Under COBRA, Act Quickly to Retain Health Plan After Job Loss
Kathy Kristof
If you’ve lost your job, you need to act fast to maintain adequate health insurance. You have to decide, within 60 days of your separation, whether you want to stay on your former employer’s plan through COBRA.
Job-Winning Tactics for Phone Interviews
Joyce Lain Kennedy – Careers Now
Nowadays it seems that about 90 percent of the initial job interview is done via phone — questions asked to see if you make the cut for the in-person interview. I hardly ever get any further than the phone interview
Job Search: Pulling Out All the Stops
Joyce Lain Kennedy – Careers Now
Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data reveals that less than one job opening exists for every five seekers. Clearly, the time has come to pull out all the stops in your search and begin thinking outside the box.
Investors Near Retirement Age Face Big Challenges
Mark Miller – Retire Smart
New data shows just how steep a climb older investors face in attempting to recover from the market crash. It appears that younger retirement investors are faring much better than those near retirement age in bouncing back from last year’s market crash.
Avoid These Personal Investing & Financial Gaffes
Andrew Leckey
People want to read about how to make money, not how to avoid losing money. The depth of this recession, however, makes capital preservation every bit as important as positioning yourself to make money as the economy improves. Investors typically make mistakes during this murky in-between economic period.
How to Check Your Life Insurer’s Health
Kathy Kristof
If you want to know why it’s important to know the health of your life insurance company, ask Vince Watson. His daughter, Katie, was left severely disabled and in need of 24-hour care. The life insurance policy that was supposed to pay for Katie’s care for the rest of her life. But less than a decade later, the insurance company failed and the Watsons learned a hard lesson about the limits on life insurance company guaranty funds.
Choose an Investment Professional Carefully
Andrew Leckey
When it comes to selecting an investment professional, trust is a relative term. Many investors understandably feel a need for additional
help in navigating today’s volatile markets and economy. That means carefully checking out individual securities brokers or financial
planners to find those who merit their confidence.
If Retirement Planning Is a Game Show, Most Couples Are Failing
Mark Miller – Retire Smart
The Fidelity Investments Couples Retirement Survey results should be embarrassing for anyone age 45 to 72 who is married (the range of ages studied). It seems husbands and wives are doing a remarkably poor job of communicating, managing and planning for retirement.
Immediate Annuities Offer Security, But Tread Carefully
Humberto Cruz – Savings Game
An immediate or income annuity is an insurance product that turns a lump sum premium into lifetime income. Many people
hate giving up their principal to an insurance company, and immediate annuities had been slow to catch on. But amid the stock market
meltdown.
Aston Martin DB9 Volante & Rolls-Royce Phantom
Test Drive by Jim Mateja
Aston Martin DB9 Volante
What better than a pair of once-in-a-lifetime machines: the Aston Martin DB9 Volante and the Rolls-Royce Phantom.
The 2009 DB9 Volante (convertible) tops $200,000 after options. The link to James Bond is standard. But that’s a
bargain compared with the $380,000 base price on the 2009.5 Rolls-Royce Phantom we piloted. The 6.75-liter, 453-h.p. V-12 is potent and
impressive and so silent that we committed the cardinal sin of trying to restart an idling car …
Auto Review Toyota Prius
Test Drive by Jim Mateja
The Toyota Prius that debuted in the U.S. in the 2001 model year has become the nation’s best-selling hybrid.
But with Chevrolet, Saturn, Ford, Mercury and Honda now in the game, Prius needs more than just high gas prices to keep folks interested.
Perhaps the 50 m.p.g. city/48 m.p.g. highway rating in Gen III will do it. That’s a sizable gain from the industry leading 48/45 for 2009.
It also delivers a 600-mile range …
Academy Awards Expand Oscar Best Picture Nominations to 10
Timothy M. Gray
And the winner is… well, actually there are lots of winners with the decision to broaden the best-picture Oscar race to 10 films. The board’s
decision to double the category to 10 nominees “may make it more interesting and less cloistered,” said Academy of Motion Picture Arts &
Sciences president Sid Ganis at a press conference Wednesday morning.
Strawberry Rhubarb Almond Crumble Dessert Recipe
Wolfgang Puck
One of my favorite things to do with fresh berries is to prepare a crumble. This classic dessert is made by tossing the fruit with a
little sugar and sweet spices; spreading it in a baking dish; scattering on a hand-crumbled mixture of flour, other grains, or nuts,
sugar and butter; then baking the whole thing until the juices are syrupy and bubbly and the topping turns brown and crunchy.
Salad Nicoise, A Colorful Summertime Salad Recipe
Diane Rossen Worthington
This classic Provencal salad is said to originate in the city of Nice, France. It can be served on a bed of lettuce with the vegetables grouped together along with the eggs, tuna and black olives.
Shrimp and Salad Greens Recipe
Bev Bennett
Shrimp is delicious in a simple salad of greens and an Asian-influenced salad dressing. Nuts bring a lively texture to the dish.
Salt and Pepper Shrimp: Sweet, Salty, Crisp — the Perfect Shrimp Recipe
Anne Willan
Occasionally an ideal recipe comes along, and here is one of them. Salt and pepper shrimp need only a skillet (well, two actually) and tongs for turning. They can be cooked indoors or outside on the grill. Any shrimp will do, large or small
Mocktails: Making Memorable Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Jenn Garbee
You’ve hosted dozens of summer barbecues without giving the non-alcoholic beverages a second thought. However,
serving powdered lemonade again this year suddenly sounds like a bad idea. The good news is making memorable mocktails — cocktails
without the power — is even easier than shaking up spiked drinks. Without the spirit, you’re dealing with one less flavor wild card.
It’s easier still if you approach them as gussied up versions of lemon and limeade.
Corn, Leek and Chorizo Gratin Recipe
Betty Rosbottom
This Corn, Leek and Chorizo Gratin Recipe is delectable as a summer staple. Diced chorizo, the slightly spicy Spanish sausage, fresh corn
kernels, and chopped leeks are sauteed. This dish makes a fine side to such main courses as barbecued chicken, grilled steaks, or sauteed
pork chops.
Talk About an Air Strip
by Dave Barry
For some reason, my traveling party had been singled out by the security people for a near-proctological level of scrutiny. This surprised me, because my party consisted of me, my wife and our 20-month-old daughter. I cannot imagine terrorists getting anything done if they were traveling with a baby
The Class-Conscious Diet
by Dave Barry
My favorite part of The New York Times is a weekly section that reports on things that trendy New Yorkers are doing. This section is called Sunday Styles, because it would be rude to come right out and call it Rich Twits on Parade.
Born to Lose
by Andy Rooney
I’m a world-class loser. There are very few people better at losing things than I am. I was getting into bed and I thought to myself, “Maybe losing stuff would make a column.” So I scribbled some notes about it on a piece of paper, turned out the lights and went to sleep …
Summer Vacation: It’s That Time of Year, Again
by Andy Rooney
Looking forward to a good time is one of the pleasures of life, and it’s that time of the year for me. It’s just before my summer vacation. Looking forward to a vacation can often be better than the vacation itself.
School’s Over Way Too Soon, Literally
by Ana Veciana-Suarez
These days, though, pushing for a longer school year is akin to asking the boss for a pay raise. Chances are I’ll get laughed right out the recessionary door. School districts around the country have cut programs and laid off teachers. How are we going to fund an initiative that obviously will require more money
New Initiatives Tout Value of Microchipping Pets
By Steve Dale
A microchip is a permanent form of identification; it’s the size of a grain of rice and is implanted just under a pet’s skin by a veterinarian. Estimates are that somewhere around half of all dogs in the U.S. are microchipped, yet less then 10 percent of cats have chips.
Tick Numbers Climbing, Even in Urban Areas
By Steve Dale
Ticks, and the diseases they transmit, are now in all 50 states. And experts concur that their numbers are rising. Dr. Dwight Bowman, a veterinary parisitologist at Cornell University, says that a general increase in wildlife numbers — including deer, wild turkey, raccoon and other animals — intersecting with suburbia likely has the most impact
Michael Jackson, Gone Too Soon
Leonard Pitts Jr.
Sometimes, death is lightning from a clear blue sky, a car that runs the red light, ice-cold water dumped on you from behind. That’s how it was last week when Michael Jackson died.
Michael Jackson: ‘Thriller’ Was Greatest Triumph, Greatest Tragedy
Leonard Pitts Jr.
I got to interview Michael Jackson only once, at the family home in Encino, Calif. I remember Jackson did not walk about the place so much as haunt it, slumping from room to room as a great weight rested upon his sparrow shoulders.
Michael Jackson’s Creative Self-Destruction
Clarence Page
Which was your favorite Michael Jackson? News that the “King of Pop” had died at age 50 might well have felt more shocking had he not shocked us so often in the past. He shocked the world in a good way back when he was a kid.
Remembering My Michael Jackson
Liz Smith
Here’s how I want to remember Michael — not as the mega-star, not as Wacko Jacko, but as a lovely boy
whom I got to know a bit during the filming of “The Wiz” when he was 16. He was shy — surprisingly so, for somebody who was
already a show biz veteran, and a star. His solo “Off the Wall” and “Thriller” albums were just around the corner. He was
still the brilliant lead singer of the Jackson Five — a group that never would have gotten off the ground had it not been
for Michael’s unique talents.
Gardening – Not Too Late to Plant Vegetables
Cultivating Life by Sean Conway
If you’re just realizing that summer is here and you never got around to planting a vegetable garden, don’t despair. While it may be too late to plant cool season crops such as peas, lettuce and broccoli, it is still not too late to plant heat-loving vegetables.
Gardening – Clay, the Unsung Mineral Beneath Your Feet
Cultivating Life by Sean Conway
The amount of clay in our soil has a lot to do with how well the soil drains, and how well plants will
grow in it. Most soils are composed of sand, silt, clay and organic matter. Good garden soil contains a balance of these
components, but when there is an overabundance of one or the other, many plants simply will not grow — or grow well — in it.
Why Paint When You Can Give the House a Good Wash
Ask the Builder – Tim Carter
Painting the exterior of a home can be very expensive, and sometimes it’s not necessary. I’ll gladly
share my exterior cleaning house tips. It might save you thousands of dollars.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Emma, Watson, Daniel Radcliffe & Rupert Grint
This meticulously atmospheric, wonderfully acted Potter adventure lands happily — broodingly, but
happily — near the top of the series heap. As the concerns of novelist J.K. Rowling’s characters gravitate toward matters
of the heart and the hormones, the Potter films are leaving childhood behind.
500 Days of Summer
Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Zooey Deschanel in 500 Days of Summer
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays L.A. greeting-card writer Tom, whose heart gets kicked around by free-spirited co-worker Summer (Zooey Deschanel). As Tom sifts through memories of his time with Summer, the movie clicks onto different days, out of order, letting us eavesdrop on one vignette or conversation or argument after another. “Days” plays some fun structural mind games, Deschanel is captivating, and the film has an easygoing, inquisitive spirit.
The Hurt Locker
Jeremy Renner & Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker
Vivid, assured and extremely suspenseful, director Kathryn Bigelow’s latest (and strongest) film takes
moviegoers by the collar and throws them headlong into one horrifying life-and-death situation after another. Jeremy Renner
plays a soldier in Iraq running toward the explosives while everyone else is ducking and covering.
Time will tell if this politically neutral war movie is a classic, but it’s certainly a formidable experience
Bruno
Sacha Baron Cohen & Gustaf Hammarsten in Bruno
Extraordinarily raunchy, occasionally funny, Bruno takes everything Borat did so well three years ago
and pushes it further, swapping one primary target for another. But comic nerve has little to do with sheer excess. The
fashionista at the center of Bruno” is a pretty tedious fellow …
I Love You Beth Cooper
Hayden Panettiere & Paul Rust in I Love You Beth Cooper
Provides so few laughs, I nearly wandered out of the theater midway to go look for some somewhere.
Columbus strains to set up sight gags. You may wince, but it’s not a ha-ha wince. Both as written and acted, Denis quickly
becomes a tedious motormouth, not helped by Columbus’ uncertain pacing, with big, blobby pauses clogging up the plot machinery.
Blood: The Last Vampire
Gianna & Allison Miller in Blood: The Last Vampire
A beautiful half-human, half-vampire government agent (played by one-named South Korean star Gianna)
hunts demons in Japan with her American schoolgirl sidekick during the Vietnam War. If you’re going “huh?” already, just wait. …
Feel the Spirit
Rick Steves
For years, I’ve believed that anyone who enjoys getting close to God should pack their spirituality
along with them in their travels. Here are some experiences in Europe that spiritual people — from conservative Catholics
to Buddhists to tree-huggers to Methodists to curious European bus drivers who’ve never thought about this while on a tour
before — would enjoy.
Taking the Kids – Seeing More Than the Typical Sites in New York City
Eileen Ogintz
Visitors to New York have their pick of world-class iconic sites — Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan Museum of Art, two new Major League baseball stadiums, Empire State Building and Central Park. But there is a lot more to New York especially for the kids
Taking the Kids – Shaun White at Skateboard Camp in the Cayman Islands
Eileen Ogintz
It’s vacation and the teens are awake and ready to roll before 8 a.m.! The 22-year-old White has come down to Grand Cayman, his parents and sister in tow, to inaugurate Skate Cayman an 11-week summer program
The Case Against (Some) ETFs
By Kirk Shinkle
Touted as a revolution in transparency, cost, and access to exotic investments, ETFs are now being slammed
for inefficiencies, hidden fees, and opaque structures. Some experts argue that ETFs are just the latest means for investment advisers
to hoist flawed products on unsuspecting customers. …
5 Funds That Are Off to a Fast Start in 2009
By Katy Marquardt
Categorywise, large growth, midsized growth, and small growth funds have fared the best so far this year (although small
companies have led the rally over the past three months). But not all of the top performing funds fall into one of those categories. Here’s a
look at some of the front-runners among diversified U.S. stock funds … But beware …
After the Housing Crisis
By Ilyce Glink
Much has changed in the world of real estate over the past 18 months — new tax credits, tax deductions,
and tax laws relating to short sales and foreclosures. New rules relating to appraisals, mortgages and home equity loans. And
there are new entities to oversee and manage the crisis. Despite these changes, some key parts of the home buying process
haven’t changed at all. Here is a list of things that have remained constant through the tumult …
10 Most Dollar-Discounted Housing Markets
By Luke Mullins
As the historic real estate bust continues to gut home prices throughout the country, property owners everywhere
are scrambling to attract buyers. For some home sellers, that might mean chipping in for closing costs; others might try to sweeten the
deal by handing out perks, like a free parking spot. But for many homeowners, the most efficient way to sell a home in a depressed market
is to simply drop the listing price.
Entrepreneur: Why You Should Outsource Domestic Chores Now
Kimberly Palmer
Outsourcing chores by hiring a cleaning service or personal assistant might sound like the kind of splurge that a
recession-era budget would quickly eliminate. But outsourcing certain household tasks can end up saving so much time and energy that the
cost is well worth it — as long as you use your newly freed-up time wisely.
10 Great Places for Entrepreneurs to Retire: Jump in Start-ups Led by Baby Boomers
Emily Brandon
Entrepreneurs never really retire. Contrary to the stereotype of 20-somethings starting Web-based businesses in their
basements, it’s actually the baby boomers who best embody the entrepreneurial spirit.
Entrepreneur: 6 Tips for Starting a Small Business After Age 50
Emily Brandon
Starting a business is difficult at any age. Here are some tips to help baby boomer start-ups boom: Tap your network.
Use your experience. Find start-up funds
Cyberwar Is the New Atomic Age
Mike McConnell Interview
A level of vulnerability has been introduced into our way of life that is unprecedented. We now have a smaller connected globe where information can be moved in seconds, where information managed by computer networks — which runs our utilities, our transportation, our banking and communications — can be exploited or attacked in seconds from a remote location overseas
All-in-One PCs Take Aim at the Kitchen
Most PC-savvy Americans keep their address books, calendars, and notes on computers. But not the family address book
and calendar, which stick stubbornly to corkboard and paper in a corner of a busy kitchen. PC Manufacturers like Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Averatec, Asus,
Acer, and others are aiming new desktop models at the kitchen, or whichever crowded room is the center of a busy household. They’re pitching
relatively inexpensive all-in-one computers that bring added power to Mom’s calendar while not taking much more space than the paper version.
Obama Administration Launches Technology Spending Tracker
by Nikki Schwab
In this year’s budget, 72 billion tax dollars were budgeted for IT projects. And today, the Obama White House unveiled a way for citizens to
keep track of it.
Things to Avoid When Trying to Cut Health Costs
Kimberly Lankford – Kiplinger Personal Finance
Everyone’s looking for ways to trim expenses including ways to reduce healthcare and health-insurance costs. However, people have been making big mistakes in an attempt to save money. Avoid the following pitfalls, which can actually end up costing you more money
Day of Reckoning at Hand for Health Insurers
by Robyn Blumner
President Obama and the Democratically-led Congress are rolling up their sleeves, sharpening pencils and trying to deliver health-care changes that cover many more people, provide a safety net for the rest of us and won’t bankrupt our nation the way the current system most assuredly will
America’s Hospitals Can’t Afford Healthcare Cuts
by Rich Umbdenstock
Rich Umbdenstock is president and CEO of the American Hospital Association.
We must not lose sight of the fact that we will need good healthcare policy changes — not just payment cuts — if we hope to find long-term
solutions to the healthcare challenges vexing America: 46 million uninsured, an aging population, an epidemic of obesity and chronic disease
and the need for a more coordinated system of care.
Uwe Reinhardt: Plain Talk on Healthcare Reform
by Bernadine Healy M.D.
If there were a Straight Talk Express for health economists, Princeton professor Uwe Reinhardt would be the engineer. Born in Germany and raised in Canada, Professor Reinhardt has personally experienced medical systems in different countries. Over the past 25 years, he has become a critical voice in the debate about reforming America’s healthcare system.
Healthcare Reform Estimates Have Democrats on Defensive
by Kent Garber
The inciting spark was the Congressional Budget Office’s released of preliminary estimates on the costs of the
two main Senate bills. Kennedy’s was tagged at $1 trillion. The other, being developed by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, would
cost $1.6 trillion.
Antacids Not Meant to be Used as Long-Term Treatment for Acid Reflux
Taking antacids for as long as you have can cause long-term side effects. Treatment for acid reflux has advanced considerably over the last 20 years. I recommend you talk with your doctor about …
Atril Fibrillation Treatment Involves Reducing Risk of Stroke
Stephen Hammill M.D., Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heart rhythm that involves the upper heart chambers (atria). factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation. Treatment usually involves a combination of lifestyle changes, medication and, in some cases, surgery or catheter ablation.
By the Way, Doctor: Can Ginkgo Biloba Slow Dementia
Anthony Komaroff, M.D. – Harvard Health Letters
Ginkgo is prescribed in many parts of the world as a memory remedy and is readily available in the United States as an over-the-counter herbal supplement. It does have some antioxidant properties
Weight Loss Drugs & Diet Pills Have Many Drawbacks
Mary Pickett, M.D.
I wish we had a diet pill that could help people lose weight easily. None of the medicines on the market are worth using, if you ask me
Health, Nutrition & Diet: Getting Out the Gluten
Harvard Health Letters
Gluten seems to be the food ingredient non grata these days. Bakers are coming up with recipes for gluten-free cupcakes and baguettes.
Anheuser-Busch sells Redbridge, a gluten-free beer made from sorghum. By some estimates, the sales of gluten-free foods have tripled
since 2004. Gluten-free food has become more popular partly because doctors are diagnosing more cases of celiac disease, an autoimmune
disorder whose symptoms are triggered by gluten, the protein content in wheat, barley, rye …
Summer Safety: 8 Reasons Kids End up in the ER & How to Prevent It
Sarah Baldauf
Summer has arrived. And for all its pleasant, warm-weather pastimes — pool parties, barbeques, bicycling, and more — an emergency department near you is feeling the usual seasonal spike in children’s unintended injuries. No wonder summer is known in the medical business as trauma season.
Power of Positive Thinking Is Psychology’s Latest Focus
Lindsay Lyon
Positive psychology itself is a relatively nascent field. Formally founded a decade ago by the
University of Pennsylvania’s Martin Seligman, its emphasis on what goes right with people was a sea-change from psychology’s
traditional preoccupation with what goes wrong — from depression and anxiety to mental illness of all flavors. …
How Positive Psychology Can Increase Your Happiness
Lindsay Lyon
You can thank your parents — in part — for how happy you are; roughly half of human happiness is
genetically determined. Another 10 percent comes from your life circumstances, like how happy you are with where you live.
according to longtime happiness researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky, a professor of psychology.
Positive Emotional Psychology: Daily Diet of Positive Emotions
Lindsay Lyon
Joy. Interest. Love. Serenity. Awe. Amusement. Pride. Such positive emotions, fleeting feelings that
last just seconds or minutes, are the subject of Barbara Fredrickson’s research, a professor of psychology at the University
of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Positive Psychology in Your Relationships
Lindsay Lyon
By studying hundreds of couples, Shelly Gable has found that when romantic partners disclose positive
news, how the other reacts matters — a lot. In fact, partners’ reactions to each other’s good news can better predict the
quality of a relationship–and whether it will endure — than can partners’ reactions to bad news.
Drinking Coffee May Be Good for You
January W. Payne
Despite past concerns about coffee, tea, and other sources of caffeine being detrimental to health, recent research suggests that regular coffee consumption may reduce the risk of health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and liver cancer–and regular coffee drinkers might even live longer.
Exercise Boosts Your Brainpower; Intensity May Matter
Katherine Hobson
In an attempt to hang on to your cognitive function as you age, you may do crossword puzzles, join a book club, or keep up friendships to stay connected. But to do all you can to maintain your mental abilities, you really should be exercising.
Teens Who Think They’ll Die Young Take More Risks
Teenagers tend to wildly overestimate the odds of dying young, and teenagers who think they’ll be dead before age 35 are far more likely to
abuse drugs, attempt suicide, get arrested, or contract HIV. Scientists have known for quite a while that teenagers tend to think that an early death is much more likely than the infinitesimally
small risk it really is.
Shot at Universal Flu Vaccine: Protection from swine flu, bird flu & other viruses
By Nancy Shute
Wayne Marasco is no doubt the only Harvard medical researcher who abandoned a successful construction firm, Waymar Roofing and
Siding, to become an immunologist. The man with the unorthodox history recently made a striking discovery: a human antibody that attacks a
newfound vulnerability in flu viruses.
3 Tips for Boosting Your Fitness as You Age: One Triathlete’s Advice
by Katherine Hobson
It’s easy to think that athletic improvement after age 40 is something reserved for those who can afford to spend the time and money it takes to
train full time. Debi Bernardes, a swimming and triathlon coach in King George, Va., was asked what she’s done to keep
improving after three decades of competition. Here’s what she thinks makes a difference, plus how you can apply it to your own training.
Anthony Atala: Grinding Out New Organs One at a Time
Megan Johnson
Anthony Atala was the first to build a functioning organ from scratch — a bladder made cell by cell — and put it into a patient, a child
whose own bladder was congenitally deformed. Since that breakthrough a decade ago, the 50-year-old pediatric urologist, director of Wake Forest University’s
Institute for Regenerative Medicine, has moved on to cobbling up bones, heart valves, muscles, and some 20 other body parts.
Jean Bennett and Albert Maguire: Gene Therapy to Reverse Near-Blindness
Deborah Kotz
The partners have restored much of the vision in patients who have a rare genetic form of severely impaired eyesight called Leber’s
congenital amaurosis, in which a mutated gene prevents the retina from manufacturing a nutrient vital to eye health. The technique
eventually could be tried to treat macular degeneration.
Fear of Crowds. When You Need Help for Anxiety
Deborah Kotz
Certain people find the feeling of a crowd pressing in on them to be extremely stressful. When such a feeling causes a panic attack, that’s a sign of the anxiety condition claustrophobia. Feeling panicked by the mere presence of strangers is a condition known as agoraphobia
5 Lessons From the Nation’s Obesity Report Card
Katherine Hobson
We’re still getting fatter, albeit at a slightly slower rate. That’s the chief takeaway from a yearly report on the U.S. obesity epidemic, which found that rates of obesity rose in 23 states (last year, rates rose in 37 states). Almost two thirds of states now have adult obesity rates above 25 percent, according to the report
Discovery Channel explains Nitty-Gritty of Dirty Jobs
Liz Wolgemuth
Throughout the course of the Discovery Channel show “Dirty Jobs”, Mike Rowe, 47, has parachuted into incredibly dirty jobs,
including coal miner, shrimper, and even skull cleaner, paying tribute to the value and integrity of manual laborers as he sloshes around in
knee-high nastiness right beside them. A recent interview with Mike Rowe about Dirty Jobs …
America’s New Energy Dependency: China’s Metals
by Kent Garber
America’s Clean-energy economy needs rare-earth metals to succeed and China has a near monopoly.
In 2007, a standoff unfolded between China and several American companies. China was threatening to withhold supplies that keep refiners
in business. A worried State Department intervened. Because the metals come almost exclusively from China, if the government had not acted,
sources say, oil refineries could have been forced to shut down, possibly triggering shortages across the country.
Addressing China’s Fear Of North Korean Collapse
Joseph S. Nye Jr. Interview
It is by now a cliche to say that greater pressure from China can force North Korea to change. The problem is that China has two objectives: They want a de-nuclearized North Korea, but they also want a North Korea that doesn’t collapse into chaos on their borders. The consequence of these cross-purposes is that the Chinese have been reluctant to use the leverage they have
Europe: Battle Over the Burqa
by William Pfaff
Since President Barack Obama in his recent Cairo speech made a tut-tutting remark about countries that restricted wearing religious garb in school, the controversy over the Muslim burqa has resumed in Europe
Afghan Presidential Candidate Takes a Page From Obama’s Playbook
by Anna Mulrine
Presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani, the leading challenger to incumbent Hamid Karzai, has embarked on an Internet fundraising campaign modeled on that run by President Obama.
Obama Presses Israel on Settlements
by William Pfaff
The Obama administration’s confrontation with Israel over its colonies inside the Palestine territories began as a test of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s willingness to enter serious negotiations on a Middle Eastern settlement.
‘W’ is For Withdrawal
by Robert C. Koehler
National Sovereignty Day, the day U.S. troops withdrew from Iraqi cities. Sorry, but Iraq is still America’s sovereign lackey: broken and smoldering. Some 130,000 U.S. troops remain in the country, withdrawn for the most part to the permanent bases we’ve built over the last six years. The country’s infrastructure is shattered, and shocking bursts of violence remain a common occurrence
U.S. Troops Leave Iraqi Cities, but Unsettled Issues Remain
by William Pfaff
If all goes correctly, when this column is read American troops will be gone from the cities of Iraq. Then the calculation must begin as to whether some half-million to million lives lost, and the infrastructure and social structure of Baghdad, and much of the rest of the Iraqi nation, ruined, have served some good purpose.
Violence Spikes as U.S. Troops Withdraw From Iraq’s Cities
by Alex Kingsbury
Militants in Iraq staged a series of bomb and machine gun attacks in the past ten days that left more than 250 dead and the country on edge. Increased carnage as the U.S. forces prepare to depart was not unexpected, American and Iraqi officials say.
Attacks on U.S. Soldiers Show Iraq Is Not Yet Safe
by Anna Mulrine
U.S. combat troops officially withdrew from all Iraqi cities this week, and the Iraqi government declared a national holiday to commemorate the event. But with the celebration came a stark reminder that the war in Iraq continues for U.S. troops and that the country is far from safe.
ALBA Bloc Leaders’ Main Obsession: Indefinite Rule
Andres Oppenheimer
It’s hard to keep cool while watching the dismantling of democracy in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Honduras. When
the presidents of these countries met in Venezuela, for a special ALBA bloc summit — the Venezuelan-led alliance of mostly radical leftist
countries — it was hard not to see the group as a society of mutual support for self-perpetuation in power.
Chile Should Tout Its Passage to First World
Andres Oppenheimer
By the end of this year, Chile is likely to become the first South American country to join the exclusive club of the world’s 30 richest countries.
Obama’s Iran “Crisis”
by Jules Witcover
Rather than leaping in with breast-beating bravado of the sort too often associated with his departed predecessor, Obama has responded with measured and gradually escalated criticism of the Tehran regime’s repressive measures to deal with the street protests of the recent election.
This controlled reaction, not surprisingly, has been met with overheated squawks from conservative Republican hard-liners
Missing Our Moment in Iran
by Victor Davis Hanson
Last month, hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest a rigged presidential election. Our president was extremely cautious in his initial criticism of the Iranian government’s fierce crackdown against the protestors. At first, President Obama said that the United States — given our history in Iran — should not be “meddling” in
Iran: Death to Election Fraud
by Rick Steves
Last year, while in Iran producing a documentary for public television, I observed freedom-loving people patiently making do under a repressive regime. Today, the relatively peaceful Iran I experienced is in turmoil.
Iran Election Mess Is Just a Reflection of Global Human Failings
by Louis René Beres
Today’s dramatic Iranian instability is more a specific symptom of general civilizational fragility than an isolated disease. Beneath
the surface, all world politics readily reveals a distinctly common disorder. This is the incapacity of human beings to find both meaning
and identity as individuals, within themselves.
Iran Election Twitters In a Revolution
by Mary Kate Cary
It was a battle to show who could best harness the only real news source on the ground — the new social media — to
report fast, accurate, and insightful information. Cable and network news lost both the battle and the war. Two of the journalists who won
were Andrew Sullivan, a political blogger for the old-line magazine Atlantic Monthly, and Nico Pitney of the younger Huffington Post.
Sullivan and Pitney looked at the gold mine of information sitting on the new social media platform and, with two staffers, jumped in.
Sullivan and his staff cut and pasted the most interesting, useful, and profound tweets into a document he called “Live-Tweeting the
Revolution,” updated every few minutes.
Iranian Protests a Direct Challenge to Khamenei
by Anna Mulrine
“Flexing muscle on the streets after the election is not right,” warned Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the days before the
bloodshed. “If they don’t stop, the consequences of the chaos would be their responsibility.”
Those consequences included casualties that resulted from the worst upheaval in Tehran in 30 years, as well as mass arrests last week, with
more than 600 protesters jailed …
Obama’s Hidden Business Tax Increase
by Matthew Bandyk
Obama’s proposal would require companies to account for their inventories on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis rather
than a last-in-first-out (LIFO) one — an eye-glazing change that’s highly significant. In an era of rising costs, to assume that you’re
selling your oldest inventory rather than your newest increases reported profits and thus taxes, even though nothing real has changed. If
inflation turns worse, as many analysts predict, FIFO would force companies to pay real taxes on phantom profits as the value of goods gets
inflated while they sit in inventory.
On Terror ‘No-Fly’ List, But Still Buying Guns
Clarence Page
For gun purchasers, should “no-fly” mean “no buy?” People on the government’s terrorist watch list tried to buy guns almost 1,000 times in the last five years, a federal study finds. In nine out of 10 cases, federal authorities let them do it, the report finds, because there was no legal way to stop them. And that appears to be OK with the gun lobby
Sotomayor Leaves a Fan Wondering
Clarence Page
The case of Ricci v. DeStefano sounds like countless other police and firefighter discrimination cases across the country.
What makes this one different is its intersection with Judge Sonia Sotomayor, current Supreme Court nominee. That’s why I am eager to hear Judge Sotomayor face the questions that surely will come up about the Ricci case during her confirmation hearing
God Bless This Honorable Court
Paul Greenberg
In a case out of New Haven, Conn., a bare majority of the court ruled that a group of firefighters who passed the test for promotion should indeed be promoted. How remarkable. Especially in these strange times of groupthink and sociospeak.
Court Was Right to Douse ‘Disparate Impact’ Fire
Robyn Blumner
When race is involved no case is minor, but Ricci v. DeStefano gained blockbuster status after the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. She was part of an appellate panel that threw out the claims of the 18 white firefighters, one of whom is Hispanic, who lost out on promotions due to the city’s actions
5 Things to Know About the Employee Free Choice Act
Liz Wolgemuth
The heated debate over the merits of the Employee Free Choice Act is particularly poignant for both union leaders and business interests, as it plays out during a recession that has ransacked corporate profits but sharpened the perception of high times that excluded workers in favor of shareholders and executives.
Yucca Mountain: Harry Reid Declares Nevada Nuclear Containment Facility Dead
Robert Bryce
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has declared that Yucca Mountain, the site in Nevada where the federal government has been planning to store high-level radioactive waste, is “never going to open.” Reid may be right. President Obama’s 2010 budget nearly zeroes out federal funding for the waste site.
Immigration Reform Now Moves to Center Stage
Nikki Schwab and Paul Bedard
It has been delayed twice and is flying in under the healthcare debate, but the president and a select group of lawmakers
are finally talking about immigration reform.
Break Political Traffic Jam on Transportation Overhaul
Joshua Schank and Matthew Dallek
Any transportation project, including the infamous “Bridge to Nowhere” in Alaska, creates jobs.
However, transportation has become a policy orphan amid the healthcare tsunami that’s overwhelmed the news coverage of Obama’s
America. Thus, stalling all the economic benefits that flow from enacting a revitalized transportation policy.
Supreme Court: Strip Search of 13-Year-Old Unconstitutional
by Zach Miners
In a decision that could have significant implications for school administrators’ ability to keep their campuses safe, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, 8 to 1, this week that the strip search of a 13-year-old Arizona girl by school officials who were looking for prescription-strength drugs violated her constitutional rights.
Political History of the Stars & Stripes
by Andrew Burt
The history of the American flag is the story of a nation struggling to find its identity, Woden Teachout argues in her new book,
Capture the Flag: A Political History of American Patriotism. Teachout, a professor of graduate studies in history and culture at the online Union
Institute and University, recently spoke about the evolving meaning of the flag in American culture.
We’ve Gone From Saving Wall Street in Order to Save Main Street to Just Saving Wall Street
Arianna Huffington
Remember how, when taxpayers were being asked to fork over billions of dollars to bail out Wall Street, we were told it
was essential to saving Main Street? Well, in just a few months, we’ve gone from saving the banks in order to save the economy
to just saving the banks. It’s the opposite of mission creep.
Lobbyists on a Roll: Gutting Reform on Banking, Energy, and Health Care
Arianna Huffington
Remember all that change Americans voted for in November? Well, there’s been a change in the plans for change. The detour has come courtesy of a familiar nemesis: DC lobbyists who, this year alone, have watered-down, gutted or out-and-out killed ambitious plans for reforming Wall Street, energy and health care.
Suddenly Democrats have 60 Filibuster-Proof Senate Votes and No More Excuses
by Bill Press
It took 239 days, but the Minnesota Supreme Court finally declared Al Franken the winner over Norm Coleman. And suddenly Democrats have 60 votes in the Senate — and no more excuses. For six months, we’ve heard nothing but complaining from Democrats: Our hands are tied, they insisted
Obama’s Honduras Predicament
by Cal Thomas
President Obama immediately “meddles” in the affairs of Honduras, denouncing a military coup, the intent of which is to preserve the country’s constitution, but when it comes to Iran’s fraudulent election and the violent repression of demonstrators who wanted their votes counted, the president initially vacillates and equivocates. Are we expected to accept this as a consistent foreign policy
Pork: It’s for Everyone, Including Obama
by Jonah Goldberg
More and more, it seems the Obama administration has just that attitude toward the economic crisis: doling out pork for as long as possible.
A Letter to Sarah Palin
by Jonah Goldberg
Dear Governor Palin, You’re blowing it. We haven’t met, but you might remember I was one of the first columnists to tout you for John McCain’s running mate. There’s a reason why the left and much of the media establishment hated you from day one.
Ghosts of 1994 Loom for Obama and Democrats
by Robert Schlesinger
Everywhere I look, I see the ghosts of 1994. There’s the young Democratic president with an ambitious agenda, seemingly intent on doing it all at once. The Democratic president faces a Republican Party thirsting for a return to power.
Sanford’s Argentina Affair
Please Cry For Me, Argentina
by Bill Press
Governor Mark Sanford’s fall from grace may be the most bizarre of all. When Lt. Governor Andre Bauer first reported his absence from the state, Sanford had already been missing in action for five days, over Father’s Day weekend. He told no one where he was going. He left no one in charge. He did not phone or email. And nobody knew where he was. Not his staff. Not the Lt. Governor. Not even his wife and kids.
Governor Mark Sanford’s Argentina Affair
‘I Made a Mistake’ Excuse Getting Flimsier
by Leonard Pitts Jr.
Next time some politician goes before the cameras with his figurative pants down around his metaphoric ankles and says, “I made a mistake,” let’s form a mob and drag him from the podium. You bring the lanterns, I’ll bring the pitchforks. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is, of course, the latest.
Governor Mark Sanford’s Argentina Affair
Spare Us the Bedroom Farce
by Mary Sanchez
Forgive me if I find the travails of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford tedious. I could have been spared his rambling, weird mea culpa of adultery, and the media’s inevitable rehashing of the Democrat-vs.-Republican scorecard of personal peccadilloes. Can the nation finally move on from its fascination with the sexual dalliances of officials
Governor Mark Sanford’s Argentina Affair
Of Shame, Folly & True Grit
by Paul Greenberg
“Affair took S.C. governor away,” said the headline in the paper. Indeed it did — far, far away, and not just geographically. Mark Sanford is now in a whole different place, social and political and personal.
Governor Mark Sanford’s Argentina Affair
Lesson on Character and Power
by Linda J. Killian
It’s no big surprise that yet another political figure has been involved in an affair or sexual indiscretion. But as someone who has known Mark Sanford since he was elected to Congress in 1994 as part of the class that gave House Republicans their historic majority, I must admit to being shocked. And I wasn’t the only one.
Future Of The Federal Reserve – Exclusive Conversation With Ron Paul
by Matthew Bandyk
The person in Congress with perhaps the most unconventional point of view on these issues in American politics is
Congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX), a longtime critic of the very institution of the Fed and fractional reserve
banking. He recently sponsored a bill that would audit the Fed.
Obama Won’t Procrastinate His Push for Change
by Kenneth T. Walsh
Some say President Obama’s focus on healthcare, energy, and overhauling the financial system is too much at once.
His critics have a point. Obama’s challenge to the status quo may be causing too many powerful forces to line up against him, including
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, members of the medical establishment, the conservative power structure in Washington, and Rush Limbaugh and
his cohorts in the punditocracy of the right. If Obama fails to overcome them, his credibility could be shattered, and his dreams of change
could evaporate.
HBO’s Shouting Fire Is More Congratulatory Than Analytical on Free Speech Issues
by Andrew J. Rotherhamis
Despite frequent admonitions from our political leaders to do so, it sure is proving hard to move past the last eight years. Add to the
retrospectives Oscar-nominated director Liz Garbus’ Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech. Through accounts of flashpoints
since 9/11 about the freedoms Americans enjoy under the First Amendment, the documentary film is intended as a sobering check-in on what’s
happening on the ragged edge of free-speech debates.
Strategists Worry Obama’s Popularity is Dropping
by Kenneth T. Walsh
President Obama is heading into stormy waters. His healthcare plans have stalled on Capitol Hill; he is being faulted
for a shaky response to the post-election violence in Iran; his job-approval ratings are dropping; and confidence in his handling of the
economy is ebbing. The warning signs are enough to worry Democratic strategists that Obama may be sinking into a trough that will sap his
influence just when he needs it most.
Obama Criticized as Mr. Nice Guy Toward Iran, Congress
by Kenneth T. Walsh
Critics argue President Obama is too conciliatory in dealing with Iran, Republicans, and other adversaries.
Barack Obama is an accommodating and engaging fellow who aims to please. And this was important during the campaign, when likability counted
for so much in courting voters. Now, however, it could actually be a problem for him as commander in chief.
The question is whether his “politics of nice” is appropriate in a sharply divided capital and a dangerous world.
