Remembering Saul Landau, 1936-2013

Remembering Saul Landau, 1936-2013

By divine intervention, Saul Landau entered my life 12 years ago and taught me how to write, film, and live with dignity. We instantly bonded over having fathers from the “old country” — his father from Ukraine, mine from Syria — and being Semites with...
Operation Secret Loopholes

Operation Secret Loopholes

The federal budget expresses our nation’s values and priorities in numbers. It’s a blueprint for how our elected officials plan to make money and how they plan to spend it. What happens in Washington, D.C. has a profound local impact. About 80 percent of...
Reasons to Steer Clear from a Syrian Attack

Reasons to Steer Clear from a Syrian Attack

My wife Sanaa is from Syria. Her family, most of whom are who are Alawite farmers, still lives there. As a former U.S. senator of Middle Eastern descent, I oppose any kind of U.S. attack on Syria and hope that Congress does too in its upcoming vote on the matter. As...
Raise the Sub-Minimum Wage

Raise the Sub-Minimum Wage

As the fast food workers’ minimum wage campaign gains momentum, another group of workers is expanding the fight to address one of the least-known economic outrages. You may not realize it, but the measly $7.25 an hour McDonald’s and other fast-food giants...
A Higher Minimum Down Under

A Higher Minimum Down Under

Fast-food workers are holding strikes and demonstrations in dozens of U.S. cities. The “Fight for 15” campaign demands a $15 living wage and the right to form a union without interference from employers. Critics say a living wage would drive fast-food...