It wasn't enough to decimate the core of what was Al Qaeda in 2001. The landscape in certain hospitable countries like Yemen and Syria is now dotted with Al Qaeda offshoots and affiliates. And, for the last eight years, the home-grown variety has been particularly vexing. The Sunday morning talk shows were full of attempts to …
Continue reading Muslim community needs to be part of early warning system
"Our credibility in one place affects our credibility in another,” Secretary of State John Kerry told about 20 members of the Association of Opinion Journalists in a briefing Monday at the State Department. Syria's use of sarin gas “is a red line for the President,” but we’re “not talking about boots on the ground.” We …
Like Punxsutawney Phil emerging from his cave in Pennsylvania, squinting from the sunlight, folks in my hometown emerged from lock-down yesterday morning. On the surface, it was an ordinary weekend morning in spring, a stop at Peet's for coffee, the dry cleaners, drugstore, the usual. But of course nothing was really usual as we started picking up the …
It's hard not to be shaken to the core by the horrific attacks at today's marathon. The deaths, the mutilation, scores of injuries, and fear. The assault on what can only be described as an iconic (yes, I know the word is over-used) event, emblematic of the spirit of Boston. I have never lived more than …
Continue reading Marathon explosions tear at our hearts and community
Newark's charismatic mayor, Cory Booker, took the stage Sunday at Salem State University's Speaker Series. A man on the move politically (he's planning a run for retiring Frank Lautenberg's U.S. Senate seat in 2014), he's on the move physically. Using a hand-held mike and roaming the stage at the Lynn Auditorium, Booker held forth for close …
Political correctness run amuck: President Obama felt compelled to apologize to California Attorney General Kamela Harris for calling her "by far the best looking attorney general in the country." Frankly, the only person who might legitimately feel slighted is Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, a "good looking" woman in her own right. But those who …
Yesterday North Korea announced it's restarting its nuclear reactor so it can build its nuclear weapons arsenal. This follows North Korea's increasingly bellicose posturing over the last couple of months, including a nuclear bomb test in February. The United States and South Korea have been carrying out military exercises in the region. North Korea is …
The Red Sox and Yankees wore insigniae commemorating the Newtown massacre and observed a moment's silence. It was a virtually meaningless gesture. There's only one thing that will help. And that's to do at a national level a deal like that agreed on yesterday by Connecticut lawmakers. Although crime is generally down, in recent years, mass killings …
Continue reading In remembering Newtown, only one thing matters
Sometimes it's easy to categorize U.S. Senate candidates Ed Markey and Stephen Lynch. Congressman Markey is the unreconstructed liberal, right? His values on gun control, abortion, climate change, gay rights, and virtually everything else are unequivocally left of center. And Steve Lynch is the conservative in the race - especially when it comes to social …
Score Boston Mayor Tom Menino:1; Boston Globe:0 on the proposal to bring the Olympics to Boston in 2024. Opined an editorial, a chance to host the Olympics is "too rare to pass up without further consideration." Really? As the Mayor restated Thursday on WGBH's Greater Boston, the city has too many other, higher priority needs - …
