In a blog post entitled “All Our Patents Are Belong To You”, Elon Musk has once again done something revolutionary; opened Tesla’s patents for use by any other automaker. This guy is the real deal. When’s the last time a billionaire CEO quoted…
Seven Key Takeaways From Eric Cantor’s Shocking Defeat
No incumbent majority leader had lost a seat in Congress since 1899, when the post was first created. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) broke that streak last night. He’s announced that he’ll step down from leadership within weeks. Cantor’s stunning defeat…
Egypt: 15-Yr. Sentence for Hero of Tahrir Revolution, blogger Alaa, 24 others
By Joe Stork, Human Rights Watch (Beirut) – A Cairo court on June 11, 2014, sentenced the prominent Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah and 24 others to 15 years in prison and LE100,000 fines (US$14,000) on a range of charges stemming from their involvement in a peaceful protest on November 26, 2013, in Cairo. Police […]
After Piketty, is the Study of Economics the Study of Rising Inequality?
By Chris Edwards, University of East Anglia The economic and political focus is increasingly on the inequality of income and wealth as they both rise in Europe and the US. At a conference on Inclusive Capitalism held near the end of May at London’s Guildhall, Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), […]
Tallest German Residential High-Rise Will Also Be Solar Aktivhaus
Award-winning proposed Aktivhaus apartment tower at Skyline Plaza complex in Frankfurt (skyscrapercity.com) The European residential high-rise boom has a green twist these days. Magnus Kaminiarz & Cie unanimously won this spring’s design award for…
Lighting the Darkest Corners of Government: Review of Glenn Greenwald’s No Place to Hide
Book review and discussion questions for reading groups In No Place to Hide, Glenn Greenwald shows that a modern investigative reporter doesn’t just need the courage to take on the United States government and established media. He also needs a whole…
US Military Fail: Long Asian Land Wars a Route to Disaster since 1963
By Tom Engelhardt via Tomdispatch.com The United States has been at war — major boots-on-the-ground conflicts and minor interventions, firefights, air strikes, drone assassination campaigns, occupations, special ops raids, proxy conflicts, and covert actions — nearly nonstop since the Vietnam War began. That’s more than half a century of experience with war, American-style, and yet […]
And the Walls Come Tumbling Down: Israeli PM Netanyahu on Notice from both Left and Right
By Carlyn Meyer If there was any doubt about which side came out stronger from the failed Kerry peace initiative, it’s been put to rest by events since. Neither side wanted to be the first to disrupt the talks and be blamed for their demise. Once Netanyahu reneged on releasing the last contingent of Palestinian […]
Pakistan’s War on Terror? Gov’t bombs Taliban after Deadly Airport Attack
Pakistan pounds ‘terrorist hideouts’ after Karachi attack (via AFP) Pakistan carried out early morning air strikes Tuesday on a militant-infested tribal district, killing at least 15 people, the military said, a day after a brazen Taliban assault on Karachi airport. A military statement said “nine terrorist hideouts… ——— ABC: “Taliban Claim Responsibility for Pakistan […]