Commentary
What will Virginia’s election say about Nevada’s? Probably nothing good.
Despising Terry McAuliffe has been a minor pastime among American leftists since McAuliffe established himself as perhaps the premier face of the Democratic Party’s corporate wing decades ago. Now Democrats are wringing their hands and furrowing their brows and crying “oh my stars and garters” because McAuliffe could – gasp! – lose the Virginia governor’s […]
It is time for federal legalization of cannabis
With gridlock at the federal level, states have truly become the laboratories of democracy—often leading on legislative policy when Congress is unable. When it comes to cannabis, these laboratories of democracy operate at breakneck speed, with 18 U.S. states legalizing it for both medical and adult “recreational” use and at least some legal use in […]
Once proven, RSV preventions should be in child immunization schedule
The United States is making progress against the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 65% of Americans receiving at least one-shot, because of the Biden administration’s laudable efforts to ensure the availability of vaccines to everyone regardless of their income or insurance coverage and a focused effort to reach out to communities hit hardest by the virus. […]
2nd Amendment case before Supreme Court could topple gun restrictions
The stakes in one of the most significant Second Amendment cases in U.S. history are high. The Supreme Court’s ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, expected by mid-2022, could declare a New York state restriction on carrying concealed handguns in public places unconstitutional. Such a ruling in favor of […]
Well, THAT’s specious
Regular readers of my columns will not be surprised to learn that I have favorite words. “Hyperbole” is one. I love the way it rolls off the tongue, though I don’t love when people exemplify it. “Onomatopoeia” is another. I mean, seriously, what a fun word to say. And I love the idea that there […]
How do you solve poverty? Throw money at the problem.
If there’s one enduring myth in America, it’s that there’s nothing we can really do to end poverty. Most policy prescriptions during the last few decades — from setting up Byzantine barriers to programs like food stamps and Medicaid to doing nothing at all — are rooted in condescending lore that poor people deserve to […]
The shocking part about Gruden: It isn’t shocking
“Lips the size of micchelin tires.” “Faggot.” “Clueless anti football pussy.” Multiple startling Jon Grudenisms jump out from the coverage of the Raiders’ disgraced ex-coach. But a passage in Tuesday’s New York Times story breached a larger, more trenchant issue than the lewd and crude homophobia, sexism and racism of one white man: “Taken together, […]
It’s time for Biden-Harris & Congress to step up and deliver a path to citizenship
It’s time. This is the year, this is our moment. After more than 3 decades without any immigration reform, after countless sit-ins in 2012 to get DACA for undocumented youth, after many, many more rallies and marches, we are closer than ever to passing legislation to create a pathway towards citizenship. Our community has been […]
And poof … Blockchainsville is gone
A man who made a killing once in cybercurrency and who wanted to create his own government in rural Nevada because, hey, who doesn’t, has pulled the plug on his fantastic if never fully or clearly explained techy techy plan. “This concept has not gained enough traction from the State to warrant further debate,” Blockchains […]
Senator assures industry Nevada will remain a mining colony
Harry Reid must be so proud. “Revision of our mining laws has been a regular topic for more than 100 years,” Reid wrote in 2009 when he was Senate Majority Leader. “During my time in Congress, I have fought against and defeated many ill-conceived reform efforts that would have hurt rural Nevada.” Reid was being […]
The debate on Latino vs. Latinx vs. Hispanic is the song that never ends
Growing up in El Paso, Texas, in the ’80s and ’90s, the diversity at my school could’ve been broken down into two categories — children who were born in the United States and students who weren’t. But almost all of the students’ families came from Mexico at some point, and we called ourselves Mexican-Americans or […]
The hypocrisy in how refugees are treated by the US government
After horrific photos emerged of men falling from airplanes and babies in great peril at the Kabul Airport weeks ago, I noticed a dramatic uptick in my various news feeds of the phrase “moral obligation.” Across all mediums, I heard the righteous call for the United States and nations around the globe to remember promises […]