Evelyn Houser, a North Philadelphia grandmother, didn’t live to see the end of what she started six years ago. Houser, who died in September, was a lead plaintiff in the landmark $15 million settlement of a class-action suit this week that may help hundreds of thousands of people with criminal records get jobs. “My mom was always a determined person,” said her son, Cephas Houser.
Oil-black water flowed through the pipes of Crystal City, Texas, last week. That marks one more American city that cannot provide the most basic necessity of life. And as instances of government negligence like this proliferate, we continue to run to the government for help, instead of accountability.
The FBI is the latest agency to join the Flint water crisis investigation, after weeks of public criticism over the Environmental Protection Agency’s conduct with respect to the probe. The statewide investigation into the Michigan city came after revelations the drinking water became contaminated with lead in April 2014, while under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager. Gina …