Trust in government tested by Paducah plant workers
The Washington Post investigates five decades of coverups at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky. Workers faced dangerous radioactive dust, inadequate protections, and misled health warnings as officials and contractors prioritized jobs and secrecy over safety. Whistleblower cases and disinterred bones illustrate harms, while officials now claim urgency and calls for accountability.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington Post
Joby Warrick
Paducah
Kentucky
Warrick
Old
Atomic Energy Commission
Energy Department
Congress
The
Elites and masses in culture clash across the century
A reflection on how cultural power shifted from elites to the masses through technology and consumer choice. The piece traces how education, media, and markets shaped taste from 1900 onward, noting standards, standards erosion, and changes in high versus popular culture. It cites figures like Toscanini and Fred Siegel and contemplates future education and immigration impacts.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington Post
Crown
Aspen
Hamptons
Arturo Toscanini
NBC Symphony
Fred Siegel
Cooper Union
New York City
Los Angeles
Massachusetts
Inmates set free by DNA tests face barriers to justice
Clarence Page argues that wrongful convictions persist despite DNA evidence and legal avenues for review. He highlights Clyde Charles’s release after 18 years and Texas inmate Roy Criner’s continued imprisonment, noting court resistance and limited appeals. The piece urges citizen pressure and policy reform, citing Illinois DNA laws and urging gubernatorial action by George W. Bush.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington
Clyde Charles
Louisiana State Penitentiary
Angola
Innocence Project
New York
Benjamin N. Cardozo
Yeshiva University
Charles
Cardozo Law
Barry Scheck
O.J. Simpson
Texas
Rey Criner
Illinois
George W. Bush
Roy Criner
Bush
Gilded age critique hopes for a wiser century
Cal Thomas reflects on the Gilded Age's corruption and vast inequality, warning that material wealth masks moral decay. He foresees future advances and risks, urging focus on human value over money as America enters a new century.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
America
Mark Twain
United States
New York Times
Also Mentioned on This Page
the Chronicle
A. C. Hudnutt
Ruby Dicks
Andrew R. Young
John Lundy
LN An
Genes Aus Inc
Criner
Deanna Ogg
Montgomery County
Frontline
PBS
Sharon Keller
Keller
Supreme Court
Clarence Page
Chicago Tribune
Clarence
C.S. Lewis
Cal Thomas
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