Photo courtesy of NY Times, with Carter article below
DAGR Weekly Reader W4-DEC
“I think the American superpower goal should be to be the champion of peace.” - former President Jimmy Carter, 2015
Holding the ‘Title of Citizen,’ Carter Carved a New Mold for Ex-Presidents
Jimmy Carter redefined what a president can do after departing the White House, leaving a lasting imprint through his work overseas, particularly in the realm of public health.
New York Times (gift link) - Dec 30, 2024
President Jimmy Carter, 1924-2024
Columnist Robert Hubbell recommends this Heather Cox Richardson obituary of Carter, as the most complete, yet readable he's seen. Agree. It's eye-opening!
Heather Cox Richardson on Substack, Dec 29, 2024
Social Security Fairness Act Passed by Congress
Sponsored by Sherrod Brown, the progressive Ohio senator, recently defeated by mega-bucks GOP donors, this legislation will help a few million public service workers in the US and more than a few American retirees abroad, too. Calculating the changes may take a while in the under-staffed SSA, but from Jan 2025, they should receive the full pensions they’ve paid into over their working lives. The Act had a sizable list of bi-partisan co-sponsors.
CBS News, Dec 22, 2024
Buy Now, Suffer Later
The promises of Klarna and other “buy now, pay later” companies are too good to be true. It’s a relatively new debt trap, as experienced even by veteran credit card users, reminiscent of when credit first came to Greece. As pay-later purchases stacked up at the buy-now end, the growth job was ‘repo man.’ For yet another way to localize this article, squint a little while reading the name of the BNPL company. Looks a lot like κλάμα, doesn’t it?
The Lever, Deep Reads, Dec 19, 2024
Biden Administration Releases Sobering New Report on Impacts of LNG
The long-awaited study paints a grim picture of effects on climate, community, and renewable energy.
Delaney Nolan, Sierra Club Magazine - Dec 24, 2024
Research Finds Vaccines Are Not Behind the Rise in Autism. So What Is?
Vaccines, as the cause of autism, have been debunked several times in rigorous studies. The actual causation, as in bee colony collapse, may stem from a number of interacting factors. In any case, the lack of an irrefutable cause doesn’t absolve RFK Jr of his full-throated trumpeting about vaccines nor refurbish his credentials for becoming head of HHS and the agencies that track and safe-guard US health.
New York Times, Dec 26, 2024
How KFC’s War On Arby’s Ruined American Healthcare. No, Seriously.
What happens when you run healthcare like a fast-food chain? You get America’s largest for-profit hospital system: HCA Healthcare. This is the story of how a pitch for Kentucky Roast Beef—KFC's roast beef expansion—ends with a few billionaires and a broken healthcare system. 11-min video
More Perfect Union - Jun 26, 2023
You're Being Lied To About Ocean Plastic
Plastic pollution is getting worse — despite widespread public awareness of the problem, massive investment in recycling, and years of pledges to stop polluting. So what do we get wrong when we talk about ocean plastic? A lot, it turns out. Business Insider Producer Elizabeth McCauley dives into the scientific literature and talks to experts to find out how we actually solve this problem. 18-min video
Truth Complex | Business Insider - Sep 26, 2024
Meet 8 Young Founders Turning Trash Into Cash
Young inventors and entrepreneurs across the world are coming up with new ways to deal with waste. These businesses are paving the way for a new generation of creative solutions to our trash problem. 33-min video
World Wide Waste | Business Insider - Dec 28, 2022
Why seas are surging in the southern US
What one tide gauge reveals about America’s climate future. The long collection of data shows levels are rising. It’s not encouraging!
Washington Post, Dec 20, 2024