Beatty Cohan – Is Your Therapist Helping or Harming You?

More and more people today are seeing therapists for a variety of emotional, psychological and psychiatric problems. But how can the average consumer know how to choose a therapist and whether or not this therapeutic process is the right one for them? This can literally be one of the most important decisions an individual could make in their life and has the potential for far-reaching consequences — positive or negative.

Vanessa Beeley – The Bloody Legacy of American Exceptionalism

here are many theories surrounding the origin of American exceptionalism. The most popular in US folklore, being that it describes America’s unique character as a “free” nation founded on democratic ideals and civil liberties. The Declaration of Independence from British colonial rule is the foundation of this theory and has persevered throughout the often violent history of the US since …

GARY LEUPP – The Coming Crisis in U.S.-Turkey Relations

The abortive coup in Turkey on July 15, coming at a moment of Turkish-Russian rapprochement and mounting friction with the U.S. over the Kurdish independence movement in Syria, threatens to seriously damage U.S.-Turkey relations. Whether or not the U.S. had anything to do with the coup, or is “harboring” its alleged mastermind, Fethullah Gulen, in Pennsylvania since 1999; and whether …

64 women to sue in three Japanese courts over health woes from cervical cancer vaccines

A group of lawyers for 64 women who are suffering health problems from cervical cancer vaccines said Tuesday the victims will file damages lawsuits against the government and two drugmakers that produced the vaccines through four district courts on July 27. Of the 64 women, 28 will lodge their suit with the Tokyo District Court, six with the Nagoya District …

Paul Kiel – So Sue Them: What We’ve Learned About the Debt Collection Lawsuit Machine

A couple of years ago, we set out to find out more about the growing use of the courts to collect consumer debts. How many lawsuits are filed? Who is filing them? Who is getting sued? The suits are filed in state and local courts, and many states rely on antiquated systems or only keep data at the county level. …

Antibiotics Have Given Us Untreatable Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is like an extremely persistent garden weed. As far as sexually transmitted diseases go, it’s relatively easy to get and requires a multipronged offensive to annihilate. And even if you’ve thwarted it once already, you’re still left vulnerable to reinfection. So far, doctors have been pretty damn good at treating the disease, which is partially why England’s public health …

The U.S. Foster Care System: Modern Day Slavery and Child Trafficking

May is National Foster Month, “Honoring, Uniting, and Celebrating Families.” But is this really what foster care is doing? Theoretically, foster care provides a temporary loving, nurturing and safe home for children who are removed from their own families due to heinous neglect or abuse. This theory helps those involved in the system sleep good at night and feel like …

Ralph Nader – Why Bernie Sanders was Right to Run as a Democrat

During a recent town hall in Columbus, Ohio, Sen. Bernie Sanders said the unthinkable. At least, you would have thought he did, judging by the response of several Democratic operatives. Sanders was deemed “extremely disgraceful” by Donna Brazile, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, and “a political calculating fraud” by Brad Woodhouse, a former DNC communications director. What was …

Colorado Celebrates Legalization Anniversary: Massive Drop in Arrests and Millions in Tax Revenue

More than three years have passed since Colorado residents voted to legalize marijuana, which immediately allowed adults to possess and cultivate limited amounts of marijuana. This past New Year’s Day marked the two year anniversary[3] of adults being able to legally buy marijuana in Colorado.  The policy is still in its formative stage, but the first year after marijuana sales [4] started in Colorado …

Dallas Fed Survey Crashes To June 2009 Lows, Warns “It Is Getting Ugly”

After a Q1 collapse, the Dallas Fed Manufacturing Outlook managed a bounce for a few months (though never got back above zero). It appears, Dallas Fed’s aptly-named ‘Dick’ Fischer was entirely wrong when he progonosticated that “on net, low oil prices are good for Texas.” December’s Dallas Fed print crashed to -20.1 (from -4.9) massively missing expectations of -7.0 and back at …