Politics

In an epic showdown, Democrats are trying to protect democracy from Republican efforts to suppress the vote.  While Republicans are working feverishly to undermine voting rights in state legislatures across the country, Democrats are advancing electoral reforms at the federal level.  The calls for electoral reforms grew louder in the wake of the Republican coup attempt, and the former president's call for an insurrection. The GOP has launched what has been described as the broadest assault on voting rights since the Jim Crow era. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, lawmakers in 43 states have crafted more than 253 bills that...

Chinese President Xi Jinping has put the development of an "ecological civilization" at the core of his policies and he is calling other nations to embark on a "green revolution" as part of global recovery efforts. China's ambitious climate action plan is at the core of the nation's most recent five-year plan.  President Xi has indicated that China's emissions will peak before 2030 and the nation will be carbon neutral by 2060.  To achieve these goals China will need to massively increase clean energy infrastructure alongside equally massive reductions in the nation's reliance on fossil fuel.  Decarbonization is at the...

In his first week as president, Joe Biden's climate plan did more for climate action than his predecessor did in four years. On January 27th U.S. President Biden signed a raft of executive actions. that focus on the interrelated issues of climate change, environmental justice, infrastructure investments, and job creation. These moves build on the executive actions he signed on his first day in office. This includes beginning the process of reversing the environmentally destructive legacy of his predecessor.  At a January 27th press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, "President Biden is continuing to follow through on...

On Wednesday January 20th America started writing a new chapter in the nation's long and storied history.  On day one new U.S. President Joe Biden began dismantling the failed legacy of his predecessor. Within hours of being inaugurated Biden rejoined the Paris accord, killed the Keystone XL pipeline and ended drilling in the Artic wildlife refuge. Biden undid his predecessors regulatory approval process and instructed the OMB director to develop recommendations to modernize regulatory review. Biden has also taken executive actions designed to depoliticize the Justice Department. Going forward all executive branch appointees must sign an ethics pledge barring them from...

The presidency of Donald J Trump ended as it began, with dysfunction and narcissistic self-preoccupation. Trump's presidency is a stain that will not wash. His four years in office have been defined by divisiveness, lies, corruption, and abject failure. Trump will live in infamy for his insurrection, his handling of COVID-19, and his exacerbation of climate change. It was not only that Trump defied all the norms of the executive branch, it is that he systematically tried to dismantle the institutions he was charged to oversee. He may not be remembered for the misogyny in the Access Hollywood admission, the racism...

January 6, 2021, was a momentous day, it is also a day that will live in infamy.  The day started with historic electoral victories and ended with a mob sacking the Capitol of the world's oldest democracy. After a decisive victory in the general election, Georgia voters gave Democrats control of the Senate, then came the insurrection call from the outgoing commander-and-chief.  Early Wednesday morning, it was already clear that Democratic challenger Rev. Raphael Warnock had defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler. Later that day, Democrat Jon Ossoff was declared the winner against Republican incumbent David Perdue. These important election...

Despite unprecedented challenges, America's legal system has held. In recent weeks the courts have repeatedly defended democracy and in the last four years they have overturned a wide range of environmental assaults. The stacking of the Supreme Court with conservative justices did not prevent the highest court in the land from rebuffing baseless accusations of voter fraud. Dozens of lower court rulings have also denied lawsuits designed to overturn election results. Trump and his allies are currently 1 for 59 in their legal efforts to subvert democracy. The Supreme Court denied Texas' petition to invalidate election results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania,...

Brands wield enormous influence over popular culture and whether they are pursuing core social values or trying to preempt boycotts, brands are finding it harder to ignore social, environmental and political issues. Boycott culture has grown since Donald Trump emerged as a candidate in 2015. Trump has repeatedly used his office to advocate boycotts as have anti-Trump advocates. Earlier this year Trump called for a boycott of Goodyear after company guidelines were leaked that instructed employees to avoid wearing politically affiliated attire including MAGA hats. Goodyear issued a  nuanced statement that read as follows, "we ask that associates refrain from workplace...

John Kerry will serve as the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate in the Biden administration. . He has a distinguished track record on climate issues in both the Senate and as Secretary of State in the Obama administration. He was instrumental in securing the landmark Paris Climate Agreement. Under Kerry the US doubled its financial contributions to vulnerable countries impacted by climate change. In 2016 the Trump administration pulled out of the agreement but President-Elect Joe Biden has pledged to rejoin the deal on "day one". Kerry helped to craft Biden's climate agenda which includes a plan that will seek  to...

The origins of Thanksgiving date back to a 1621 feast in which the Wampanoag people helped the Pilgrims to survive in the New World. We can draw inspiration and wisdom from the plight of the first English settlers who colonized this country.  If we peel back the sanitized renditions of this narrative we are confronted by unspeakable hardships. These settlers were ravaged by malnutrition and disease and most did not survive their first winter. This year the COVID-19 pandemic makes this a Thanksgiving like no other.  While many Americans are heeding advisories from public health officials and foregoing the usual...