Anyone who’s paying attention has got to ask him or herself whether America can do the hard work of retaining a vibrant democratic system. It requires constant tending and adapting by its citizens. We must maintain a level of commitment to making the laws fair, bringing all citizens into the process, providing a foundational understanding …
Francis Rooney, who was the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See from 2005 to 2008 and later a U.S. Congressman, gives us his unique perspective on domestic politics and international affairs at a period in our history with together the combination is making the American public very uneasy about what may lie ahead.
America has had an all volunteer armed forces for 50 years now and the likelihood of going back to a draft anytime soon is remote. Yet, our military obligations are many as we have service members positioned around the globe, most recently deploying thousands to watch the simmering powder keg in the Middle East. A …
As a diverse group of people in America celebrated the progress represented by the ascension of Barack Obama to the presidency, others, predominantly white, used it as a pretense to produce a new and fearsome wave of white backlash–a whitelash. Emerging in the moment, coupled with news that America would be a majority-minority country in …
As we transition from a fossil fuel-based energy sector to one focused on renewables, like wind and solar, where does nuclear power fit in? Is it a clean fuel? Do we trust its safety enough to invest in new plants, as many in the United States will be reaching their lifespan in the next …
There has been much in the news about student loan debt in America, as well there should. Not only are those long lingering debts approaching 2 trillion dollars, but the effect radiates out to the whole society. For the individual clearly it can lead to stress and anxiety, affect career choices and limit flexibility. In …
Nat Glover, our guest today, is a man who has seen a lot in his lifetime. His book “Striving for Justice: A Black Sheriff in the Deep South” describes how he embarked on a career in law enforcement which led to his becoming the first Black sheriff in Jacksonville and the state of Florida in …
Paul Ehrlich’s warnings about a population bomb never really took hold, but America and the rest of the world has lived with an expectation that the human species will continue to grow. In the next several decades, there’s every indication that, here in America, and elsewhere in the world, that will not be the case. …
Native American history is often made to seem a sidebar in the American story when, in fact, it has been central to the development of the nation and played a key role at seminal moments throughout the centuries, including the present day. The long practice of ignoring Indigenous history is changing, however, with a new …
The Reuters Institute has published a study indicating that TikTok influencers and celebrities are increasingly taking over from journalists as the main source of news for young people. What started out as a hobby for many in the 2010’s when the recession hit many job sectors hard has become a a dollar soaked industry …