After the Verdict: The Zimmerman Non-Riots

At some point in the saga of George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin, it became a truism in certain quarters that a not-guilty verdict in the Zimmerman trial would be greeted by fire, chaos, and mob violence. This idea has apparently survived the almost completely peaceful protests over the verdict that took place this weekend: on Monday, Newt Gingrich—a man who has taught history in the state of Georgia—remarked on CNN that those in the crowds were “prepared, basically, to be a lynch mob.” The faulty narrative of impending doom has yielded to an equally inaccurate story of doom narrowly averted.

This Week in Poverty: Confronting Congressional Hunger Games

The congressional hunger games began when Senate Democrats voted to cut $4.1 billion from food stamps, or SNAP. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow said it was a matter of slicing “waste, fraud and abuse” from the program.

Except that’s not what they were doing.

Trayvon Martin: From Lament to Rallying Cry

There isn’t a good reason for me to be as angry as I am over the “not guilty” verdict handed down for George Zimmerman in the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. I always knew that would be the outcome. No amount of flat-out lies or inconsistencies in Zimmerman’s story, nor compassion for two grieving parents who lost their son in the most heinous and senseless of ways, was going to override the lack of respect the United States justice system has for black bodies. Disappointment is for people who have faith in the system. I knew that better than I know my own name.

Taseko Mines Williams Lake Project Rejection Prompts Company To Lobby Feds, Documents Reveal

WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. - The company behind a rejected billion-dollar gold and copper mine in the British Columbia Interior has been lobbying for the federal government to change the environmental assessment process that previously rejected the project, documents show.

And Taseko Mines Ltd. likes what it's heard, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press.

Texas conservatives reject Harper's crime plan

Conservatives in the United States' toughest crime-fighting jurisdiction — Texas — say the Harper government's crime strategy won't work.

"You will spend billions and billions and billions on locking people up," says Judge John Creuzot of the Dallas County Court. "And there will come a point in time where the public says, 'Enough!' And you'll wind up letting them out."

Native American tribes are blazing a trail for solar power

In the past five years or so, a combination of factors including government mandates surrounding clean energy and lower costs for equipment, have led to what has been dubbed a "solar gold rush" in parts of the US.

As energy companies compete fiercely to find large tracts of land with ample sunshine to develop solar projects, Native Indian tribes, many of which have an abundance of both, have been presented with a unique opportunity to become leaders as solar developers and users.

Commercial drones could have 'endless' uses under Canada's laws

The word “armed” blinks red on the laptop screen as a propeller whirs to life. Soon, the drone rises steadily over a dusty landscape.

But this isn’t Afghanistan – it’s Milton, Ont., where geographer Scott McTavish is using his autonomous aircraft to survey a gravel pit.

McTavish first turned to drones, officially named unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), in 2008, while working for a forestry company in B.C.

Promotion to prime minister's inner circle comes with financial perks

OTTAWA - A promotion into the prime minister's inner circle instantly ups a member of Parliament's political cachet.

But becoming a cabinet minister or parliamentary secretary also brings with it financial perks and some strict new rules.

In addition to their base MP salary of roughly $160,000 a year, cabinet ministers earn an additional $76,700 while parliamentary secretaries get a $57,500 bump.

How the GOP Hopes to Take Away Americans' Right to Collective Bargaining

The right to collective bargaining in the workplace is a human right -- just as fundamental as the right to free speech or the right to vote.

It is enshrined in the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was adopted in 1948.

Three quarters of a century ago, our country passed labor laws that gave every worker the right to organize a union in their workplace to negotiate wages and working conditions with their employers.

Virginia Abortion Clinic, Busiest In State, Closes Due To New State Regulations

The busiest abortion clinic in Virginia has closed its doors, the Washington Post reported Monday.

NOVA Women's Healthcare, which had been located in a Fairfax City, Va. office building since 2006, needed to either upgrade its facilities or move to a new location after state regulations changed to require clinics to meet strict, hospital-level building standards. The Associated Press reports that the clinic submitted an application to retrofit another space to meet the new codes, but was denied due to inadequate parking.