Commentary
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 […]
To protect the right to vote, kill or change the filibuster
Democrats in the U.S. Senate recently introduced a new piece of legislation, the Freedom to Vote Act. This proposal represents the latest efforts by members of the Senate to pass comprehensive voting rights and pro-democracy legislation. Earlier legislation on these issues failed to advance in the Senate, in part because there was no clear path for […]
The big question for 2022: Just how badly will Democrats blow it?
Are you eagerly awaiting Joe Lombardo’s plan to mitigate impacts of the climate crisis in the nation’s fastest-warming state? Or Joey Gilbert’s five-point proposal to improve Nevada’s infamously inadequate mental health services? Or how about — that old salt– Dean Heller’s stance on health care reforms? Sorry. A Republican primary for Nevada governor in 2022 […]
Political orientation predicts science denial
Vaccine refusal is a major reason COVID-19 infections continue to surge in the U.S. Safe and effective vaccines have been available for months, but as of mid-September 2021, only 65% of eligible American adults are fully vaccinated. In many areas, a majority of eligible adults haven’t taken advantage of the opportunity to get vaccinated. […]