Author: KJ McElrath

After Years of Decline, Labor Unions are Making a Comeback

After Years of Decline, Labor Unions are Making a Comeback

Posted by | Apr 10, 2017 | , |

The recent history of the organized labor movement has been dismal. In the 1960s, 33% of all American workers were members of labor and trade unions; today, that number has dropped to 10%. Although union membership in the public sector remains relatively strong at 36% nationwide, private sector union membership is at its lowest level since the labor movement began over a century ago. The good news is that after a half-century of declines, union membership is again on the rise – and food service workers in Indiana are leading the way. The primary reason for this reversal is the...

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Yet Another (!) Corporate Toadie For Trump’s Cabinet: Meet Dr. Scott Gottlieb

Yet Another (!) Corporate Toadie For Trump’s Cabinet: Meet Dr. Scott Gottlieb

Posted by | Apr 7, 2017 | |

It’s gotten to the point that it’s predictable: if there is a candidate for a key post in Trump’s administration who will place corporate interests and profits above human life and well-being, that’s who will wind up getting the job. Meet the latest in Trump’s parade of corporate stooges: Dr. Scott Gottlieb, Trump’s nominee for head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Gottlieb has been around at the FDA for awhile, having served as Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs between 2005 and 2007. During his tenure in that position, he was forced to recuse himself from...

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Opioids and Crack: The Tale of Two Addiction Crises & Race in America

Opioids and Crack: The Tale of Two Addiction Crises & Race in America

Posted by | Apr 5, 2017 | , |

Today, opioid abuse is considered one of the most serious addiction crises society faces. However, thirty years ago, the addiction crisis was all about a different drug: a highly-addictive form of cocaine, known as crack. What is telling about American society is the stark difference in how the media, policymakers and law enforcement agencies have responded to these two different addiction crises. Opioid addiction is being acknowledged (and rightly so) as a disease that calls for treatment and compassion. On the other hand, crack addiction has been treated as a moral failing that requires severe and draconian punishment. Last...

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E-Cigarette Industry Appeals to Trump Administration to Help Keep it in Business

E-Cigarette Industry Appeals to Trump Administration to Help Keep it in Business

Posted by | Apr 4, 2017 | , , , |

While the jury is still out on the exact health consequences of e-cigarette use, the evidence so far indicates that “vaping” is only slightly less harmful than combustible tobacco. At the same time, reports of e-cigarette explosions, resulting in serious, disfiguring injuries, are on the rise. Because of this, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration established regulations last year under the Obama Administration, requiring vape products to undergo a stringent application process. In response, the industry is now turning to the pro-corporate, anti-regulation Trump Administration and the GOP Congress in order to get the FDA to back down on...

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FCC Gives Time Warner Cable the Go-Ahead to Monopolize the Cable Industry

FCC Gives Time Warner Cable the Go-Ahead to Monopolize the Cable Industry

Posted by | Apr 4, 2017 | , |

Thanks to the bought-and-paid-for-by-Corporate America FCC, ownership and control of telecommunications in the U.S. just became even more concentrated – and to add insult to injury, competition has been further reduced. The FCC has removed a requirement of last year’s merger between Charter Communications, Inc. and Time Warner Cable that would have forced them to compete in their new markets. Now, for at least two million more subscribers, the new media juggernaut will be the only game in town. Last year, a coalition of consumer and industry organizations known as the Stop Mega Cable Coalition fought against the merger between...

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