David Brooks

NPR’s standards editor & ombudsman minimize and/or ignore NPR ethics requirements regarding David Brooks

By Alison Weir | October 15, 2014 In recent weeks I’ve phoned and emailed the NPR ombudsman’s office several times about commentator David Brooks’ conflict of interest – Brooks’ son has been serving in the Israeli military while Brooks has been commenting on Israel without divulging that his son was in the Israeli army. Ombudsmen […]

Has Pointless Racism Driven The Republican Party Mad?

Last night, writing about the need to cope with China's role in Climate Change, Paul Krugman pointed out that "any attempt to make sense of current American politics must take into account this particular indicator of the Republican Party’s descent into madness." Krugman's analysis stands up across a dozen "issues," but it doesn't take into account the bitter and primitive racism and white outrage at the heart of the deranged and persistent drive to delegitimize the presidency of Barack Obama, a der

NSA, Israel, GVEs, Hasbara, and Gun Massacres in the USA and Beyond

Why would US leaders, lawmakers, intelligence and law enforcement agency administrators allow foreign intelligence and espionage agencies and their front companies unfettered, unexamined, long-term access to vast audiences of American children and young adults? And does not that question represent legitimate and vital concerns regarding privacy, public health, public safety, and national security?

Have House Republicanos Really Retreated Into A Cave Of Indifference And Ignorance?

Quinnipiac has a new poll out. It covered a lot of ground-- like Hillary Clinton's ability to beat NJ organized crime figure Chris Christie in 2016 if the tow of them run for president. I was more interested, though, in this: "American voters blame both parties for gridlock in Washington, but they say Republicans are more responsible for Congress' inability to get things done...