Not all states shoulder the same share of the student debt crisis. This is preventing graduates from being able to do the things their parents did, like buy a home. The government could wipe this debt out with a keystroke if it wanted to. It’s time to take this option seriously. Source: … Continue reading America has $1.73 trillion in student debt—borrowers from these states owe the most

Livestock companies with large emissions receive billions of dollars in funding, campaigners say But people love their meat and dairy! Source: 20 meat and dairy firms emit more greenhouse gas than Germany, Britain or France | Meat industry | The Guardian Continue reading 20 meat and dairy firms emit more greenhouse gas than Germany, Britain or France | Meat industry | The Guardian

“Rather than bouncing back, places hit repeatedly by hurricanes, floods and wildfires are unraveling,” reports the New York Times. “Residents and employers leave, the tax base shrinks and it becomes even harder to fund basic services.”That downward spiral now threatens low-income communities in the path this week of Hurricane Ida and those … Continue reading Climate Change Is Bankrupting America’s Small Towns – Slashdot

The large municipalities in the Netherlands plan to make wide use of a legislative amendment that will allow them to designate neighborhoods where investors won’t be allowed to buy cheap and medium-priced homes and rent them out, NOS found after surveying the municipalities.  This legislative amendment is expected to take effect on … Continue reading Dutch cities want to ban property investors in all neighborhoods

Financial firms control half of US daily newspapers as pandemic worsens industry’s plight Hedge funds are literally taking away everything that’s good in this world, from buying up all the private homes thus destroying the American dream to buying up all the local news outlets, thus destroying democracy. Source: Fears for future … Continue reading Fears for future of American journalism as hedge funds flex power

Until full employment is reached, governments need not cut back on public spending, says William Mitchell, co-founder of modern monetary theory We’ve just been through the worst pandemic in modern history so there are a few supply issues, but we are not experiencing inflation caused by Biden giving out some stimulus checks. … Continue reading Price rises should be short-lived – so let’s not resurrect inflation as a bogeyman | William Mitchell

Why Google thought twice about restoring your privacy. Quarterly profits rules all. Source: Opinion | Google’s Privacy Backpedal Shows Why It’s So Hard Not to Be Evil – The New York Times Continue reading Google’s Privacy Backpedal Shows Why It’s So Hard Not to Be Evil

Engine No. 1—which challenged the oil giant’s strategy to focus on oil production amid climate change concerns—may expand its board-fight victory, an updated tally shows. This is good, oil companies have the resources today to start transforming themselves into sustainable industries, they might just need a little push to get things rolling. … Continue reading Activist Likely to Gain Third Seat on Exxon Board – WSJ

Facebook changes policy ‘in light of ongoing investigations into the origin of Covid’; Biden orders US intelligence to ‘redouble’ Covid origin probe; Japan promises ‘safe and secure’ Olympic Games Does this mean that social media companies from now on will determine what people are allowed to say and not say, depending on … Continue reading Facebook to allow posts saying Covid ‘man-made’ | The Guardian

For decades, the solution to Black Americans’ distrust of cops has often been to not call them. Now white people are catching on too. Some white people are now rethinking whether it’s a good idea to rely on law enforcement, especially if summoning the police could harm someone. And entire cities have … Continue reading What If We Just Stopped Calling the Cops?

Through ballot initiatives, voters in red states have defied legislators’ wishes and produced liberal outcomes in recent years. Republicans want to make the practice harder, or even eliminate it. Is this a step in the right direction or two steps back? Source: Republicans Move to Limit a Grass-Roots Tradition of Direct Democracy … Continue reading Republicans Move to Limit a Grass-Roots Tradition of Direct Democracy – The New York Times

The Gulf Stream is one of the most important forces on Earth that you will never see. This powerful ocean current brings warm waters from the Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic Ocean, carrying them past the east coast of the United States, all the way… This could tip the planet into … Continue reading The Gulf Stream is weaker than it has been in 1,000 years. That’s bad news