Rights and Democracy
Robin Hood in Reverse
One of the biggest questions of the day is: Why do the rich keep getting richer and the middle class keep getting poorer? This also ranks as the dumbest question of the day, week, month, or year. To anyone who's been paying attention, it's obvious why economic...
Pope in a China Shop
Government by Bagmen
When Dennis Hastert was indicted for trying to cover up some $3.5 million in hush money payments to a man he’d allegedly sexually abused decades ago, Washington was shocked. I wasn't. I was shocked that Hastert, who’d spent the better part of his life in public...
Three Felonies a Day
We’re supposed to be the "land of the free." But believe it or not, the United States is actually the most incarcerated country on the planet. It's true: While the United States has just 5 percent of the world’s population, it houses 25 percent of the world’s prison...
Not About Us Without Us
A few of my African friends have adopted a slogan: "not about us without us." They use it to protest international decisions about their continent that are developed without any input from African people. It's a wonderful phrase. I think it applies to a few recent...
Tip of the Hastert
Diversity Sells
From the television sets in our living rooms to our local movie theaters, diversity appears to be the new black. Fresh off the success of small-screen hits like Fox's musical drama Empire, CW's telenovela-inspired Jane the Virgin, and ABC's family-centric Black-ish,...
Your Guide to the 2016 GOP Candidates
The Republicans have a big problem. Their presidential primary contest is beginning to resemble the New York marathon — hordes of contestants as far as the eye can see. How is a voter expected to choose among them, particularly since virtually all say pretty much the...
Re-entering Society — and the Voting Booth
Following the recent uprising in Baltimore, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan promised that he'd work to reduce crime in the state. He also affirmed that Marylanders who'd been convicted of felonies and done their time should be able to reenter society as free citizens....
The Latest Victim in the War on Whistleblowers
Jeffrey Sterling recently stood before a judge as his sentence was read. The former CIA officer, the judge declared, would spend 42 months — that's three and half years — behind bars. The feds had convicted Sterling on nine felony charges, including seven counts of...
