Thursday, October 2, 2025

Right to Repair Initiatives Gain Support in US

Minnesota may soon be the first state to adopt right to repair legislation, and measures are pending in a total of twenty states. Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren recently endorsed a national right to repair for farm equipment.

Links 4/8/19

Climate Research Must Change to Help Communities Plan for the Future

Climate scientist Robert Koop argues for national investment in universities analogous to that of long-standing cooperative extension programs but applied to scientific climate risk management.

Brexit: Disintegration

Brexit crunch week starts. And something will break, it’s just not clear precisely what.

Bill Black: Tom Friedman Just Noticed that the UK “Has Gone Mad”

Bill Black uses Tom Friedman’s recognition just this week that Brexit is a mess as the foundation of a detailed takedown of Friedman’s propaganda, um, views.

Meetup Reminders: Washington, DC This Friday April 12 with Matt Stoller; Boston Thurs April 25; Milwaukee Wed May 1; Minneapolis Thurs May 2

Hope you can make one of our upcoming get-togethers! See our meetup times and venues.

Plastic Watch: 2.5 Trillion Dollar Annual Cost of Ocean Plastic Pollution

New study finds ocean plastic pollution costs $2.5 trillion dollars annually – and that estimate fails to account for direct and indirect impacts on human health, or the fisheries, transport, and tourism industries.

Links 4/7/19

Has Privatization Benefitted the Public?

To ensure public acceptability, some benefits accrue to many in the early stages of privatization in order to minimize public resistance. However, in the longer term, privatization tends to enrich a few but typically fails to deliver on its ostensible aims.

Links 4/6/19

New York Sues Big Pharma for Opioid Crisis

The Sackler family and PurduePharma profited from opioid-related “suffering and death,” NYC AG Letitia James charges. White collar criminologist and law professor Bill Black weighs in.

3 Questions That ‘Created Havoc’ in Betsy DeVos’ Department of Education

Betty DeVos has trouble answering questions on charter school fraud. Quelle surprise!

2:00PM Water Cooler 4/5/2019

Today’s Water Cooler: China trade, Biden, Buttigieg, Gravel, Sanders, Swalwell, Trump, Warren, Iowa DSA, ALEC, RussiaGate, Ray Dario on revolution, employment situation, Boeing, 5G, natural gas, the oceans, backyard chickens, Tibetan musical notation

Belief in Meritocracy Is Not Only False, It’s Bad for You

Meritocracy is a dubious ideology, save for supporting the status quo.

Links 4/5/19