Erik Schatzker

The Insanity Of U.S. Farm Policies

nationalreview.com — Imagine you have a business and I've guaranteed that you receive a higher price than you'd otherwise be able to obtain from your customers, shielding you from competition. Then I lend you money, directly or indirectly. But even with these privileges, you are still struggling to make a profit and may end up defaulting on your loans.

Michael Hastings Dead at 33

rollingstone.com — Michael Hastings, the fearless journalist whose reporting brought down the career of General Stanley McChrystal, has died in a car accident in Los Angeles, Rolling Stone has learned. He was 33. Hastings' unvarnished 2010 profile of McChrystal in the pages of Rolling Stone, " The Runaway General," captured the then-supreme commander of the U.S.-led war effort in Afghanistan openly mocking his civilian commanders in the White House.

Why Can't Canada Win the Stanley Cup?

fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com — The N.H.L.'s conference finals will begin on Saturday, and fans in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh can still dream of a Stanley Cup championship. But this year is an unhappy anniversary for America's northerly neighbor. It is 20 years since the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings to win the 1993 Stanley Cup; no Canadian team has won the championship since.

CBO Releases Two Analyses of the Senate’s Immigration Legislation

cbo.gov — The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744) would revise laws governing immigration and the enforcement of those laws, allowing for a significant increase in the number of noncitizens who could lawfully enter the United States on both a permanent and temporary basis.

Russell Brand eviscerated the hosts of MSNBC's Morning Joe

avclub.com — After tackling newspaper journalism with a Margaret Thatcher op-ed for The Guardian, Russell Brand has moved on to dominating television journalism as well. A video captures Brand eviscerating the hosts of MSNBC's Morning Joe for essentially laughing at him to his face during an interview.

Fate of the the 'New York Times' 'Sports of the Times' column

grantland.com — The disappearance of 'Sports of the Times' By Bryan Curtis on Listen up, people. A sports column is missing. I want a hard-target search. If that fails, I want a Nexis search. "Sports of the Times," the New York Times column that was manned by heavyweights like Robert Lipsyte, Red Smith, Arthur Daley, and Dave Anderson, has vanished from the newspaper.

NSA Surveillance Leaks Startle Privacy Board Back to Life

bloomberg.com — A U.S. board created after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to ensure government surveillance doesn't violate citizens' rights is reviving this week in the same secrecy as the programs it will examine.

Gore Says Capitalism’s Short-Term Focus Is Hurting Companies

bloomberg.com — Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore said capitalism is coming under increased scrutiny and needs to change as short-term thinking has driven a wedge between investing and the creation of value for corporations.

UPAC arrests Montreal Mayor Applebaum

montrealgazette.com — Vision Montreal leader Louise Harel will present an emergency motion at Monday's city council meeting asking for the city to set up as quickly as possible public consultations on the future of the Royal Victoria and Hotel-Dieu hospitals.

Above the law: America's worst charities

cnn.com — A year-long investigation by the Tampa Bay Times and the Center for Investigative Reporting ranks these U.S. charities as the five worst, based on money blown on soliciting costs, according to the latest 10 years of available tax filings. Click through the gallery for more details.