The VP is usually treated as either irrelevant or expendable. Personally, I think she makes it worse for herself by trying to run from this truth instead of grabbing an issue by the horns and working on it.

This is not a recent legal trend. Centuries of law in most US jurisdictions find that “fighting words” alone are not a defense against assault and battery.

Actually, I think the punishment would have been more severe if he were white. The racial slurs mitigated the single punch--it pushed this to the far end of verbal provocation.

Words do not justify violence, and this is a classic example of the “eggshell skull” principle. Two years house arrest is very fair for a guy who had no justification (legally, at least) for hitting someone, and who ended up killing him as a result.

For some reason, it reminds me of the A-Team’s black van.

So...US Bank paid the author and/or The Root for this piece?

You give the authors and editors at the Root too much credit with that assumption.

Having a gun permit cannot be a basis for being treated as a criminal.

“I guess you can measure the degree to which our car market is under-regulated and truck-heavy by this figure.”

Depending on the cost of buying out the lease, that’s probably correct.

also this: “[torture not surprising] considering how Amazon treats its own workforce in the cold light of day...”

uh, no. When the tax is removed for a floating commodity price, the sellers do not keep the price high and just collect the tax as profit. They compete, undercutting each other, until the new retail price reflects the underlying equilibrium of the “normal” market price.

or more simply, since we spend more than we collect in all federal taxes of all kinds, it doesn’t really matter what any particular tax is intended to “fund.”

Jason and David, thanks for your writing.  It has been a joy to read.   I can’t wait for what comes next!

“...The communication problem again. And it got no better when his aides gave him a cue card to remind him to tell voters how much he cared about their problem. Instead, he read them the card. “Message: I care.”

The Jeep Cherokee—it started as a short Wagoneer, became the iconic box, then came back as a boring, generic, small suv unworthy of the badge.

The rules for a commercial driver are even more strict.

Why on earth do you think a black woman should turn down a role because she is not black enough?

Why on earth should a black women turn down a role because she’s not black enough?

National is the best.  No hassles, good cars, good service.