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In his statement to Congress during confirmation hearings, Judge Brett Kavanaugh said his mother taught him judges must always stand in the shoes of others. Though hardly original or deeply inspirational, it’s not bad advice. The problem is that Kavanaugh never...

Families, teachers, and communities may feel a sense of renewal and possibility as this new school year starts, but much of the news from schools is still mired in negative reports of underfunded buildings, beleaguered teachers, and charter school corruption. In Detroit, a local charter uses the city's decision to cut off lead-tainted water in city schools as a marketing pitch. It's a vicious bind of bad choices too many families face.

Trump not only hasn’t delivered on his promises for workers; he’s joined the other side. It’s noaccident that workers in America have suffered stagnant wages and reduced benefits. It is the result of a systematic corporate campaign to crush unions, rig trading rules to benefit investors and roll back public regulations and investments Trump and the Republican Congress are now doubling down on that assault.

How can we tell when a democracy evolves into a plutocracy? Easy. We have a democracy when a political system can and does make a good-faith effort to address the problems average people face. In a plutocracy, on the other hand, the political system works diligently instead at protecting — and growing — the wealth of the already wealthy. By this simple standard, we live in a plutocracy. The latest slam-dunk evidence: the record of the decade since the Wall Street financial crash.

Labor Day recognizes the humanity of workers. It commemorates their year-long efforts with time off dedicated relaxation, family, friends, and barbeques. There’s no holiday for robots, raw materials, or the energy that animates the machines of manufacturing. Because,...