Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Arturo the World’s Saddest Polar Bear Dies in Captivity

At least 64 captive animals have died at the Mendoza Zoo in the last 7 months, reportedly due to bacteria outbreaks and overcrowding. Arturo died on Sunday due to a “blood circulation imbalance.”

Writing as Resistance

Doomed writers buried their accounts of the Warsaw ghetto in the hope that they could teach whoever unearthed the documents about good, evil, indifference and the importance of the truth as an act of resistance. They have left us a trove of papers on how to construct a life of meaning.

Scientists prove extensive Viking silver trade with Abbasid Empire from British silver hoard

The team can now date the influx of silver coinage into Viking realms from the Muslim empires of the Middle East much earlier than had previously been thought.

Coal Dust Responsible for Thousands of Deaths in the E.U.

Not only does burning coal cost companies and governments billions of pounds in disease treatment and lost working days, but it is proven to be the cause of thousands of deaths.

As Americans ration care, health insurers rake in record $71.3 billion in profits

Despite rising out-of-pocket costs and millions losing coverage, U.S. health insurance giants posted record profits in 2024 while their CEOs took home a combined $146 million.

Free DC models effective resistance to Trump’s takeover

Washington, D.C. residents’ rapid response to Trump's National Guard deployment is a masterclass in how to prepare for crises and fight authoritarianism.

Philando Castile Shooting: What You Should Know

Gov. Dayton has requested that The Department of Justice open an independent investigation into Castile’s death.

Justice Ginsburg’s Gaffe – She Spoke the Truth

Her comments may have been "inappropriate," but they weren't wrong, and her views highlight the fallacy of a judiciary free of political judgment.

Prison Labor Revolts Shake the Foundations of the Corporate State, Part I

The struggle doesn’t end with prison labor. Prisons also serve a generally repressive function, of which labor is a particular manifestation.

Will Trump-Putin summit leave Ukraine and Europe out in the cold?

If he repeats his past performances at summits with Putin and appears to back the Russian leader over his country’s closest allies, it is likely to cause a dangerous rift in the western alliance.