Dogs Rescue Presidencies: Twice On This Date
Seventy years ago today, Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the midst of his fourth and final presidential reelection campaign. On that Saturday night in 1944 he delivered a speech to the International...
View ArticleProtecting the Health of People and the Planet
In the single largest day of climate action in history, people around the world mobilized Sunday to demonstrate the urgency of combating climate change. In New York City alone, 400,000 people took to...
View ArticleCivil Rights and Social Media Made Me Resign From My Job
"I wish more of us would decide to stand as you did." "You're a real civil rights leader. The spirit of our ancestors goes with you Misee. We need more of you out there." "You're a true American and I...
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How Well Is Coffman Representing His District?
Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colorado) has been accused of being "out of step" with his district by his opponent Andrew Romanoff, the League of Conservation Voters, and others. Is this true? Is this something...
View ArticleLeading Change or Waiting For It?
Whoever said "good things come to those who wait" clearly wasn't waiting for justice. Whether born in this country or another, moms and dads working long hours for poverty wages know that waiting...
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Different U.S. Marijuana Laws: Legal vs. Life Sentence
Texas and Washington State both have hundreds of miles of coast line and no income tax. However, when it comes to marijuana laws, the two states couldn't be more different. In my home state of...
View ArticleThe Future of Conservation and the Tragedy of Triage
Co-authored by John A. Vucetich, Professor of Ecology A great deal of conservation is about the restoration of endangered species and the prevention of species endangerment. As such, society's...
View ArticleBig Girl Debbie Wasserman Schultz Doing What She Has to Do: Just Like the Big...
I've never met Debbie Wasserman Schultz, though I hope to when she visits David Axelrod's Institute of Politics next month. Nevertheless, I feel like I know her. That's because she's been everywhere...
View ArticleWhy Are We Bombing Syria?
The administration's response to the conjunction of this weekend's People's Climate March and the International Day of Peace? 1) Bomb Syria the following day, to wrest control of the oil from ISIS...
View ArticlePolitical Read: In DC, at Least We Have Diane Rehm
WASHINGTON -- The national media is in the midst of another season of self-loathing, and with good reason. The coverage of politics often is as trivial as politics itself. The latest example is a storm...
View ArticleCongress Must Stop Syria Bombing, and You Can Help Make It Happen
If Congress doesn't stop the U.S. war in Syria, the bombs raining down on Syria will likely be the beginning of another open-ended, multi-billion U.S. war in the Middle East. The American public can...
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The New and 'Edgy' Meet the Press Explains the Midterms Using Chicken,...
There are a few things we know about the current status of Meet the Press. As Chez Pazienza pointed out, the way NBC News forced David Gregory out of his job was horrendously bad form. Like or dislike...
View ArticleOur Pay to Play System, Embodied by Beanie Babies
There was a political scandal I heard about that changed the way I looked at corruption and helped me understand the larger mechanisms at work in government and society. It rocked the swing state of...
View ArticleThe Next Move on Climate Change -- Lessons from the First Earth Day
When I ponder the next big push for action on climate change, I think back to the late summer of 1969, just before Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson vowed to organize a nationwide environmental...
View ArticleObama's 2014 UN Speech Marks Turning Point in his Presidency and Foreign Policy
This morning, President Barack Obama delivered a speech at the United Nations that marked an important turning-point in American foreign policy -- and in his presidency. Although the speech was...
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Do You Have to Pay Income Taxes on Social Security Benefits?
Dear Carrie, From what I've read, if a married couple has annual withdrawals from 401(k)s, IRAs or pensions that exceed a certain amount, their Social Security benefits may be taxed. Is that true? -- A...
View ArticleThe Critical Need for a Citizens' Rights Movement
The United States of America is controlled by minorities. Those minorities are not African-Americans, Hispanics or members of any ethnic group. They are the wealthy, elite, lobbyists, special...
View ArticleU.S. Must Do Its Part to Support Green Climate Fund
Among the blizzard of announcements made as part of the UN Climate Summit over the past few days, one that should not be lost in the storm is the pledge made by French President Francois Hollande to...
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Don't Reinvent the Wheel in Syria and Iraq
The past 13 years, America has been fighting with one hand tied behind its back "There's no need to reinvent the wheel." It's an old refrain that holds up today in Syria and Iraq. While today's...
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