Commentary
How race and religion have always played a role in who gets refuge in the U.S.
In the weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine, millions of Ukrainians have fled the country as refugees. Hundreds of those refugees have now arrived at the southern border of the United States seeking asylum, after flying to Mexico on tourist visas. At the border, Ukrainians, alongside thousands of other asylum seekers, must navigate two policies meant […]
The accidental superintendent: How Jara was hired, and how he might be getting a contract renewal
This week, with the latest list of licensed personnel separations revealing 148 more teachers heading out the door, Data Insight Partners came out with a damning series of data sets that show how many teachers are leaving CCSD, and how many are expected to leave by August. “It’s bad, and we are in uncharted territory,” […]
Beware the slow motion coup
This commentary was originally published by Inequality Media. The same people behind the January 6 insurrection are now trying to overthrow the government in a slow-motion coup. If they succeed, you can kiss our democracy goodbye. President Trump ultimately failed to overturn the 2020 election because a few election officials — secretaries of state in […]
The far-right’s repulsive ‘groomer’ attack is a clarion call for violence
Earlier this month, Michigan state Sen. Lana Theis used her invocation on the Senate dais to launch a political tirade that children are “under attack” from “forces that desire things for them other than what their parents would have them see and hear and know.” That prompted walkouts from some Democratic senators, so Theis saw an opportunity to […]
The Republican hive mind
A hive of bees showed up at our house this week. Monday was the first day I noticed them. This wasn’t unprecedented; if past results were an indication of future performance, I assumed they’d move on after a couple days. But by Thursday thousands and thousands of bees were still under the patio roof in […]
Clarence Thomas and his wife’s text messages highlight missing ethics rules at the Supreme Court
Time and time again, the nation’s highest court has come under fire for failing to manage potentially unethical behavior by its justices. In the past, the Supreme Court of the United States has cast aside pleas to adopt an ethics code for the justices. Now, the actions of Justice Clarence Thomas’ wife, Virginia – who […]
We missed our chance to pay attention to our children
In early 2021, when Supt. Jesus Jara announced, without consulting principals, that all students would be going back to school in a hybrid model, many teachers and building leaders let it be known that “business as usual” wasn’t going to cut it. Whenever a traumatic event happens in a school, they pointed out, leaders bring […]
Jim Marchant promises to strangle democracy AND lower the price of gas
“END the Gas Tax and HELP local Nevadans out at the pump. VOTE for Jim Marchant in 2022 and get gas prices back down!” Finally, a politician who will lower gas prices. Jim Marchant, who recently tweeted the preceding statement, must be one heckuva can-do sort of guy. Alas, if Marchant manages to get elected […]
CCSD needs meaningful change in wake of brutal attack
This is what we know. A 26-year-old, second year teacher at Eldorado High School opened the door for one of her students at the end of the school day on Thursday, April 7. Jonathan Eluterio Martinez Garcia, 16, said he wanted to know about missing assignments. The teacher walked to her desk and sat down […]
For Nevada’s workforce, the game’s still the same
It’s always some scheme. The battery factory, the football field, the Blockchains fiasco. During the Great Recession, when misery and despair were literally ruining countless Nevada households, the centerpiece proposal to help the economy offered up by state Democratic lawmakers was … film tax credits. It’s easier to laugh now than it was then. There’s […]
The loyal opposition is a key element of democracy, and we’re losing it
The United States has made many contributions to the world in science, technology, medicine and the arts. We’ve exported the key ideas that serve as the framework of self-government and personal freedom around the world. By my reckoning, however, the greatest contribution of the United States to the world is the idea of legitimate opposition. Put simply, this […]
What Republicans should know about Laxalt’s sudden obsession with child porn
Judges, attorneys, and legal analysts with expertise in the court proceedings may disagree over what the appropriate sentence should be for someone convicted of possessing or distributing child pornography. But there isn’t much disagreement among those people about one thing: There has been nothing notably unique or unconventional about the punishments handed down in such […]