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Israel stunned by Hawking snub

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:03:00 -0400

It is an event "of cosmic proportions", said one Palestinian academic, a befitting description of Stephen Hawking's decision to boycott an Israeli academic conference slated for next June. It was also a decisive moral call which was communicated by the Cambridge University, where Hawking is a professor, on May 8. Hawking is a world-renowned cosmologist and physicist. His scientific work had ...

Guest Rethink school discipline for students of different backgrounds

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:17:17 -0400

We should look at school discipline through the prism of racial proportionality and adopt strategies that are more equitable, writes guest columnist Edward Lee ...

Guest Enroll students automatically in AP honors classes

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:17:16 -0400

We should automatically enroll students who meet standard or pass the Washington state assessments into our most rigorous classes, writes guest columnist Rob ...

Guest Less assessment testing more learning for students

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:17:15 -0400

TO improve education in Washington State, we need to re-evaluate the number of required assessments, which reduce the time students have access to quality instruction. As educators, we have so much to cover academically in the small span of nine months. Society and our need for knowledge and skills has advanced dramatically in the past decade. Our students need to develop greater ...

Minnesota politics shaped by grassroots involvement

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:20:35 -0400

Just like the winter’s snow that just wouldn’t melt, the grass-roots movement that defeated both amendments and elected the new legislative majorities lasted until ...

Minnesota Legislature and campaign implications

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:20:34 -0400

The bare-knuckles partisan sparring that this issue generated made the tense marriage equality fight of a few weeks earlier seem courtly by comparison. It hit me on about Day Two that the emotion was akin to the "right to work" rallies at the Capitol in 2012. That was no coincidence. Like "right to work," this was about the future of labor unions and, by extension, the future ...

Minnesotas priorities for the 2014 Legislature

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:20:32 -0400

The 2014-15 Minnesota budget is set - or it will be when Gov. Mark Dayton affixes his signature to the last of the 10 omnibus tax and spending bills approved by 2013 Legislature before its regular session expired at 12 a.m. May ...

Minnesota suffers under DFL-controlled legislature

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:20:31 -0400

On so many fronts - taxes, spending, regulations and social policy - Minnesota took the largest leap leftward in a generation. Egged on by Gov. Mark Dayton, whose obsession with other people’s income seems limitless, the DFL-dominated Legislature actually wound up enacting a $2 billion deficit where none ...

Union desperation in Minnesota

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:20:29 -0400

Desperate times call for desperate measures, but the union movement has taken this saying to a new level. It has reacted to dwindling membership by unionizing recipients of public assistance. In more than a dozen states, unions now extract dues from government benefit checks. The latest example is Minnesota. The Legislature just passed a law unionizing day care providers at the behest of the ...

Ending sexual assault in the military

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:20:28 -0400

Members of the U.S. Naval Academy's class of 2013, sing the school song, during the Academy's graduation and commissioning ceremonies, Friday, May 24, 2013, in Annapolis, Md, where President Barack Obama spoke. Obama urged new graduates to exhibit honor and courage in tackling incidents of sexual assault as they assume leadership positions in the ...

Dont miss Minnesotas Food Truck Fair

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:20:27 -0400

Minnesota Food Truck Fair is coming up next month, as I see in the Star Tribune. I can get gassy at the chassis of such vehicles as the Gastrotruck, or order something called a Bangkok burrito at the World Street Kitchen ...

Disparities in breast cancer treatment Column

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:50:02 -0400

There is still a lot of work to be done in the fight against breast cancer, including making sure all women have the opportunity to make their own personal decisions about their medical ...

Slippery slope to accepting atheist Boy Scouts Column

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:50:02 -0400

The new "compromise" adopted by the BSA is an irrational and thus an unstable one. On Thursday, delegates to the national convention of the Boy Scouts of America adopted ...

Energy policy is national security issue Column

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:50:02 -0400

Energy self-sufficiency, which could be attainable in a decade or so, would mean that U.S. foreign policy couldn't be held hostage to energy ...

Herald Poll Boy Scouts vote to allow gay members

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:39:29 -0400

The Boy Scouts of America officially changed their policy this week -- allowing gay scouts to become members, while keeping a ban in place ...

Interstate 5 bridge collapse

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:32:29 -0400

A section of the Interstate 5 in Mount Vernon collapsed Thursday. Hovercrafts search the Skagit River for survivors below. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times) It seems obvious that, if we're going to keep our old, obsolete bridges and continue to repair them, we had better find a way for heavy rigs to be routed somewhere else and isolate and dedicate these bridges for cars only ["Stunning ...

President Obama restricts drone use

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:33:24 -0400

Conservatives are upset with President Obama's attempt to wind down the so-called war on terror ["President sets restrictions on drone policy," News, May 24]. They feel that no effort should be spared in keeping our country safe from terrorist attacks, even while acknowledging that nothing we can do will guarantee that it won't happen again. It's funny that they ...

Words Of Wisdom For The Graduating Class Of Moore Okla.

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:36:37 -0400

With a city still in shambles from a deadly tornado, high school students in Moore, Okla., are graduating Saturday. High school students in Moore, Okla., will graduate on schedule Saturday, 6 p.m. at the convention center. Even more than usual, high school graduates in Moore may feel that this is a week in which they have, as the phrase from Corinthians says it, "put away childish ...

Sole Survivor Iraq Rescue Mission Ended In Tragedy

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:36:37 -0400

In our latest installment of the StoryCorps Military Voices Initiative, we hear from Lance Cpl. Travis Williams. In 2005, while serving in Iraq, Williams and his 12-man squad came under attack. He was the only ...

IRS leaders had plenty of opportunities to come clean

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:46:08 -0400

The following editorial appeared in Friday's Washington Post:Why didn't Congress know earlier that the Internal Revenue Service had targeted conservative groups for special scrutiny? In days of hearings, lawmakers have tried to get a satisfactory answer from witnesses under oath. They haven't succeeded.According to a Treasury Department inspector general's report, Lois Lerner, ...

Letters My View irresponsible

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:44:16 -0400

Publishing information in your paper that seeks to attribute the MMR vaccine to autism is grossly irresponsible and destructive. The link stated by Cindy Pokezwinski in this piece is not based in scientific fact ("MMR vaccine caused my son's autism," May ...

Letters Fair Tax and the IRS

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:44:15 -0400

Recent news regarding the IRS targeting certain political groups and their members for harassment via tax-exempt applications and tax return audits provides further reason why we the people should vote to disband the ...

Can Obama walk the walk on terror policy

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:27:50 -0400

newly restrained vision of the way the nation fights terror is an important and necessary recalibration that acknowledges the long-term nature of the battle this country is fighting.We were glad to see the president articulate a narrowing of the use of unmanned drone attacks abroad, and that he remains open to the notion of a "drone court," which would provide oversight for drone ...

Special prosecutor for IRS

Sat, 25 May 2013 01:39:36 -0400

As the White House obfuscated and IRS officer Lois Lerner plead the Fifth, calls for a special prosecutor grew louder in the nation's capital this week. Not so fast, says Michigan Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, who is overseeing House Ways and Means Committee investigations into the ...

Our readers on the News

Sat, 25 May 2013 01:39:34 -0400

The Detroit News aims to provide a forum that fosters smart, civil discussions on the news and events that we cover. The News will not condone personal attacks, off topic posts or brutish language on our site. If you find a comment that you believe violates these standards, please click the "X" in the upper right corner of the post to report ...

George F. Will Obama takes a page from George Wallaces book

Sat, 25 May 2013 01:39:32 -0400

Early in an opinion issued recently by a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Judge A. Raymond Randolph says: "Although the parties have not raised it, one issue needs to be resolved before we turn to the merits of the case." The issue he raised but could not resolve — that is up to the Supreme Court — illuminates the ...

My view Fighting the ignoble reign of money

Sat, 25 May 2013 01:39:31 -0400

The older I get, the more I am convinced of the truth of the oft-repeated maxim suggesting money is at the heart of much ...

Giving up on terror

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:13:35 -0400

The FBI has now reportedly identified at least five suspects wanted in connection with the Benghazi terror attack. This is the way the Associated Press reported it, quoting unnamed U.S. officials:"The officials say they have enough evidence to justify seizing them by military force as suspected terrorists - but not enough proof to try them in a U.S. civilian court as the Obama administration ...

Little League has life lesson Keep running

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:13:32 -0400

So there I am coaching third base for my 9-year-old son’s Little League team. Man on second, one out. The batter hits a ground ball to third, and the fielder promptly boots it, so I send the runner in to home plate. He’s ahead of the ball - and then, suddenly, the kid stops running! He’s tagged out. We lose by one run.Now, I’m old school. I played baseball for 15 ...

Tide shifts against prez

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:13:30 -0400

Voters also reject the notion that the IRS targeting was the work of some low-level rogue employees. Just 20 percent believe that to be the case. A slightly larger number (26 percent) thinks the decision came from IRS headquarters. But 39 percent believe the decision to target conservative groups was made by someone who works at the White House.This isn’t just a case of people believing ...

Scouts the public square

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:29:54 -0400

The Boy Scouts’ decision to change their position on gay scouts may - or may not - buy them some peace with those who have been working overtime to drive them off the public square. But what will be the fate of those institutions that play equally vital roles in the civic life of our cities and communities but cannot change their practices because of what they believe to be religious law? ...

Week In Politics Obama And Drone Strikes

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:29:49 -0400

Copyright © 2013 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required. MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: As we mentioned, President Obama's commencement address comes the day after he delivered an hour-long speech on national security. The president talked about redefining the effort away from what he called a boundless global war on terror. Here to ...

A next-generation model for MinnesotaCare

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:17:39 -0400

The result of their ongoing hard work this year is a lesser-known but even more pioneering and compassionate Minnesota twist on federal health reform: a next-generation MinnesotaCare program that will roll out in January and begin to take advantage of newly available federal dollars to better cover the working ...

Keep drones in the air as long as terrorists target U.S.

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:09:32 -0400

The United States risks losing the advantage of surprise if individual drone strikes become entangled in slow-motion bureaucracy back home. We fear U.S. warriors shrinking from what in effect are battlefield decisions because they have one eye on Congress, or judges, or some other overseer who is not their commander in chief. We don’t want drone operators hoping their targeted terrorist ...

Readers Write Natural disasters North Korea transit IRS bridge collapse bad drivers state politics

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:09:30 -0400

A child stands in front of a house and vehicle that were destroyed by a massive tornado in Moore, Okla., May 24, 2013. Heading into Memorial Day weekend, cleanup continued and people were still sorting through their damaged and destroyed properties after Monday's Category 5 tornado tore through ...

Letter of the Day Zach Sobiech

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:09:28 -0400

Minnesota is known for musicians, such as Bob Dylan, Judy Garland and Prince. We can now add Zach Sobiech to that list (" 'Clouds' songwriter dies at 18," May 21). Sobiech passed all of the well-known musicians around the country and made it to the No. 1 spot on iTunes for downloads of his song "Clouds." How many people make their biggest contributions to the world ...

Guest Move ahead with environmental study on coal trains

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:59:09 -0400

The foot-dragging on studying environmental impacts of coal trains is holding up a major rural economic-development opportunity in Cowlitz County, writes guest columnist Mike ...

Editorial notebook Swinging to the rescue of Century Ballroom

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:55:12 -0400

Seattle Times editorial page intern Ana Sofia Knauf marvels at how the fans of the Century Ballroom rallied to pay the dance hall’s unexpected state tax ...

Oklahomans roll with the punches

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:55:12 -0400

Seeing Oklahomans discuss the tornado’s rampage in a straightforward manner, writes Froma Harrop, was far more moving than a sensational telling favored by the TV ...

Mr. Mayor youre a mess. And somewhat of a master.

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:02:46 -0400

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford reads a statement to the media at City Hall on Friday, May 24, 2013 in Toronto. Ford denied that he smokes crack cocaine and says he is not an addict after a video purported to show him using the drug. Ford did not say whether he has ever used the ...

Student loan rates must remain manageable

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:02:45 -0400

Earlier this month, I visited the University of Minnesota to hear from students about the impact of student debt. I heard stories like Kirsten’s. She recently graduated from Minneapolis Community and Technical College and plans to get a bachelor’s degree. But she already has $30,000 in student loans, making it difficult to pursue her goals. Student debt has nearly tripled over the ...

U.S. needs a federal media shield law

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:02:43 -0400

reintroduction of the 2009 Free Flow of Information Act , which would create a federal media shield law. The previous version was similar to state-level laws. According to an analysis by ...

My view Voting members perspective on the BSA policy change

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:53:52 -0400

I am just back in my hotel room reflecting on the envelope that was just opened by Wayne Perry, the National President of the Boy Scouts of America in a packed convention room in Texas. It’s one hour ...

Topic of the day President Obamas speech on defense

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:44:06 -0400

Yesterday, President Obama gave a long awaited speech at the National Defense University, chiefly addressing the concerns on the administrations use of drones. The big takeaway from his speech? It’s time to end the war on terror. Here is a collection of opinions from around the web about Obama's remarks. ';President Obama’s speech on Thursday was the most important ...