[Elizabeth Johnson, Jeff Orlowski] Use the ocean without using it all up

The Trump administration announced last week that it would open 90 percent of our coastal waters to oil and gas drilling. It declared last month that it would shrink or eliminate several national monuments -- both terrestrial and marine. Last year, it rolled back safety requirements that prevent spills such as the Deepwater Horizon, and it stated it would reconsider protections of national marine sanctuaries. The reigning principle here, to the extent that there is one, is to put short-term econ

Jan. 15, 2018

[Mac Margolis] Argentina’s Macri has a tough road ahead

Mauricio Macri had a pretty good year. Having settled a sulfurous quarrel over past-due debts with cranky hedge funds, the Argentine president went on to dismantle market-warping energy subsidies, rehabilitate the census bureau, slow inflation, and thwart a Peronist revolt to lead his fledgling Cambiemos political coalition to a major victory in the October midterm elections. Then, just before Christmas, he persuaded Congress to roll back corporate taxes and even tweak old age pensions, the gran

Jan. 15, 2018

[Gina Barreca] Letting go of life’s trivial baggage at 61

How old is old?　Be careful before answering: I have a horse in this race.I’m turning 61 and I still consider myself too energetic, too lively and too frisky to be regarded as a mare. I prefer to regard myself as a filly. But I might be closer to being a nag.I’m just trying to be honest with myself and pass the message along to others my age: What changes, for better and for worse, as we get older?I was prompted to write about age this week not only because of my birthday but because I read in a

Jan. 14, 2018

[Leonid Bershidsky] Europe has completely turned the tables on Brexit

The UK’s obvious turnabout on the desirability of a no-deal exit from the European Union shows how completely the tables have turned in the Brexit negotiations. With less than a year to seal a trade deal, the EU is nudging the UK toward an understanding that the only benign outcome is agreeing to a long transition period. That could allow a different UK team to emerge with a humbler approach.David Davis, the UK Brexit minister, has written Prime Minister Theresa May a letter complaining that the

Jan. 14, 2018

[John B. King Jr] On MLK Day, acknowledge the past to improve US future

To truly honor Martin Luther King’s legacy, it is important for us not only to celebrate the progress that the civil rights movement made possible but also to grapple with the full truth of our nation’s history, to acknowledge the inequities with which our society still struggles and to recognize our individual responsibility for social change.　As I reflect on our continued march toward social justice, I’m reminded of one of the most moving experiences from my time as US secretary of education.

Jan. 14, 2018

[Andrew Malcolm] Trump is handling Iran just right

If you’ve got a minute to pause from our collective obsession with a gossipy book of dubious veracity, here’s an issue of compelling importance that reveals another side of this president and his administration: Iran and how Donald Trump addresses the deadly anti-regime demonstrations now convulsing that historic land that clearly is the linchpin of any future regional stability, or the opposite.　The last time such nationwide protests erupted there -- the Green Revolution of 2009 -- Barack Obama

Jan. 12, 2018

[Eric Zorn] A 14-point plan to be a good old man

This aging thing stops right here, right now.　I’m turning 60.　I know, I know. By my generally dyspeptic attitude and hectoring tone you thought I was much older already.　But nope. Just 60. And by stopping the process I don’t mean cosmetically, sartorially or even, necessarily, physically. The body wears down. That’s nature’s way. I’m not going to become one of those spry seniors who competes in triathlons, takes fistfuls of vitamins, dresses like a 25-year-old and hires plastic surgeons to smoot

Jan. 11, 2018

[Jonathan Bernstein] How Democrats can avoid wiping out in 2018

Things are certainly going the Democrats’ way so far in the 2018 elections. They seem poised to win a majority in the US House and possibly even the Senate, and to win back dozens and dozens of other offices they lost in 2010 and 2014. But there’s still plenty of time for the party to sabotage itself.　The sheer number of people seeking to run creates a two-stage trap for Democrats. If they nominate the wrong candidates, they could lose races they should‘ve won. If they elect the wrong candidates

Jan. 11, 2018

[Patrick T. Hiller] Olympic glimmer on horizon - North and South Korea stepping down escalation ladder

The world is a month away from the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. My friends in South Korea have already bought tickets for multiple events. What a wonderful opportunity for the parents to expose their two boys to displays of athletic skills and friendly competition between nations in the Olympic spirit.All is good, except for the fear of nuclear war triggered by impulsive leaders in North Korea and the United States. Recent rare talks between North and South Korea give us a gl

Jan. 11, 2018

[Lee Jong-soo] Olympic window for Korean nuclear de-escalation

Kim Jong-un’s New Year’s address has given rise to the potential for improved inter-Korean relations. Though caution is necessary in dealing with Pyongyang’s peace overtures, Washington and Seoul should work together to leverage Kim’s overture in order to create an opening for de-escalation in the nuclear standoff between Pyongyang and Washington.It is entirely understandable why Kim’s speech may be seen as anti-American and a ploy to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington. Indeed, what was

Jan. 11, 2018

[Trudy Rubin] Button Man vs. Rocket Man could lead to nuclear war

It’s no accident that the latest blockbuster to portray President Trump as volatile and erratic is called “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.”　The book’s title is a play on President Trump’s threats to unleash “fire and fury” on North Korea and “totally destroy” that country if its leaders don’t stop threatening America. The title links Trump’s tumultuous style with his reckless nuclear tweets against Pyongyang.　In a recent tweet that matched the nuttiness of the North Korean leader, T

Jan. 10, 2018

[Angela Silveira] New Year’s resolution not sticking? Here’s why

Have you vowed that this will be the year you lose weight, eat healthier, make better financial decisions, quit smoking or simply delve into self-improvements? And if you made such a New Year’s resolution, have you stuck to it now that we’re more than a week into 2018?　According to the Statistics Brain Research Institute, about 58 percent of Americans make these resolutions with only 9.2 percent of people saying they were successful in achieving their resolution at the end of the year. Many of u

Jan. 10, 2018

[Heidi Stevens] Oprah for US president? Here’s a better idea

Two things kept me from completely losing my mind during my first maternity leave: crossword puzzles and Oprah.　Sometimes it took me an entire week to complete one puzzle -- a Monday one at that. But if I could fill those squares, I figured, my brain wouldn’t be oatmeal by the time I was ready to re-enter the world of humans who showered and returned emails in a timely fashion.　Oprah? Well, I couldn’t explain at the time what she was providing me, but I knew I needed it to survive. Connection, I

Jan. 10, 2018