Kathleen Geier

Can I tell you how much I love this Rolling Stone piece by Jesse Myerson? It’s called “Five Economic Reforms Millennials Should Be Fighting For.” Myerson’s reforms are the following: 1. Guaranteed Work for Everybody 2. Social Security for All 3. Take Back The Land 4. Make Everything Owned by Everybody 5. A Public Bank […]

Earlier this week, Melissa Harris-Perry made thoughtless and hurtful remarks about Mitt Romney’s adopted African-American grandson. Today, she apologized for her comments. Unlike most of the faux-pologies made by media figures (“mistakes were made”), this one is thoughtful and truly does seem to come from the heart. We live in a culture that so relentlessly […]

This week, New York City’s new mayor, Bill de Blasio, announced that his administration would outlaw the city’s carriage horses. “We are going to get rid of horse carriages, period,” he said. Animal rights advocates have long lobbied for the ban, citing the inhumane conditions suffered by the horses. In New York City, the ban […]

Phil Everly of the pioneering rock group the Everly Brothers died yesterday. He was 74 and had been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Everly Brothers are among the most influential of the early rock and roll acts (one fascinating fact about Phil is that he was a pallbearer at Buddy Holly’s funeral). Phil […]

Here’s the background: Monty — seen in the photos above and below — is my adorable 4-year old chihuahua mix. He’s a rescue dog I adopted from an animal shelter. He is a very popular fellow — the kind of dog that children want to pet the moment they lay eyes on him. I always […]

The saddest fact I’ve learned is: Nobody matters less to our society than young black women. Nobody. They have any complaint about the way they are treated: They are “bitches, hos, and gold-diggers,” plain and simple. Kelly never misbehaved with a single white girl who sued him or that we know of. Mark Anthony Neal, […]

One of the most popular books of the year was Sheryl Sandberg’s career guide for women, Lean In (I reviewed it here). Sandberg’s book consists of highly individualistic advice, and there’s no empirical evidence that it works. It’s based on Sandberg’s own experience, but Sandberg had many unique advantages — such as a Harvard education […]

Remember Ronald Reagan and his tall tales about “welfare queens”? Reagan despised public assistance for the needy, and he loved to tell outrageous stories about people who were allegedly abusing the system. Somehow, these fables of his always featured people who were the stereotypical embodiment of his audiences’ worst fears and prejudices. For instance, take […]

I wanted to share this interview that went up on YouTube earlier this week, between Washington Monthly’s editor in chief Paul Glastris and Diana Natalicio, president of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). In our 2013 College Guide, UTEP ranked number 7 overall, and number 1 in social mobility. That’s because, as the […]

Over the years, I’ve seen many incarnations of The Nutcracker, and I’m more than passing fond of quite a few of them. The Balanchine Nutcracker performed by the New York City Ballet is deservedly a classic, and the Joffrey’s version, currently performing in my hometown of Chicago, is also wonderful. But my favorite Nutcracker of […]