A John Deere 8320R tractor sits in a field of crop stubble, under a blue sky.

John Deere Tractors, Farmers, and Soil

- March 30, 2017

What drive through America’s rural heartland would be complete without catching a glimpse of the iconic green and yellow of a John Deere tractor tilling the soil or a combine harvesting rows of corn? Tractors are more complex than ever now, with Wi-Fi and GPS. John Deere is following the lead of other tech giants and preventing end users (like grandpa) from mucking around with the tractor software. Right-to-repair advocates are asking the usual question: if you buy a tractor, is it not yours to do with as you wish? A more important question might be: why are we tilling the soil at all?

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Seated in the White House and surrounded by smiling aides and advisers, President Trump holds up a signed executive order.

Federal Judge Puts an Indefinite Hold on Revised Travel Ban

- March 30, 2017

A federal judge in Hawaii granted the state’s request to continue a freeze on Donald Trump’s revised travel ban. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson played a critical role two weeks ago in halting the executive order from taking effect. Citing the President’s own words, Watson cast doubt on the claim that the order was intended

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French rescue workers sift through the remains of Germanwings Flight 9525 in the French Alps.

Judge Scraps Germanwings Lawsuit Two Years After Crash

- March 30, 2017

Nearly two years after a passenger plane deliberately crashed into the French Alps, killing all aboard, a U.S. District Judge has scrapped a lawsuit against the Arizona flight school which trained Germanwings pilot Andreas Lubitz. Owned and operated by Lufthansa, the flight school was described by the plaintiffs’ lawyers as the “gatekeeper” for the commercial

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Image of hepatitis text on a blue screen

Hepatitis A On the Rise In Parts of Michigan

- March 29, 2017

Hepatitis A, sometimes a foodborne illness, is on the rise in the state of Michigan, prompting state officials to encourage people to get vaccinated. In recent months, reported cases have skyrocketed eight-fold. Just how many cases have there been? According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, between Aug. 1, 2016, and March 21, 2017, there have been a shocking 107 cases of lab-confirmed Hepatitis A in the state, though the spike in cases seems to be centered on areas around Detroit, including Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties.

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A Pakistani woman held in debt slavery talks about her situation.

How We Benefit from Slavery, Pt. 2

- March 29, 2017

Slavery, while illegal, is far from dead, especially since externalizing the cost of labor onto the laborers themselves is profitable, both for the slave owners and for people like us who enjoy the fruits of slavery from a safe distance. On the other hand, most of the jobs added to the American economy in the last decade were non-traditional. This means that a lot more people are relying on temporary jobs, part-time work, freelancing, and “gigs” – exactly the sort of marginal people who live one accident or illness away from the mainstream American version of debt slavery.

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Image of a job application with words 'too old' written in red across it.

Supreme Court Asked to Hear Age Discrimination Case

- March 29, 2017

Discrimination appears in many forms, and for many older Americans, ageism is a real thing, especially for those trying to find a job. More and more older Americans are having a hard time even getting a shot at an interview, prompting some to raise questions like “can a job applicant sue an employer for discriminating against older workers?” Well, one Atlanta man did. Richard Villarreal sued the R.J. Reynolds company when the company failed to give him a response to an application he submitted. However, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Villarreal, and now the Supreme Court is being asked to hear the case. Depending on how they rule, it could become “tougher for older workers to prove age discrimination” when turned down for jobs.

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