North America
Rob Malley for Iran Envoy: A Test Case for Biden’s Commitment to Diplomacy
By Medea Benjamin and Ariel Gold President Biden’s commitment to re-entering the Iran nuclear deal—formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA—is already facing backlash from a motley crew of warhawks both domestic and foreign. Right now, opponents of re-entering the deal are centering their vitriol on… »
As Death Toll Tops 410,000, Biden Pushes “Wartime Effort” to Fight COVID. But Could More Be Done?
On his first full day in office, President Joe Biden unveiled a 198-page national plan to tackle the coronavirus pandemic as the U.S. death toll tops 410,000. He signed 10 executive orders to create a new national COVID-19 testing board, to help schools reopen, to mandate international travelers to quarantine… »
War Is Not Innate to Humanity—A More Peaceful Future Is Possible, Says Historical Anthropologist
Brian Ferguson’s research on the origins of war, going back to the beginning of human history and our closest ape relatives, suggests war is not part of our evolution. By April M. Short War and all of its brutality is attention-grabbing and memorable. Recollections of war and conquests tend to… »
Pope’s Words in Open Letter to Joe Biden
Dear President Joe Biden, Congratulations and best wishes! The Pope of your church in October 2020 wrote these words: “We can no longer think of war as a solution, because its risks will probably always be greater than its supposed benefits. In view of this, it is very difficult nowadays… »
The Biden/Harris Inauguration: When the Wall Becomes a Door
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris leapt into action after taking the oath of office on Wednesday. Biden signed 17 executive orders, dismantling many of Donald Trump’s signature policies. Biden rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization, ended the Muslim travel ban, halted most deportations… »
The Republican Dam on Immigration Is Cracking, and Now They Will Pay for Their Racism
We saw what Trump’s anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric did to the country over four long years. The GOP has no right to oppose Biden’s plan for mass legalization. By Sonali Kolhatkar On day one of his presidency, Joe Biden signed numerous executive orders to undo his predecessor’s “deeply… »
Why the Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Makes a Difference
By Ward Wilson, historian and author of “5 Myths about Nuclear Weapons”. The Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) goes into effect on January 22, 2021. Most Americans haven’t heard of it. It’s a treaty that prohibits the developing, testing, possessing, using, threatening to use, or storing of… »
Living in Turbulent Times: College Students’ Reactions to Recent Challenges in America
By Rebecca Diers – SUNY Cortland For the past several months, Americans have faced numerous challenges in regards to politics and how American citizens feel the country should be run. These recent events have been incited by both Republicans and Democrats in the form of protests and riots in an… »
Biden Signs Executive Orders on Environment, Immigration, Civil Rights, Economy & Pandemic
President Biden signed 17 executive orders Wednesday in his first official act from the Oval Office. Among other things, the orders strike down Trump’s ban on travelers from majority-Muslim nations, end construction of Trump’s border wall and strengthen DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for young immigrants. Biden rejoined… »
Listen to the Children!
It is said that pictures are worth a thousand words, and this is, of course true. Yet, in these months of COVID, when children have been deprived of their “life as usual”, parents, teachers, our friends and neighbors have taken steps to ease the burden for each other and strangers… »