Gastonia, NC Correspondent-I don’t think we’re at risk of becoming a Big Brother society, I think we’re already there. Big Data has infiltrated every part of our lives, and the ability of hackers to take over smart devices in our homes, listen in our baby monitors and even turn on the cameras in our computers … Continue reading Considering the growing power and influence of technology companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon, are we at risk of becoming a Big Brother society where our every move is observed, and every detail of our private lives is accessible to those who wish to manipulate or exploit us in some way?
Politics
Canada recently legalized recreational marijuana. Will this increase the chances that recreational marijuana is legalized in the US?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent-The world is finally waking up to the fact that marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol and shouldn't be outlawed. Canada is the latest in the growing trend of countries and states who are legalizing pot for recreational use. Although Canada's decision to legalize sends a clear message to other nations that … Continue reading Canada recently legalized recreational marijuana. Will this increase the chances that recreational marijuana is legalized in the US?
Is cutting taxes without cutting spending—as happened with the passage of the 2018 federal tax bill—a viable long-term economic strategy?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent-The feds passed another massive tax cut bill in 2018 that will push the annual deficits up toward the $1 trillion per year level yet again. We are the largest debtor nation in the history of the world and will probably never be challenged for that honor by any other country. The puzzling … Continue reading Is cutting taxes without cutting spending—as happened with the passage of the 2018 federal tax bill—a viable long-term economic strategy?
Will Californians succeed in dividing the current state into three separate states?
Owatonna, NC Correspondent-A ballot referendum in California this fall will decide if Californians will be able to petition the Federal government to split the state into three separate states: (new) California, Northern California, and Southern California. Polls show that a large majority of California voters oppose the referendum (an April 2018 poll by SurveyUSA.com showed … Continue reading Will Californians succeed in dividing the current state into three separate states?
How can we solve the growing labor shortages and get foreign workers into US jobs where they are needed?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent-There are tens of thousands of businesses across the U.S. hanging out help wanted signs for technical and professional jobs that are going unfilled. We simply don’t have the talent base in our native workforce to fill them all, and it will be decades before we’ve got enough workers trained to meet the … Continue reading How can we solve the growing labor shortages and get foreign workers into US jobs where they are needed?
The Supreme Court recently upheld President Trump’s travel ban on people from primarily Muslim countries. Will this encourage Trump and future presidents to become more autocratic?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent-Until recent decades, the Supreme Court upholding an executive order (EO) issued by the President wouldn't be particularly noteworthy. Challenging EOs is a normal, healthy component of this country's system of checks and balances used to ensure none of the three branches of government acquires too much power. But now that politics has … Continue reading The Supreme Court recently upheld President Trump’s travel ban on people from primarily Muslim countries. Will this encourage Trump and future presidents to become more autocratic?
How has the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy and the resulting family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border affected both domestic politics and America’s international standing?
Tyler, Texas Correspondent I write policies for people who would rather not read them, so let me start with the part of this story that nobody in Washington wanted to read either. Zero tolerance was not a new law. It was a decision, announced by the Attorney General in April, to prosecute every adult who … Continue reading How has the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy and the resulting family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border affected both domestic politics and America’s international standing?
Did the historic Singapore summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un meaningfully advance denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, or was it largely symbolic?
Sheffield, Jamaica Correspondent I have spent a good part of my working life studying how small states negotiate with large ones, and the first lesson of that study is that the small state's objective is almost never the thing written on the agenda. The agenda says trade, or security, or in this case denuclearization. The … Continue reading Did the historic Singapore summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un meaningfully advance denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, or was it largely symbolic?
After the Parkland school shooting and the March for Our Lives movement, has the political debate over gun violence in the U.S. shifted in any lasting way?
Prescott Valley, Arizona Correspondent I taught in public schools for the better part of two decades, which means I have run lockdown drills with children who did not understand why and with teenagers who understood exactly why, and I have sat in faculty meetings where the question of what we would actually do if it … Continue reading After the Parkland school shooting and the March for Our Lives movement, has the political debate over gun violence in the U.S. shifted in any lasting way?
What are the strategic consequences of the United States withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA)?
Clermont, Florida Correspondent I advise small professional firms for a living, and the most common mistake I see is a partner who tears up a contract because it is a bad contract without first asking what he intends to replace it with. The old agreement was flawed. Everyone agreed it was flawed. That is not … Continue reading What are the strategic consequences of the United States withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA)?
