Jan
26
Just hours before President Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, a small group of U.S. Navy SEALs entered Somalia and successfully rescued an American and a Danish aid worker who were captured by pirates last October. The SEALs that carried out this latest rescue were from the same unit that killed Osama …
Jan
12
Irish actor Liam Neeson is no stranger to playing dramatic lead roles. His critically acclaimed performance in the 1993 film Schindler’s List garnered him nominations from the Oscars and the Golden Globes, and he has since played several other historical figures, including outlaw Robert Roy MacGregor in Rob Roy and the revolutionary Michael Collins in …
Jan
07
In late September, Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian National Authority, appeared before the General Assembly at the United Nations to request full membership for the State of Palestine. After 20 years of failed talks with Israel, can this plea to the international community be the only path to a two-state solution, or will this …
Jan
04
If you’ve ever watched Lewis Black perform stand-up on stage, you’d think he was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. But when you consider his subject matter—turmoil in Washington, ridiculous trends and cultural phenomena, or simply the absurdities of everyday life—his trademark shouting and finger pointing makes sense. Black once compared his attitude …
Dec
27
Often hailed as one of Hollywood’s most uncompromising and controversial directors, Oliver Stone has garnered praise from the left and derision from the right. Through his films, Stone has portrayed several contemporary and polarizing political figures, such as Republican presidents Richard Nixon and George W. Bush, and the impact of cultural issues such as how …
Dec
19
While most of the media attention is focused on the Republican presidential nomination, especially with the Iowa caucuses rapidly approaching on January 3, 2012, Democratic pollsters are developing strategies to win over an electorate that has grown disenchanted with the current state of affairs in Washington. And they have their work cut out for them: …
Dec
14
Ever since Steve Jobs succumbed to complications from pancreatic cancer in early October, he has been eulogized both in private and in public. Fans of Apple have lamented the loss of one of technology’s most iconic figures and celebrated the design sensibility he brought to the world. Shortly after Jobs’ death, biographer Walter Isaacson released …
Dec
13
Few sports journalists have received higher accolades among the broadcasting community than Bob Costas. Over his 30-year career, the longtime NBC correspondent has won over 20 Emmy Awards and is known for calling play-by-play in several memorable sporting events, including the Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, which would ultimately be Michael Jordan’s last …
Dec
12
After serving more than 20 years in the US Senate, Joe Lieberman will retire next year. An independent who is closely aligned with the Democrats, Lieberman has always been an enigmatic political figure. Praised and vilified by both sides of the aisle, he is a pro-union, pro-choice advocate who supports gay rights, and he is …
Dec
07
Since gaining independence after the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, Turkey has been an enigmatic presence in regional politics. On one hand, Turkey leans toward Europe as a secular, modern nation state; yet on the other it maintains strong ties to the Middle East with a culture rooted in hundreds of years of …