Opinions
Asia-Pacific region is at a crossroads – to further break down or break through to a greener, better, safer future
Since the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) was established in 1947, the Asia-Pacific region has made extraordinary progress, emerging as a pacesetter of global economic growth that has lifted millions out of poverty. Yet, as ESCAP celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, we find ourselves… Read
How mass shooters pervert a universal desire to make a difference in the world
Agonizing questions are being raised by the recent tragic shooting incident in Buffalo, New York, where 18-year-old Payton S. Gendron is alleged to have shot 10 people dead and wounded three. As in the recent years’ similar acts of horror at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, a Walmart in El Paso,… Read
U.S., Japan must boost deterrence as China learns lessons from Russia
We recently led the first congressional delegation to Japan since the pandemic began and met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and top officials, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other influential parliamentarians, and titans of Japanese industry. We see opportunities for President Biden to advance U.S. interests when he travels… Read
U.S. midterms and the strange demise of the political center
A giant Donald Trump mural on the front lawn. An anti-Biden rap video. A TV ad featuring an assault rifle and a vow to do "whatever it takes" to restore America to its "former glory." It isn't campaigning as Lincoln or Kennedy knew it, but it worked for midwestern underdog… Read
How media reports of 'clashes' mislead Americans about Israeli-Palestinian violence
Israeli police attacked mourners carrying the coffin of slain Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on May 13, beating pallbearers with batons and kicking them when they fell to the ground. Yet those who skimmed the headlines of initial reports from several U.S. media outlets may have been left with a… Read
Violent death in America stalks ordinary walks of daily life
In far-flung cities, deadly violence ripped apart the most typical of American spring weekends, driven by rage or madness, the bloodiest by suspected racial hate. The crime scenes represented a cross-section of ordinariness — a grocery store in upstate New York, a California church, a Texas flea market, the streets… Read
What can reverse late-night TV's decline?
In late April, after James Corden announced he would step down from “The Late Late Show” next spring, there was immediate speculation about his replacement. Others, however, have had a different response to recent changes to the late-night TV lineup: Who cares? Ratings are down, they point out. The shows… Read
Social media yanking shooting videos faster - if not by much
Social platforms have learned to remove violent videos of extremist shootings more quickly over the past few years. It's just not clear they're moving quickly enough. Police say that when a white gunman killed 10 people and wounded three others — most of them Black — in a “racially motivated… Read
U.S. awarded 2031 Rugby World Cup, if anyone cares
The United States has landed another World Cup. Before you start celebrating or making travel plans, a couple of caveats: It's still more than nine years away. And, uh, it's the Rugby World Cup. The sport that most Americans have only the vaguest of knowledge about - hey, doesn't it… Read
Wealthy nations carving up space and its riches
Satellites help run the internet and television and are central to the Global Positioning System. They enable modern weather forecasting, help scientists track environmental degradation and play a huge role in modern military technology. Nations that don’t have their own satellites providing these services rely on other countries. For those… Read
