Media

I remember the stunned reaction of so many Americans back in the summer of 2005 when legions of poor black people in desperate circumstances seemed to have suddenly and inexplicably materialized in New Orleans during the flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina.

Expressions of disbelief poured in from around the nation: “How can this be happening?” “I had no idea conditions were that bad.” “My God, is this America?”

From here to the Midwest, the actions of law-enforcement authorities form the big political topic of the summer of 2014.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) — often labeled a tea party conservative — drew particular attention for his statements on the troubles in Ferguson, Missouri, following the shooting death of Michael Brown by a white police officer. He linked a “militarization of law enforcement” to a more general “erosion of civil liberties and due process.”

On Aug. 12, 2013, a federal court in New York found that the NYPD’s use of the stop-and-frisk practice was unconstitutional racial profiling. Almost one year to the day later, police gunned down Michael Brown — an 18-year-old, unarmed black man — during a street stop in Missouri. Don’t miss the connection, or the cycle of government violence against black Americans might never end.

The Federal Communications Commission has extended the deadline for feedback on the issue of net neutrality by five days, making the new deadline September 15.

This follows reports that the Writers Guild of America was pushing for more feedback on the issue.

There's little debate that college costs have risen over the past decade and that the increase has hit the wallets of families hard — especially those in the greatest need.

President Barack Obama on Thursday called for "peace and calm on the streets of Ferguson," one day before Missouri authorities were expected to release the identity of the officer who fatally shot Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager.

Workers at many of the nation’s largest and most profitable employers struggle to get enough work hours (and sufficiently stable hours) to make ends meet, making fair scheduling as important as raising wages for millions of workers.

The constitutional crisis that has developed in Ferguson, Missouri, begins as is so often the case with a human tragedy.

Last night's police violence against citizens of Ferguson, MO was an affront to democracy. There is nothing more American than a community uniting in the face of tragedy, than ordinary people organizing to peacefully protest injustice. The police reaction—to protests of their own violence—has been more violence, less transparency, and an active suppression of first amendment freedoms.

The police and government of Ferguson must be held accountable, and we call on the Department of Justice to take immediate action.