San Franciscans know that their politics are far from the ordinary, and most residents accept and defend their city's reputation for pushing the limits as an extension of free speech. Yesterday, however, the city had occasion not only to be liberal-minded but also smart. In one of his better decisions (and he's made several bad […]
The U.S. war crimes tribunal holding court at the naval detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, appointed a U.S. military lawyer to serve as the legal representative to the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York City and the Pentagon. The military ordered Navy Capt. Prescott Prince to serve as the lawyer […]
There is no doubt that the fight against sexual violence has a long way to go, and that victims support and services are considerably lacking. The damage of such violent acts reach much farther than the victim, the scope and depth of such acts effect entire communities and whole nations. The reach of such detrimental […]
I like this PSA for Charitywater, an NGO that builds water pumps in the developing world. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/-AqlLyLeJuQ” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
After posting about the upcoming NBC drama about a renegade, philanthropist billionaire I realized that I had some more to say. To be sure, the show does sound like an aid worker wish fulfillment fantasy. This guy gets to travel the world and really see his beneficiaries, and NEVER has to write a funding proposal, […]
FP Passport's editor, Blake Hounshell, strongly criticizes President Bush for failing diplomacy 101, "a game of give-and-take in which trading away concessions allows you to get what you want on your top priorities." Blake's post articulates a number of policies the United States is pursuing and Russia stands against (of which we've mentioned on this […]
If you were President of Iran, who would you most like in the Oval Office? There is, clearly, much up for discussion: Iraq, nuclear proliferation, economic sanctions, peace in the Middle East, the list goes on. Last month Iranian President gave us a glimpse of his preferences when he officially retracted his “alleged” support for […]
I've written about the growing evidence that biofuels are becoming increasingly recognized as a menace to the environment, not the boon they were once thought to be. In Are Biofuels A Bummer? in February, I reported on a couple of recent studies showing how pressure on land use from biofuel production was creating the deleterious […]
After five years of conflict, 4,000 U.S. military deaths, $800 billion in military spending, and tattered relations within what once was called the “coalition of the willing,” General David Petraeus told Congress today that the results of the “surge” in Iraq were “fragile and reversible.” His statement, replete with charts, was as candid and direct […]
For the millions upon millions, many children, who are the survivors of sexual violence, one must not forget their struggles in this month of awareness, as their battle is never ending. Therefore in conjunction with April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month, I wanted to share these words of survival from Nancy Venable Raine, After Silence, […]
… Not with a bang but a whimper."* I revisited congestion pricing in New York City recently. (See Congestion Pricing Redux from April 1 below.) Well, after having been recommended by the NY City Council, with the support of scores of municipal good government, environmental, labor and business groups, it sailed up the Hudson River […]
UNITED NATIONS, April 7 (UPI) — The United Nations marked the four-year anniversary of the organization's involvement in the Darfur region of Sudan by saying the situation remains grim. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the continued instability fueled by violence from rebel groups and government forces continued to plague Darfur. Ban called on the international […]
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wrote in today's Wall Street Journal on the free trade proposal with Columbia: "It is not every day that our government, with one bold stroke, could strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. workers; support a democratic ally on the cusp of achieving lasting national success; weaken those who would sow instability […]
As mentioned April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and throughout the month I will work to bring you many stories of the various forms of sexual assault that plagues millions upon millions of young girls across the globe. First I wanted to bring you back to the issue of human trafficking and slavery with in […]
NBC has a new superhero drama coming out next season, and the hero's primary power seems to be money. Like Bruce Wayne without the cool car. Our new hero is The Philanthropist, a “renegade billionaire” who helps those in need. I love this hollywood phrasing “Instead of spending $25,000 a plate at a fudnraiser, he's […]