Opinion

Almost 5 million Americans got a job in the month of June, marking the second straight month of economic recovery after our nation’s economy was ravaged by the after-effects of the [corona]virus. Since the bottom of the temporary, but dramatic economic slowdown, almost 8.8 million Americans have gotten jobs (according to the U.S. Bureau of […]

A few weeks ago, The New York Times ran an article noting that with the U.S. preoccupied by the coronavirus pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests, and massive unemployment, “its competitors are moving to fill the vacuum, and quickly.”   Russia, China, North Korea, Iran… All are testing how far they can go, seeking to exploit our weaknesses

“It would be chaos and mayhem. It’s totally opposite everything he’s been saying. I don’t think it is plausible. I don’t think it is legal.”   Gov. Andrew Cuomo said these words in late March. The coronavirus was raging downstate, and President Trump was considering asking New Yorkers traveling to other states to quarantine upon arrival.

We are living in a time when the limits of American power are being severely tested. Our adversaries are watching closely. They see us withdrawing from our longstanding leadership role. Eager to fill the vacuum, they are looking for ways to gain leverage, to challenge our strengths, and exploit our weaknesses.  Our allies worry about

Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently wound down his daily COVID-19 briefings [the last regularly scheduled briefing was June 19]. At the end, he adopted a valedictory, mission-accomplished tone. He was thanking and congratulating staffers. He took to Twitter to proclaim that he has “the best team.” He thanked the media and anyone else who, in his

These are uncertain, divided times for our nation. Unemployment is at mind-boggling levels, a virus we still don’t fully understand is stifling the course of ordinary life, many businesses are struggling, nationwide protests continue against systemic and deep-seated racism, and local policy makers face rising questions about policing and public safety. It’s no surprise that this

No region of our state was spared from the economic devastation that followed the governor’s lockdowns and business closures in response to COVID-19. Family businesses that thrived for generations were suddenly on the brink. Hardworking people were forced to stay home. When they needed help from state government, too often they encountered a bureaucracy that

Discouraging news surrounds us. It’s hard to hide from. It’s in the newspapers, on television and radio, and on the internet. Our nation is divided, and our politics are polarized. We are torn apart by disagreements over immigration and by racial divisions. A pandemic has killed more than 100,000 Americans and hobbled the economy. Health

[The May] employment numbers (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.a.htm) confirm that we have turned the corner on the virus economic disaster. More people are working, more people are in the workforce, and America is reopening.  This is great news for the millions of Americans who fear that they may not have a job to return to. It is also

Over the last few years, the health of American democracy has come under great scrutiny. Polling routinely shows that Americans are concerned that democratic institutions aren’t working as well as they ought to be. Inevitably, this brings up the question of whether we can mend our problems or if the system of representative democracy itself