If you think getting people to act more ethically is tough, try convincing the world to eliminate nuclear weapons. In his 2013 book, ZERO – The Case for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, founder and president of the Nuclear Age Peace FoundationDavid Krieger makes his case through a series of compelling and common sense essays. This one, a conversation between Einstein and Socrates, is...

… to hunt a rare and endangered species even if you pay a large sum earmarked to help that species? Dallas-based hunter Corey Knowlton and his family have been targeted for reprisals when the world learned that he paid $350,000 to the Namibian government to hunt and kill a rhino, an animal that’s been designated by the government and conservation...

Last week, a federal judge in Chicago sentenced Beanie Baby king Ty Warner to two-years’ probation rather than prison for hiding at least $25 million from the IRS. “Society will be better served,” U.S. District Judge Charles Kocoras said, “by allowing him to continue his good works.” Many news outlets, including Chicago Business, describe Warner as “The 69-year-old philanthropist and chairman and CEO...

Continuing my look back at some stories that were, initially, major political and media firestorms, but facts later proved them to be less reliable than first believed. More on Benghazi – Wednesday’s release of the long-awaited Senate Intelligence Committee report on the assault on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya revealed more pertinent information. The Washington Post reported (Jan. 15) that “The...

Earlier this month, I revisited the case of NSA leaker Edward Snowden. At the time, I wrote, “There is a very real problem… when factual information is incomplete because a story is still evolving…” I thought I’d take a look at some past stories that were, initially, major political and media firestorms, but facts later proved them to be less...

We are a nation that loves its heroes. We’re fascinated by the mystique of individuals like John Rockefeller, Jack Dempsey and Thomas Edison; three men who came from humble, hardscrabble beginnings, faced incredible obstacles and ultimately attained iconic American success. It’s only natural that we have an affinity for sports heroes, doubtless because they encapsulate the American dream in shorter...

Chris Christie’s staff problems; a pregnant woman in Texas is ordered to be kept alive despite pleas from her family; and former NBA star Dennis Rodman with his “friend.” An Inconvenient Truth – The public’s cynicism meter regarding politicians went into the red again with news of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s apology for his deputy chief of staff’s “stupidity” in ordering three of the four lanes...

Two stories from The Wall Street Journal caught my attention that I thought I’d pass along. The first comes from, The Morning Morality Effect: The Influence of Time of Day on Unethical Behavior, by Maryam Kouchaki and Isaac H. Smith, (Nov. 8, 2013). Research from scientists at Harvard and the University of Utah conclude that “If you’re shopping for a used car – or...

Remember these guys? Did they rise to the top of the bottom of the barrel? A look at the Good, the Bad and the Ridiculous over the past year. By the numbers – The Center for Public Integrity offers up a few items from the ridiculous: Number of bills passed by Congress this year that have been signed into law: 58 Number of bills passed in 1948,  » Read more...

The Christmas edition of “The Take” is noteworthy, to say the least. From ‘Affluenza’ to ‘Secret Santas,’ it’s a mixed bag. The New Normal – We can now add Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado to the growing list of school shootings. Since Sandy Hook, where a gunman took the lives of 26, there have been 22 school shootings in...