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Climate change is happening, but what impact is it having right now, and what does that look like? It could be tornadoes ripping through the south, heat waves baking the west and floods along the Mississippi. Bill McKibben put his tongue firmly in his cheek recently, when he said, whatever you do, do NOT draw the connection between climate change and extreme weather.
But communities across the nation are not taking that advice. They’ve got plans in place to deal with a changing planet. They’re not waiting for any more signals or predictions or

Last week, the Supreme Court upheld Arizona’s “Legal Workers Arizona Act” (LAWA) enabling the state to revoke the business licenses of employers who hire undocumented workers. The ruling on the state’s version of an “employer sanction” law passed in 2007 (not to be confused with the state’s broader anti-immigrant SB 1070 passed last year and also headed for the high court) may backfire big time for the state.
In March, the Arizona state senate voted down five aggressively anti-immigrant bills (including an attack on birthright citizenship for children born in Arizona). A major reason was push back from the business

Timothy E. Wirth has been the president of the United Nations Foundation since its inception in 1998. Wirth began his political career as a White House Fellow under President Lyndon Johnson and was deputy assistant secretary for education in the Nixon Administration. He is a former

Philadelphia looms large in the American history. Independence Hall is where the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the U.S. Constitution drafted. It houses the Liberty Bell and Penn’s Landing – where William Penn arrived in

The biggest economic challenge to both the U.S. and global economy is strengthening growth. Both the quantity and quality of people are central to the rate of growth a country can achieve.
The real crisis facing Japan has nothing to do with earthquakes, tsunamis or nuclear meltdowns — but declining population. Japan has been in an economic funk for more than a decade, and a key reason is flat domestic consumer

It’s now up to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn to decide whether the state gets more casinos to help jumpstart the local economy. Quinn told reporters the bill, which passed the state Senate on Tuesday, was “excessive” and appeared poised to strike it down. “Casinos are routinely tapped as immediate solutions to budget woes,” said The Christian Science

Before he’d even graduated from college, Arthur Holst knew he was destined to work for a big organization. Not because the corporate culture called to him or because he had an undying love for cubicles, but because at age 19 he had a kidney transplant.
He had to work somewhere that offered good health benefits because that was the only way he was going to get the insurance he needed to survive. Starting his own company and running the risk of being denied insurance because of his health condition was not an option.
“You’re not thinking in terms of taking risks, you’re thinking in terms of the security the job offered through health insurance,” Arthur said.
Many years later, the Pennsylvanian is happy working for the city of Philadelphia, but he would have preferred to have the option of striking out on his own and starting a business — something he could have done if the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) program enacted under federal healthcare reform had been in

In my blog of things that influenced my film Beginners; very much inspired by Henry Rollins’ radically inclusive, eclectic and informative radio show on KCRW, I’ve been sharing the many different people/films/poems/cartoons/graphics/songs and more that helped me find my way on the long road to making a feature film. These people and art didn’t just influence me; they helped to keep me happy, or at least not depressed, as they became some sort of company on the many long dark nights that you go through when writing and directing.
As I began writing this story, which contains a partial portrait of my father and mother (I like the word “portrait” ’cause that implies how subjective it is — and “partial” because films are so, so much smaller than life) — it was very important to me to not fall into some inward-looking self-pity hole. Like many of my heroes (Ginsberg, Leonard Cohen, Fellini, Woody Allen from 1977-87, Cat Power, This American Life) I wanted to use some of my family’s concrete and specific history and events and feelings to create a story that would reach out to

Last week at the G-8 summit in France, Russia agreed to mediate a ceasefire between the warring factions in Libya. The Russian government, like most governments, has limited experience in mediating international conflicts. Thus, unless it appoints experienced, professional mediators onto its mediation team, its efforts are likely to be disappointing.
Interestingly, the Russian Parliament passed a statute effective at the beginning of this year that professionalizes mediation within Russia. The Model Program, which sets forth the training required of any mediator wishing to practice mediation in Russia, consists of three levels: basic, special, and “trainers training.” Mediators trained to the basic level can practice mediation, but not teach

I had the great honor to sit down with his Holiness Venerable Master Abbott Shi Yongxin on this historical day called the “1st Shaolin Summit” in Los Angeles.
The Abbot and the Shaolin Warrior Monks shared the supernatural powers of Shaolin Kung Fu, which is the combination of Chan Buddhism, martial arts and medicine. The design and arrangement of Shaolin Kung Fu movements are based on the medical knowledge of ancient China, through which it is believed that one may soar to their highest potential physically and spiritually. This system puts special emphasis on the combination of movement and stillness, which demonstrates the ancient Chinese belief in “the unity between heaven and man.”
Peter Shiao, CEO of Orb Media Group, executive producer and the presenter of the event, announced the founding of the “Northern American Shaolin Association.” He did a beautiful job presenting this extraordinary event. It sold out and there was a wonderful sense of harmony and excitement in the

Polls show that the American Majority is much more concerned about jobs than deficits. So why is DC talking only about deficits instead of jobs, when jobs are the medicine for deficits? And why is DC only talking about budget cuts as a path to fixing the deficits, when the deficits were caused by tax cuts and lack of jobs? In fact most of the “deficit cures” being discussed in DC don’t make the deficit better, they make deficits worse because they kill jobs.
Stimulus Ends And Job Growth Ends, Too
Now that the stimulus is running out, so is any sign of a jobs recovery. The stimulus stopped the economic freefall that was occurring under the prior administration, and restored at least some job growth. It worked, but it was not big

Americans remember the Bible story of King Solomon. Two women came to
him with a baby. They were disputing whose child it was. “Cut the child
in half,” the wise king

Finally, it seems, the economic burdens of America’s vast middle class may be catching up with the Street. The Dow lost 2.22 percent Wednesday; the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index was down 2.28 percent. Both marked their worst declines since August 11, 2010. The Nasdaq composite index fell 2.33 percent.
We’re coming full circle: The stock market is dropping because corporate earnings are

Although we are barely halfway through 2011, this year has delivered a harrowing display of natural disasters. From tsunamis to tornadoes, from earthquakes to erupting volcanoes, the fury of nature’s forces has left millions in a continuing state of shock and awe.
And to think that hurricane season hasn’t even started!
No matter how carefully mankind embarks on disaster planning (with redundancies upon redundancies), Mother Nature demonstrates a phenomenal talent for trashing the best laid plans of scientists and engineers. Two new dramatic ventures (one onstage and one onscreen) introduce audiences to chilling possibilities they have probably never considered.
Berkeley’s Shotgun Players continue to celebrate their 20th anniversary season with the world premiere of the second of their five commissioned

“With a $1.6 trillion deficit,” Sen. Bernie Sanders told Jon Stewart recently, “it is insane to think that the only way you’re going to move toward a balanced budget is by slashing college Pell grants, by cutting Medicaid, by converting Medicare into a voucher program, by cutting programs that working class and middle class people desperately need.”
The Senator on social security: “Social Security has a $2.6 trillion surplus. It could pay out every benefit owed for the next 26 years. It is not going

For the second day in a row, there is no power in the building which houses my employer, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (the CBPP website is still up, though). Apparently, a number of buildings in that part of town are out. PEPCO, our local utility, says we’ll be back on at noon today, but we’ll see.
OK, so let’s get this straight. We’ve got major infrastructure deficits in this country, including an electricity grid that’s demonstrably

Some recent posts have highlighted two very powerful, yet opposing forces in the human heart: in a traditional metaphor, we each have a wolf of love and a wolf of hate inside us, and it all depends on which one we feed every day.
On the one hand, as the most social and loving species on the planet, we have the wonderful ability and inclination to connect with others, be empathic, cooperate, care, and love. On the other hand, we also have the capacity and inclination to be fearfully aggressive toward any individual or group we regard as “them.” (In my book — “Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom” – I develop this idea further, including how to stimulate and strengthen the neural circuits of self-control, empathy, and compassion.)
To tame the wolf of hate, it’s important to get a handle on “ill will” — irritated, resentful, and angry feelings and intentions toward others. While it may seem justified in the moment, ill will harms you probably more than it harms others. In another metaphor, having ill will toward others is like throwing hot coals with bare hands: Both people get burned.
Avoiding ill will does not mean passivity, allowing yourself or others to be exploited, staying silent in the face of injustice,

Sunday, June 5 is World Environment Day (WED) — what better way to celebrate the environment than by planting a forest in this year’s host country, India?
When I was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment (UNEP) program at last year’s WED in Rwanda, I had the privilege of participating in the WED Legacy Initiative. For every activity registered, $10 was contributed to gorilla protection in the host country.
And the WED community came through, raising nearly $100,000.
This year, in conjunction with the UN International Year of Forests, I have challenged fellow Goodwill Ambassador Gisele Bundchen to see who can inspire the most environmentally friendly actions around the world. The winner will plant a new forest.
The WED Challenge will demonstrate the impact of a single action — every green thing you do has an exponential impact when combined with the actions of others. And it is my goal to get as many individuals and organizations as possible to choose an environmental activity or pledge an action, then register it on the WED Challenge website as a member of

The World Health Organization has studied the matter and come to the conclusion that yeah, maybe, it’s just possible that sticking a cellular telephone up your ear canal every day for eight or nine hours may do something to your brain. No duh.
We don’t need the WHO to tell us this. We know it already. As a nation, we have a strong suspicion about the things that may kill us, and we, the People, reserve the right to die of one thing or another if we want

Clearly, I am no doctor or expert but I do think I have come up with a way of looking at life that seems much friendlier and less prone to bouts of the blues. Rather than standing back to assess the big picture, see your time spent as a series of moments. And needless to say, focus on the good ones.
This may sound simplistic, but it has taken me an awful long time to figure it out. I am not speaking here of finding ways to cope with the normal trials and tribulations we all suffer, (deaths, illnesses, rejection) but about the tendency to gauge our up/down level too often and too

The news from the G8 meeting last weekend was that billions in Western aid dollars are about to flow intoEgyptandTunisiain hopes of supporting “democratic reform,” with the leaders comparing the so-called Arab Spring to thefall of the Berlin Wall.Several editorials suggested the G8 do all it can to support not just economic stabilization, but also, as theChristian Science Monitorput it, “the far more nimble forces of ‘civil society’ – the charities, business groups, women’s and youth advocates, legal advisers, health organizations, and democracy promoters who are outside government.”
The goal of handing out foreign aid to foster “civil society” always sounds noble and well-intentioned. But you’ll forgive someone like me for being skeptical about the results. I saw up close how those dollars were deployed in Central and Eastern Europe some 20 years ago, and wrote about it in my bookCollision and Collusion: The Strange Case of Western Aid toEastern Europe. Useful contacts and exchanges were sometimes

After a career spent directing theater, Christina Yao decided to try making a movie – and for her maiden effort, she chose a sweeping tale of late 19th-century China, complete with period costumes, horses, camels – and numerous rugged locations.
What was she thinking?
“I call it beginner’s ignorance,” says Yao over an Italian dinner before a recent screening of her film, Empire of Silver, which opens in New York Friday (6/3/11). “I knew it would be difficult – but not how difficult. I probably should have had two other movies under my belt before I did this one.”
A native of Taiwan who attended graduate school at Stanford University, Yao had worked for years in the San Francisco Bay Area as a director, where she was associated with American Conservatory Theater.
“I just thought it was time to try something new,” she

Psychologists tend to view issues from different perspectives, which is how I approached the recent Wall Street Journal article describing the rise of plastic surgery among men. On the positive side, this trend suggests that men may better understand the anti-aging pressures that women have faced for so many years. On the negative side, the closing of the ‘beauty gap’ means more men will be joining women as they slide down a potentially precarious — not to mention costly — slippery slope.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, a total of 1.1 million men underwent cosmetic procedures in 2010, representing a two percent increase over the previous year. Although this growth did not match the five percent increase found among women and still only represents nine percent of all cosmetic work done in the U.S., several particular procedures —

A cluster of tornadoes has hit the US state of Massachusetts, killing at least four people.

They left a trail of destruction across 24 towns, ripping off roofs, uprooting trees and scattering debris.

Worst hit was Springfield, the third largest city in the state, where 33 injuries were reported. A state of emergency has been declared and the National Guard has been called in.

Tornadoes are rare, but not unheard of, in the north-eastern US.

State Governor Deval Patrick said the path of damage from the first and most powerful tornado rampaged from Westfield, just west of Springfield, and extended east to the community of