Opinions
Air travel is in a rut – is there any hope of recapturing the romance of flying?
Amelia Earhart broke a transcontinental speed record 90 years ago, in July 1933, by flying her signature red Lockheed Vega from Los Angeles to New Jersey in just 17 hours, seven and a half minutes. Earlier that year, Earhart had flown as an observer on a Northwest Airways winter flight… Read
'Barbie' has put the phrase 'toxic femininity' back in the news
As the “Barbie” movie’s worldwide box office passes the billion-dollar mark, and some conservative pundits push back against its popularity with negative hot takes, the phrase “toxic femininity” is back in the news. On National Public Radio’s “It’s Been a Minute,” panelists discussing “Barbie” speculated about whether toxic femininity exists… Read
Re-imagining democracy for the 21st century, possibly without the trappings of the 18th century
Imagine that we’ve all – all of us, all of society – landed on some alien planet, and we have to form a government: clean slate. We don’t have any legacy systems from the U.S. or any other country. We don’t have any special or unique interests to perturb our… Read
Civics lesson or reality TV? Calls grow to broadcast Trump trial
Calls are growing for Donald Trump's criminal trials to be broadcast live, as the United States grapples with the prospect of seeing a former -- and possibly future -- president in the dock. Lawyers and politicians are lining up to urge that cameras be allowed inside the courtroom, particularly when… Read
China's Ukraine peace talks gambit shows shifts amid hard realities
China's decision to join international talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend seeking to end Russia's war in Ukraine signals possible shifts in Beijing's approach but not a U-turn in its support for Moscow, analysts say. While Beijing declined to join earlier talks in NATO member Denmark, analysts said it feels… Read
Russia's war with Ukraine has generated its own fog, and misinformation is everywhere
On the battlefields of Ukraine, the fog of war plagues soldiers. And far from the fighting, a related and just as disorienting miasma afflicts those who seek to understand what's happening in the vast war. Disinformation, misinformation and absent information all cloud civilians’ understanding. Officials from each side denounce devious… Read
Why are Sweden and Denmark having a crisis over the Koran?
Anti-Islam activists in Denmark and Sweden have burnt and damaged several copies of the Koran in recent months, prompting outrage in the Muslim world and demands the Nordic governments ban such acts. Both governments have condemned the burnings and said they are considering new laws that could stop them. But… Read
Ending affirmative action does nothing to end discrimination against Asian Americans
In two cases challenging the use of race in college admissions, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the educational benefit of racial diversity is no longer what it once called a “compelling interest.” These decisions effectively end race-conscious college admissions. In my view, as a legal scholar of implicit bias… Read
The nuclear arms race's legacy: Toxic contamination, staggering cleanup costs and a culture of government secrecy
Christopher Nolan’s film “Oppenheimer” has focused new attention on the legacies of the Manhattan Project – the World War II program to develop nuclear weapons. As the anniversaries of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945, approach, it’s a timely moment to look further… Read
China's ex-foreign minister is gone but wait for explanation goes on
Hours after China's top legislature convened a special meeting last week to remove foreign minister Qin Gang, photos and mentions of the 57-year-old started disappearing from his former ministry's website. While some of this information reappeared days later, Qin does not feature on the website's list of "former ministers" and… Read
