China Watch, or Is it 'Watch China?'
The Philippines continues to stand, if not alone, without much true international support as China pushes its aggressive claim to the South China Sea almost into Manila Bay. President Benigno S. Aquino...
View ArticleDid Rand Paul Just Accuse Barack Obama of Being 'Not Black Enough?'
Yep, you read that right. Rand Paul went there. Here's how he did it: "I find it ironic that the first African-American president has without compunction allowed this vast exercise of raw power by the...
View ArticleWomen in the U.S. Are Still Second-Class Citizens: Not Interested? You Should Be
For several months, I've wanted to write about the way women are treated in the United States today. It has taken some time to organize my thoughts because I feel so deeply about this issue. Uh-oh. I'm...
View ArticleImmigrant Youth Demand Leadership From House Democrats, Not Empty Legislative...
As we near the 2 million deportation mark under President Obama, we face a moral crisis, one affecting not only the immigrant community, but the country as a whole. The Republicans who control the...
View ArticleFour Years for the ACA: Time to Keep Building
Sunday was the fourth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, a moment well worth marking. The ACA, for all its flaws, is already making lives better for many millions of Americans, and as it gets more...
View ArticleIranians Ignore Government Limits on Holiday
Last year, an American professor of Persian culture and civilization, William Royce, told me the story of his trip to Iran four decades ago, after graduating from Princeton. He recalled getting an...
View ArticlePetitioning Student Loan Servicers to Account for Cost of Living
Last night I started a petition on Change.org calling for a change to how student loan payments are calculated. Here is why... I admit that I am at a crossroads of sorts. I have only been out of law...
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What Awaits Obama in Riyadh?
All eyes are definitely going to be on Riyadh this week, where U.S. President Barack Obama will be meeting with the Saudi leadership on March 28. There is no doubt about it: this highly-anticipated...
View ArticleOn George Will, Paul Ryan and Assumptions About Urban Poverty
I like George Will, and I enjoy reading his work. While I often find I don't agree with him, he is smart, thoughtful, embraces an historical perspective and tends to focus on subjects about which he...
View ArticleWhat About the Voters? Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote in...
Last week, in Kobach v. Election Assistance Commission, a United States federal district court held that the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) could not prevent Kansas and Arizona from requesting...
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What Malaysia Flight 370 Reminded Us About the World
You know the story. On the night of March 8th, a giant Boeing 777 took off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing shortly before midnight. By 1:40 a.m., just two hours later, the plane and all 239 passengers on...
View ArticleFrom the Lunatic Asylum of Old to the Jails and Prisons of Today: Is This...
For nearly 200 years (1790-1980), the care of the mentally ill was, in the United States, the primary responsibility of lunatic asylums. The grand idea of the asylums was gradually replaced by the...
View ArticleSnowden's Ill-Deserved 'Fifteen Minutes'
When did Edward Snowden become a rock star? Two major tech conferences have recently hosted him by video, without any chance for a rebuttal from the other side. This ignores the fact that he stole...
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Climate Change: Case Closed
Today, we are at an environmental crossroads. Just as those that pioneered environmental protection in the 20th Century faced the threat of industrial pollution, this generation faces a looming...
View ArticleFinally: Our Waters Could Be Given Their Clean Water Protections Back
Clean water: The recent 65-mile closure of the Mississippi River due to an oil spill proves how economically important it is; the coal ash discharge this winter that poisoned North Carolina's Dan River...
View ArticleAs Congress Moves to Dismantle Immigration Reform, We Will Continue Our Fight...
Co-written by Rebecca Katz, Program Assistant, Women's Refugee Commission On March 13, President Obama announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would conduct a review of enforcement...
View ArticleWill the U.S. Fund Russian Gas Exports?
As the geopolitical crisis in Ukraine grows, Western governments are talking tough about sanctions against Russia. President Obama and the European Union have now leveled sanctions against Russian and...
View ArticleMilitary-backed House Cleaning Extends to Egyptian Soccer
Efforts by Egypt's military-backed government to clean the country not only of its political critics but also of businessmen with close ties to ousted President Hosni Mubarak extended into soccer this...
View ArticleAs Iran Nuclear Negotiations Begin, Threat of Increased Sanctions Looms Large
Last week Iran and the so-called P5+1 countries -- Russia, China, Britain, France, the U.S., plus Germany -- began a new round of negotiations in the Austrian capital of Vienna. While perhaps...
View ArticleA Year After VAWA, Still More Work to Be Done
On the night of her 20th birthday more than seven years ago, my niece Carol Kestenbaum, along with her best friend Nicole Schiffman, were shot and killed outside Carol's apartment. Carol was a...
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