As the world increasingly speaks out against China’s genocide of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, the quietest voices continue to belong to the leaders of Muslim-majority countries. Look no further than Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s interview this week with Axios’s Jonathan Swan. Swan asked why the premier, who often speaks out on Islamophobia in the…
Month: April 2022
The fight over European values is playing out at Euro 2020
When Germany and Hungary play each other in the Euro 2020 soccer tournament on Wednesday, the match will be viewed as much more than a game. It’ll serve as another front in the war for the future of a more accepting Europe. On one side stands Hungary, led by autocratic right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán,…
The incomplete education of American Jews
For decades, American Jewish institutions have made it a priority to teach kids about Israel. Learning about the Jewish state is a key part of the curricula and programming at schools, camps, and community organizations around the country, with Israel often depicted as a miraculous entity locked in righteous battle with irrational Arab foes. Given…
One of Canada’s top climate officials is trying to save the planet — by leaving government
In late June, Canada’s minister of infrastructure and former minister of environment and climate change, Catherine McKenna, raised eyebrows when she announced she’d be leaving politics to spend more time with her family — and work on ending the climate emergency. “This is a critical year for climate action in the most important decade that…
What happens if the Taliban wins in Afghanistan?
“Is the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan inevitable?” That’s the question a reporter put to President Joe Biden this week at a press conference on the US’s drawdown in Afghanistan. “No, it is not,” Biden said, noting that Afghan government troops greatly outnumber the Taliban and are “as well-equipped as any army in the world.” That…
What the assassination of Haiti’s president means for US foreign policy
The assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise has sent the country into shock and turmoil, sparking discussions in the international community on how to help bring stability. But Haiti’s long history of interventions by foreign powers can’t be ignored, nor can the fact that often, they have been made whether or not Haiti itself benefited….
How to go out and not spread coronavirus this summer
As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, many of us are feeling desperate to see friends and family in person, keep kids busy, and get the heck out of town. And it’s extremely tempting to shed our crusty quarantine skins of spring and seize a glorious, social summer. But should we? It can be difficult to…
My patient caught Covid-19 twice. So long to herd immunity hopes?
“Wait. I can catch Covid twice?” my 50-year-old patient asked in disbelief. It was the beginning of July, and he had just tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, for a second time — three months after a previous infection. While there’s still much we don’t understand about immunity to this new illness,…
Biden is ordering 200 million more Covid-19 vaccine doses
President Joe Biden on Tuesday will announce new efforts to boost Covid-19 vaccine supply and distribution — addressing what’s likely the biggest challenge his administration faces in its first few weeks. According to senior administration officials, Biden will announce three major actions. First, the administration will increase vaccine supply to states to at least 10…
Biden’s new Covid-19 vaccination goal won’t get the US to herd immunity before the fall
President Joe Biden on Monday raised his Covid-19 vaccination goal to 1.5 million shots a day, up from 100 million in his first 100 days (or 1 million a day), following criticism that the previous goal wasn’t ambitious enough. Even before Biden took office last Wednesday, his previous goal looked like a done deal —…