Water, Equity and Security

“As Utah Dries up, lawmakers look for smarter ways to transfer, use — and not use — water”  by Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune

Lawmakers in Utah grapple with the issue of water scarcity in a state whose economy relies on agriculture. Water banking, per-capita water use caps, and water metering are potential solutions under examination. Regardless of the chosen course of action, it is irrefutable that major change is urgent in the drying state.

 

Slavery and Its Aftermath

Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America by Richard Rorty

Philosopher Richard Rorty examines the country’s dark past and the immobilizing impact it has had on the Left. Targeting those who are paralyzed by our shameful history, Rorty seeks to motivate the Left to start engaging with society, in order to achieve a future we can be proud of.

 

“Georgetown Students Agree to Create Reparations Fund” by Adeel Hassan, The New York Times

Students at Georgetown University have decided to do something about the school’s past, voting to increase tuition in order to pay reparations to descendants of the slaves the university sold to raise funds in 1838. This is a step forward in a long-standing issue, but it is just the beginning of addressing and solving such a complicated problem.

 

The Future of Work

“The Future of Unions is White-Collar” by Bret Schulte, Slate

Blue-collar involvement in workers’ unions is dissipating, and it is slowly being replaced with teachers, news reporters, entertainment professionals, and faculty at universities across the country. This shift in union participation indicates a narrowing pay gap between white- and blue-collar employees. But as white-collar workers grow more and more dissatisfied with their employment situations, working-class individuals, in turn, may face neglect.