05 Dec
Culture, topics

The Case for Alan Gross

by Maddie Ulanow Alan Gross is a 60-year-old resident of Potomac, Maryland, a quiet Washington suburb with a thriving Jewish community. A father of two and local synagogue member, Gross is also a specialist in helping obtain satellite signals in remote locations. His background in rural technologies led to his hiring by Development Alternatives, Inc., a State Department contractor, and, in turn, to Cuba, with the goal of aiding the isolated Jewish community. That is, until it all fell apart. On December 3, 2009, Gross was stopped and detained at the Havana airport, and has remained in Cuban custody since. The charge? Espionage. In the two years since his imprisonment, he and his family have suffered tremendous hardship. His daughter has undergone a double mastectomy for breast cancer, and his 89-year-old mother has been diagnosed with terminal lung...

Continue reading

20 Oct
Latest

How Many Electoral Votes Should Israel Get?

Over at their website, The Economist is conducting a rather interesting experiment. For the US presidential election, they've mapped out an electoral college for the entire world. As they write in the explication: The Economist has redrawn the electoral map to give all 195 of the world's countries (including the United States) a say in the election's outcome. As in America, each country has been allocated a minimum of three electoral-college votes with extra votes allocated in proportion to population size. With over 6.5 billion people enfranchised, the result is a much larger electoral college of 9,875 votes. Obviously, their poll doesn't reflect the entire world's actual preference. But it's nonetheless a strong enough statement in recognition of globalization that Thomas Friedman probably wishes he thought of it. The map, you'll notice, is predominantly blue. In fact,...

Continue reading