[Los Angeles Times] Why the census shouldn’t try to count undocumented immigrants

The US constitution requires the federal government to conduct a national census every 10 years, a tally that is used to apportion various benefits among the states, including seats in the House of Representatives. It’s a difficult task, and a magnet for disputes. The first census, conducted in 1790, was done by federal marshals assigned to visit every home in their judicial district to count the numbers of free white men and white women, other free persons, and slaves. The enumerators came up w

Jan. 8, 2018

[Eli Lake] What a Soviet dissident sees in Iran’s unrest

French President Emmanuel Macron is deeply concerned. His government has expressed tempered support for the demonstrations in Iran, but for now he is more worried about the reaction of America, Israel and Saudi Arabia.This week he warned that the full-throated endorsement for the unrest in Iran by these governments “is almost one that would lead us to war.”Macron believes the consensus of most regional experts, who say that the leaderless protests in Iran are likely to fail. What’s more, any ful

Jan. 8, 2018

[Francis Wilkinson] Tough times for liberals mean it’s time to toughen up

Liberals are at a loss.　 The US president, who turned out to be more vile and duplicitous than they even had imagined, may or may not be indicted within a year’s time. Meantime, the US Congress is run by conservatives who, spurred by the greed of their donors and the fears of their base, are growing ever more comfortable telling blatant lies, preparing cover-ups and counter-narratives and overhauling the nation’s tax code in the manner of a Vegas caper -- hidden from view with the cash to be div

Jan. 7, 2018

[Ana Palacio] Europe’s chance in 2018

It has become a cliche to declare, each December, that the next year will be a crucial one for the European Union. The pattern is familiar: Europe has a turbulent 12 months, driven by events for which it was not prepared, jerry-rigs a response, and resolves to address the deeper structural issues. Then the next year arrives, and Europe is again overwhelmed by events, and becomes trapped again in short-term crisis-response mode. Will 2018 break the mold?The short answer is that it might -- or, at

Jan. 7, 2018

[Mikki Kendall] The perils of a cashless society

Visa last year offered up to 50 small businesses a $10,000 bounty to go cashless. Though it is still too early to know what will happen to the businesses that won the contest (Visa has not announced the winners yet), the key arguments in favor of cash-abandonment are that it would lead to more efficient service and carry a lower risk of theft. A recent New York Times article profiled restaurants in Manhattan that take only plastic, and boosters are looking forward to an entirely cashless society

Jan. 7, 2018

[Leonid Bershidsky] No, Iceland hasn’t solved the gender pay gap

Sen. Bernie Sanders says it’s worth following the example of “our brothers and sisters in Iceland” who last year passed the world’s most demanding law on equal pay for men and women. But the legislation, which took effect on Jan. 1, could end up hurting women without some added measures. Even ultra-egalitarian Iceland isn’t ready to take them. No other country has gone as far as Iceland in demanding equal pay for equal work. The 2017 law doesn’t just expose a company that violates the principle

Jan. 7, 2018

[Noah Feldman] Trump’s attempt to bully Bannon in court would fail

If President Donald Trump would actually sue Steve Bannon for violating a nondisclosure agreement made with his campaign, it would be great for the freedom of speech.That may sound strange, because Trump’s threatened lawsuit is precisely aimed to silence Bannon and other potential leakers who worked on the campaign. Bannon has been extensively quoted in excerpts published this week from the journalist Michael Wolff’s new book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.”But Trump’s suit would

Jan. 7, 2018

[Scott Lemiex] Remember, much of what Trump does can be undone

President Donald Trump finally got the major legislation he wanted when Congress passed a massive tax cut. Whether this will be an enduring legacy, however, is another question. The next Democratic Congress should be able to undo much of the tax bill -- and, for that matter, much of what this administration has wrought through legislation. As the so-called resistance looks ahead to another year of protest, Trump opponents should distinguish between what’s likely to stick, and what isn’t.For all

Jan. 5, 2018

[Sun Sentinel] A better way to elect our president - By popular vote

The election last year was the fifth in which the candidate with the most votes lost the presidency. It’s a dangerous way to run a democracy that depends upon the people’s trust.Florida could help in a big way to put an end to Electoral College malfunctions, but the necessary legislation doesn’t appear to have a warm welcome in Tallahassee. It should. Republican leaders there need to consider that what has helped their party in the past could easily hurt them in the future.In 2004, President Geo

Jan. 4, 2018

[Rekha Basu] How did we get here, America?

My cheeky sons created a shocking display under the Christmas tree and waited to see us react. It was a collection of books about politics, parenthood and such pulled off our shelves. None was X-rated but their authors included Mark Halperin, Al Franken, Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski and Bill Clinton.Seeing those men’s names together like that felt sickening at first. Then it drove home how our household has contributed to the fortunes of such high-profile men now accused of sexual abuses. And it m

Jan. 4, 2018

[Mac Margolis] A new commodities boom and preservation

Demand is surging again for oil, minerals and grains -- the basic goods to which Latin America’s fortunes have long been tethered. After a year of graft scandals and political whiplash, you can just about hear the sighs of collective relief.Or is that just a giant sucking sound?Since the voyages of discovery, raw materials and farm goods have been Latin America’s blessing and its trap, filling official coffers but too often despoiling the environment and condemning economies to boom and bust. Th

Jan. 4, 2018

[Mac Margolis] Latin America’s #MeToo moment

The revolt against sexual predation in the workplace is in full cry in the United States. But what about in Latin America, where machismo was branded and the border between seduction and assault has been elastic and riddled with legal indulgences?The outrage may be more selective and change agonizingly slow, but even in the most patriarchal societies of the Americas, the pushback is gathering force. From Mexico City to Buenos Aires, a new generation is speaking up, driving policy changes and cal

Jan. 3, 2018