In Depth

Ethics Rules and the Missing Factoid

By Justin Katz | December 6, 2004 | Comments Off on Ethics Rules and the Missing Factoid

Glen Peck of Barrington thinks that: House Republicans have done something truly appalling. They’ve knocked down a Republican House ethics rule that banned House members from holding leadership positions if they’ve been indicted on felony charges. They did it on behalf of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R.-Texas). … This is no mere act of…

Honoring the Land We Love

By Donald B. Hawthorne | December 3, 2004 |

With the election over, we once again turn our attention to the future. That includes preparing for a new group of government officials to take office. Therefore it seems timely to reflect on the principles of the American Founding, as we hope these principles will guide both our lawmakers and us. It is a common…

Science (and Religion) Beyond Evolution

By Justin Katz | December 3, 2004 |

I chuckled when I read Tom LeBlanc’s letter in the Projo (which Marc mentions in the previous post). The idea that the Theory of Evolution can accord with religious faith in God is only “groundbreaking” from the perspective of scientists. If the Judeo-Christian conception of God is more or less correct, then it must be…

Science and Religion

By Marc Comtois | December 3, 2004 |

Last week I noticed a story about a school district in Georgia placing a disclaimer on its high school biology books that stated that “Evolution is a theory, not a fact.” The local tie-in was that the author of the textbook, Kenneth Miller, is a Brown University professor. The ACLU and others have filed to…

An Obvious Plan?

By Justin Katz | December 2, 2004 | Comments Off on An Obvious Plan?

I only caught a few minutes of his radio show while I rushed around, but Dan Yorke seems to think it’s obvious that Jim Taricani tried to give Bevilacqua up in his “by chance” meeting with FBI agent Dennis Aiken… without actually giving him up. If that’s the case, I agree with Yorke that Taricani’s…

The Safety Net Industry

By Justin Katz | December 2, 2004 | Comments Off on The Safety Net Industry

It might surprise North Providence social worker Don Jackson and his ilk that I take seriously my duty to follow President Kennedy’s famous imploration and ask what I can do for my country, and for all of humanity. It might surprise the entire field of professional social workers to hear that I don’t believe myself…

Why Was Molly Little Searched?

By Carroll Andrew Morse | December 2, 2004 |

On Sunday, Bob Kerr wrote about Rhode Island native Molly Little’s experience with airport security. Here’s the one sentence summary: Kerr believes she was hassled at the airport because she is a “peace” activist (quotes are mine). Let me begin with the slight note of hypocrisy that Kerr ends with. Kerr writesIt might never be…

Freedom of the Press: To Whom Does it Extend?

By Marc Comtois | December 2, 2004 | Comments Off on Freedom of the Press: To Whom Does it Extend?

Eugene Volokh, a blogger himself, has a piece in today’s New York Times in which he mentions the Taricani case. However, of more importance is the larger question he seeks to address Because of the Internet, anyone can be a journalist. Some so-called Weblogs – Internet-based opinion columns published by ordinary people – have hundreds…

Shifting Objectives (?)

By Justin Katz | December 1, 2004 | Comments Off on Shifting Objectives (?)

Frankly, I just don’t know what to make of this: … special prosecutor Marc DeSisto says in court papers filed this morning that Bevilacqua never asked Taricani to keep his identity confidential and that the defense lawyer urged the reporter more than 2 1/2 years ago to tell DeSisto that he was his source. ……

The Spare-Time Revolution

By Justin Katz | December 1, 2004 | Comments Off on The Spare-Time Revolution

Sorry for the lack of new posts, folks. That’s one of the potential difficulties when one’s substantive efforts must be made during moments not spent supporting one’s family. We thank you for continuing to stop by, and we promise that the lapse is only temporary.