Erich Ferrari on the 5+1 Nuclear Talks: Iran vs. Sanctions Architects
While the Iranian negotiators sit down to nuclear talks with 5+1 in Vienna this week, Erich Ferrari, a lawyer who provides counsel to those who wish to get off the sanctions list, says the Iranians are...
View ArticleHow Is Discrimination a Religious Freedom?
It appears that Kansas House Bill 2453 is dead. This is the bill that stated, in part, that "if it would be contrary to the sincerely held religious beliefs" of a person or a business, then that person...
View ArticleWashington Lawmakers Vote to Revise Medical Marijuana Regulations
The Washington House of Representatives approved legislation that would eradicate medical marijuana dispensaries, aka "collective gardens," and enforce new limitations on patients that are registered...
View ArticleDrones in Pakistan: Peace . . . And Quiet
You probably didn't hear the news. In fact, I'm almost certain that you didn't hear the news, because the subject of drone warfare isn't on the approved list of what passes for news these days. But the...
View ArticleChained CPI Out of Obama Budget! Victory for the New Populists
Great news! The Associated Press reported on Thursday that an unnamed Obama administration official (speaking on background) announced that the chained CPI will not be in President Obama's budget. Just...
View ArticleWhy Are Latinos Way Ahead of the Climate Change Curve? 3 Latino...
In the battle against climate change, Latinos are in the line of fire. And our musketeers are our scientists. We Latinos disproportionately suffer the effects of climate change because of our...
View ArticleKilled by a Gun
The headlines in the case were sadly familiar. An angry adult armed with a gun used it to shoot and kill an unarmed black teenager he thought seemed “bad”—this time, because the teenager and his...
View ArticleCarnage in Ukraine: What Next?
"The actions on the visa level are good but you need to arrest the accounts of those guys... because Yanukovych is not going down without taking very, many, many, many dead people with him." The words...
View ArticleThe Lopez Affair and Venezuela's Future
The anti-Bolivarian movement in Venezuela may have found its voice earlier this week with the emergence of Leopoldo Lopez as a leader willing to take personal risks for change. Having intemperately...
View ArticleTurkey and Iran's Growing Alliance
Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan's visit to Iran last month symbolized a pivot toward Tehran and a shift in Ankara's Middle East foreign policy. Declaring a desire to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with...
View ArticleThe Global Drinking Water Crisis That Is Hitting Close to Your Home
This week, I spent about 20 minutes on HuffPost Live chatting with Alyona Minkovski about the global crisis threatening drinking water. That phrase -- global crisis -- seems to desensitize people,...
View ArticleWhy Wage Hikes Should Be All the Rage
Airports are doing it. Big retailers are doing it. Cities are getting in on the action, too. Earlier this month, I even got to see the President of the United States do it. Raising wages for low-paid...
View ArticleACA Breaks 'Job Lock,' Giving Americans Choices on Jobs, Health Insurance
A recent report brings good news about health care reform. The Affordable Care Act is helping break what's called "job lock," which was a major problem in our old health system. "Job lock" refers to...
View Article'The Wrong Side of History'
Conservatives love to argue against clean energy by saying that the government "shouldn't pick winners or losers." So why then, did conservative Tennessee politicians, like U.S. Senator Bob Corker,...
View ArticleObama's Political Nominees for Ambassadorial Positions
The United States is the only major country that still nominates non-career persons as its ambassadors to foreign countries. Despite the protestations of the American Foreign Service Association...
View ArticleAmerica Is in Transition -- and So Is Its Foreign Policy
America is changing. So too is the rest of the world. But will America's internal changes carry broader implications for its role in the world, the influence and power it wields, and the foreign policy...
View ArticleItaly: The Show Must Go On
I am convinced that behind the decisions of Grillo (suggested by his internet guru Casaleggio) exists a true subversive plan in Italy that could take us to a civil war. If somebody doubts of what I am...
View ArticleFriday Talking Points -- From Russian Panties To Animal Skulls
We've got a lot to get to in our weekly roundup of politics this week, it seems. For those watching the Olympics (or trying to, in and amongst the soap opera that is NBC's coverage, and the...
View ArticleGenetic Testing Needs a Nudge
Mail-away genetic testing promises to revolutionize the way that people learn about and manage their health. Already half a million Americans have sent their saliva to find out their risk of genetic...
View ArticleScott Walker, the Pride(?) of Wisconsin
Thousands of secret documents are released -- but something's still missing...
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