memory now?
Countless streets, parks, and schools across America are named for Cesar Chavez, the United Farm Workers union organizer and 1960s icon of Latino activism and the labor movement. There is even a holiday commemorating his life and legacy, on March 31, that is formally observed by four Western states (and less formally by many others): […]
Trump’s new coin, briefly explained
This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: Donald Trump may be getting his wish: a super-sized gold coin with his face on it. What’s happening? On Thursday, the US Commission of Fine […]
Why the US wants to protect Iran’s oil and gas
The Trump administration’s rhetoric on the war in Iran tends to be heavy on words like “lethality” and “obliteration,” so it was notable that the president seemed almost apologetic on Wednesday, when discussing an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field, which prompted Iranian retaliation against natural gas facilities in Qatar and sent global […]