Leid Stories – 02.11.16

In Like Flint: Hillary Clinton Sees Victory in Lead Poisoning

Congressional Black Caucus PAC Adds Insult to Injury with Its Endorsement

Abayomi Azikiwe, editor in chief of Pan-African News Wire and a Detroit organizer for the Workers World Party, has been coursing us through the process of Detroit’s forced bankruptcy and its devastating social, economic and political impact, including it ripple effects throughout the state and across the country. He discusses Hillary Clinton’s foray into Flint, Mich., trolling for votes from people whose water system has left untold thousands poisoned by lead.

The Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee today endorsed Clinton’s candidacy for president. Leid Stories explains why (a) this is no surprise and (b) black communities must reassess their political leadership and options.

Expat Files – 01.08.16

-A seasoned gringo Expat (with a Brazilian wife) living in Brazil tells us some horrifying personal stories of the general insecurity and rampant crime taking place in the country. It seems even the so-called nice, upscale residential and shopping areas are not exempt from frequent robberies, assaults, general crime and lawlessness. Beside the crime problem, there are many reasons why Brazil does not make my list of Expat destinations.

-Today we have more good reasons not to drive a late model car of distinction or SUV in Latin America. If you do, you’ll be a target.

-To Tint or not to Tint: the truth about those ubiquitous Latin American dark-tinted (extremely dark) car windows. Should you do it to your own car? What if no cars had tinting? Is it a good or bad thing?

-What’s Latin America like for supersized and very tall gringos and Expats? For example: is it easy (or hard) for a six foot five inch guy to get around in a mostly down-sized Latin America? Yes, some buildings really are architecturally unfriendly to tall people. In older buildings, even six-footer’s occasionally bump their noggins

David Haggith – Epocalypse Soon: The Great Economic Collapse is Happening

I use the term “epocalypse” to name the last days of the global economy as we know it — a global economic collapse of biblical proportion. It is economic, epochal, an apocalypse that will change the world and a collapse ” all in one word that sounds the right size for what I’m talking about. Call it the “Great Collapse” …

Leid Stories – 07.30.15

Haiti In Focus: 100 Years After U.S. Occupation; Chelsea Clinton Handles Family Business; Mass Deportations to Dominican Republic Loom; Pressure Mounts Against Hillary’s Personally Selected President Veteran journalist Kim Ives, a prizewinning documentarian and editor of the news weekly Haïti Liberté, reports on four key developments in Haiti that not only affect Haitians and Haitians in the diaspora directly, but …

Education may not improve our life chances of happiness

Getting a good education may not improve your life chances of happiness, according to new mental health research from the University of Warwick. In a new study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, researchers from Warwick Medical School examined socioeconomic factors related to high mental wellbeing, such as level of education and personal finances. Low educational attainment is strongly associated …

Are You Strong Enough to Unplug for 24 Hours?

I admit that the idea of disconnecting for National Unplugging Day makes me nervous. I feel as if I am almost always connected by one device or another and that seems necessary. Between taking care of your children, tending to responsibilities at work and keeping up with friends, there’s a good chance you own a cell phone, computer and/or tablet. …