Culture + Society
The myth of the absent Black father
I am Black. I am a father. I love my children like nobody’s business. I will not be invisible. I make this simple declaration because, even though involved Black fathers are the norm in the lives of Black children, we are dogged by a defamatory narrative about our supposed absenteeism. Are there Black fathers not […]
Opposition to lithium mine grows among tribes, conservationists
A planned lithium mine on an ancient collapsed volcano is facing growing pushback from tribal nations, ranchers and conservationists. In January, the Bureau of Land Management approved the Thacker Pass lithium mine five days before the end of Donald Trump’s presidency. It was one of several projects fast-tracked in the last days of the Trump […]
What people need to know about critical race theory
The late historian John Henrik Clarke explained the dominant subculture’s preoccupation with manipulating history. Europeans “began manipulating history in the 15th century to justify the slave trade,” said Clarke, a pioneer in Pan-African studies, during an interview with Tony Brown on Brown’s eponymous show in the 1970s. Modern racism incubated during this period, Clarke said. Detractors of critical race […]
Ford condemns Instagram for kids
Attorneys general from 44 states and territories are urging Facebook to abandon its plans to create a version of Instagram for children under 13. In a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the National Association of Attorneys General cited mental health and privacy concerns of children “who are not equipped to navigate the challenges” of […]
Lost leases & missed milestones: Artists reflect on a ‘spotty at best’ year
The first mural Bracken Hermansen painted was at her children’s elementary school 10 years ago. Jellyfish, eels, and a narwhal still cover the walls of the school’s marine science lab but the children who enjoyed the colorful room in previous years are largely gone. “My son is a senior and went back to school today […]
Expert: Suicide is preventable
If just one person on Kevin Hines’ bus ride to the Golden Gate Bridge had bothered to see his pain, he says he may not have jumped off the bridge. Hines, who survived the 225 foot fall in 2000, says he was a mess on the bus — crying and screaming at the voices in […]
What is the worth of a bear’s life?
In 2018, the nation’s fish and wildlife agencies in conjunction with their own polling agency and a couple of universities conducted a national survey of public attitudes regarding a variety of wildlife management issues and values. Nearly 44,000 citizens were queried as to their preferences. The respondents were grouped into four categories: Traditionalist, Mutualist, Pluralist […]
LA Veterans Administration stops using tax money to kill kittens
The Veterans Administration is the only federal agency to conduct what critics call “wasteful, cruel and unnecessary” experiments on cats and kittens. Now, CBS Los Angeles reports the Los Angeles VA will no longer conduct the tests. Only Cleveland and Louisville VA facilities still engage in the experiments, in which felines are subjected to a […]
Doped up on misinformation
Just after the sacking of the U.S. Capitol, a friend of mine sent me a typical post found on the MAGA45 page of the emergent social network MeWe: Military arrests and takedowns begin this weekend and continue for the next 13 days…International raids have already begun. Italy has also been found complicit in our election […]
Praise the Lord and pass the pipe bomb
Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker singing “Praise the Lord” on the TV was the soundtrack of my childhood. As I’d get ready for school or play, Tammy Faye and her big fake eyelashes, painted-on eyebrows and glowing tan cheeks would grin and sit next to Jim, who looked like he belonged in the principal’s office. […]
‘Food pod’ proposal may be derailed by LV City Council
The concept seemed tailor-made for the pandemic: give out-of-work caterers and cooks who lack the capital required for a brick and mortar eatery a place to earn some money by connecting with consumers in search of take-out meals. The proposed location for the food truck conglomerate, modeled after trendy “food pods” in Portland, San Francisco […]
Native American Heritage Month: Recognition is nice, but repair is still required
On the night of Oct. 10, 2016 in Reno, a group of protesters settled under the famous downtown arch to speak out against the Dakota Access Pipeline (NODAPL) and advocate for the replacement for Columbus Day. The majority of the group was comprised of Indigenous men, women, and children who had also given speeches and […]