Zócalo Public Square
Oakland Dumps a Big Problem on Its People
Nothing can cure Oakland’s blight—except perhaps its people. That’s the idea behind the Oakland Civic Assembly on Transforming Oakland’s Vacant Spaces. The concept: 20,000 randomly selected…
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7mThe Massacre That Made Modern California
Discover the forgotten 1880 Mussel Slough massacre, a bloody conflict between settlers and railroad barons that sparked national outrage and fueled the transformative Progressive Era movements in California.
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10mICE Can’t Silence Prince’s Minneapolis
In South Minneapolis, where a teenage Prince couch-surfed, performed, and dreamed up a diverse sound that revolutionized music, thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers still occupy the streets, even as the federal government says it is decreasing forces. By banding together, the people of this Midwestern city challenged the federal government's actions, exposed their lawlessness, and perhaps showed the nation what a multiracial democracy looks like in the process.
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7mNo One Should Be President, Gavin Newsom Included
Joe Mathews urges Governor Gavin Newsom to abandon presidential ambitions, arguing the American presidency has become an inherently dangerous, monarchical office that must be abolished to save democracy.
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9mDoes an Oil Spill Matter If It’s Not Somewhere Beautiful?
On January 28, 1969, three miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, Union Oil workers began removing lengths of drill pipe from a well. Suddenly a gap in pressure between forces above and below the waters strained the well’s casing, causing gas and mud to burst uncontrollably on the water’s surface. Attempts to stem the oil’s flow over the next several days failed. Oil reached the beaches, killed wildlife, and resulted in the largest oil spill in U.S. history at the time.
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6mJimothy Is Keeping It Real
In July, Seattle resident Kiana Hall posted a video of a raccoon prancing around her neighborhood. “He just looked like a Jimothy to me,” she declared. At first glance, Jimothy appeared to be a normal raccoon, with the usual coloring and coat. But then, he started moving, showing off an unusual, rounded shape and lanky gait—likely, the result of a spinal deformity. In videos like Hall’s, Jimothy scampers around yards and porches, looking like a cross between a cryptid and a cartoon.