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Last week in Washington, famed horror author Stephen King testified in court on behalf of the Department of Justice, about something scary but real: how to hold corporations accountable to the American people. Mr. King was in court to testify that the merger of the nation’s two biggest book publishers is a violation of this country’s antitrust […]

Members of Congress are feeling the pressure from their constituents to do something about escalating inflation, which they (correctly) perceive is tied to various supply chain issues that are still hamstringing the U.S. economy. While Congress’ decision to inject fiscal stimulus last year into a white-hot economy undoubtedly exacerbated the economy’s inflationary pressures, it can […]

It is often said, perhaps correctly, that the history of slavery is an indelible stain on the honor of the United States. If so, it is a stain widely shared, for until recently all societies, from Sumer to Rome to China to Ghana, were slave societies, using slaves for labor in the field and in […]

A recent commentary “Actually, America Isn’t ‘Energy Independent.’ (And That’s a Good Thing.)” at Cato Institute provides a comprehensive, data-forward dive into the fundamental facts and market dynamics of fossil fuels. It firmly debunks the idea that we are (or ever will be) energy independent as long as oil dominates our transportation system. That underlying […]

For generations, California was a beacon of light attracting families, workers, farmers, immigrants, and innovators; a place all could prosper.  But with our high cost of living, the Golden State is at risk of becoming a place only the one percent can enjoy. While gasoline, food, cars and trucks and other inflationary costs may be […]

For much of our history we have not particularly wanted, and have generally not selected–and even now in most of our state and federal courts do not particularly want and generally do not select–ideologues to serve as our jurists. As we are beginning to learn to our dismay, it is equally if not more unwise […]

“Why so much grief for me? No man will hurl me down to Death, against my fate. And fate? No one alive has ever escaped it, neither brave man nor coward, I tell you – it’s born with us the day that we are born.” – Homer, The Iliad This is the story of three journeys—two remarkable […]

If past is prologue, Democrats stand to be shellacked in November. In a President’s first term, his popularity – or lack thereof – often translates into success or failure for his party in the midterm elections in Congress. But people are starting to take notice that while Biden’s poll numbers are reaching historic lows, many Democratic Congressional candidates […]

In our country, most people care about justice and will speak out against something unfair. This is why I think Virginians – and all Americans – should be aware of a current proposal to build a mega-landfill in Cumberland County, Virginia, which is about 60 miles west of Richmond. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality […]

I was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and grew up near the city in the 1960s, the prime years of the Civil Rights Movement. I have memories of the bombing of the Sixteen Street Baptist Church when four little girls were killed as they attended Sunday School. I remember the Children’s Crusade. I remember the everyday […]