Social Policy and Change: Apr 25, 2012

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Wednesday's Daily Brief: Supremes Hear Immigration Law, America's Most Polluted Cities, People's Most Beautiful

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Supremes To Consider Controversial Immigration Law Today

	MEDIA Rupert Murdoch At Leveson Inquiry: LIVE Updates
	POLITICS Blue Dog Democrats Lose Big In Pennsylvania Primary Races
	GREEN U.S. Cities Ranked By Air Pollution Levels
	BUSINESS Walmart Took Part In Lobbying Campaign To Amend Anti-Bribery Law
	CELEBRITY Beyonce Named People's 2012 World's Most Beautiful Woman

BLOG POSTS

	Tony Blair: World Malaria Day 2012: A Critical Moment for Reversing Spread of Malaria Faith leaders through the authority they hold, and the outreach and networks of their communities, can be powerful influences for the good in public health.
	Emile Hirsch: "So, What Do You Do?" Is there really that much of a gap of conversation etiquette or philosophy between the East and West coast that one can't ask "What do you do?" to a new acquaintance in New York?
	Jim Wallis: Having the Sisters' Back Do most of us believe that the bishops are the only "authentic teachers of faith and morals?" The sisters may be the most positive face of the Catholic Church today, and they are keeping people in the Church who would have given up on the all-male hierarchy long ago.
	Kerry Kennedy: In Chicago: Nobel Laureates and Students Defending Human Rights, One Step at a Time I spent yesterday morning in the library of Chicago's Lincoln Park High School, listening to students talk about what the word "hero" means to them. This wasn't any normal school day.
	Rev. Al Sharpton: From Rodney King to Trayvon Martin: Let's Not Miss Another Opportunity to Progress In the case of Trayvon Martin, we have to unite and remember that it isn't about race, but rather justice for a dead teenage boy whose only crime was walking home with a bag of skittles and an iced tea.

New Poll Shows Brutal Impact Of Super PACs

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April 25, 2012

THE BIG STORY, BY GENE LYONS

With Trayvon Martin Shooting, Truth Is Still Elusive

Almost from the beginning, there were two aspects of the George Zimmerman as racist assassin story that made little sense. First, who calls the police, then murders a total stranger in cold blood knowing that they're minutes away? Second, how does a 28 year old man with a desk job catch a fleeing 17 year-old high school athlete anyway? READ MORE

FEATURED AUTHOR: MICHAEL LIND

What Will America Build Next?

In the early twenty-first century, Paterson, New Jersey, is a troubled city in a troubled country. The city that traces its origins back to Alexander Hamilton's Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures has lost most of its manufacturing businesses to other countries and is plagued by poverty, crime, and urban decay. But 20 miles south, everything looks different. READ MORE

BUDGETS

New California Taxes Pay For Pensions, Not Schools

Most Californians would be surprised to learn that 100 percent of education's share of the tax increase proposed by Governor Jerry Brown will go to pensions instead of classrooms. The problem wasn't caused by teachers, students, taxpayers or California residents. But who is responsible? READ MORE

FEATURED COLUMN: JIM HIGHTOWER

Mitt Romney And The Private-Equity Hustle

What are these phantasmagoric money machines that they call "private-equity firms?" They're much in the news because a fellow who was a private-equity magnate is presently running for president. Mitt Romney now claims that, because of his success in that business, he knows how to "fix" our economy.

Before you cheer that, note that private equity whizzes are all about The Fix -- not necessarily a good thing. They start by borrowing big piles of cash at high interest rates from rich speculators to buy out XYZ Corp. READ MORE

Super PACs

Poll: Are SuperPACs Already Affecting November Vote?

A national poll released Tuesday shows voters widely believe that Super PACs cause corruption and their predominance in the 2012 campaign is already affecting decisions by some voter groups about how -- and even whether -- to cast their ballots. READ MORE

CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Sweeps Five Primaries, Inches Toward General

The Republican presidential nomination all but in hand, Mitt Romney is refocusing his efforts on challenging President Barack Obama, raising cash for the battle ahead and reconciling with onetime primary rival Rick Santorum.

"Tonight is the start of a new campaign," the former Massachusetts governor said Tuesday night as he celebrated a sweep of five primaries. He blasted Obama as a man whose time in office has been marked by "false promises and weak leadership" in a time of economic struggle. READ MORE

CARTOON OF THE DAY