For the past few months, many of my colleagues have been college students from Southern Hemisphere countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand and Australia.  They are here on temporary visas working in the ski industry during their summer breaks.  And they are smart, industrious kids.

In light of China increasing its defense spending 7.5% this year, the Wall Street Journal conducted a poll entitled “Is China a military threat to the U.S.?”  As of this writing, 151 online visitors have answered the poll, with 61% answering “no,” China is not a military threat. 

In examining immigration policy, those interested in the topic are apt to first look to traditional, English speaking media covering the matter.  For Californians, this means reading the LA Times, The Daily News, The Sac Bee, The San Francisco Chronicle, etc.

In becoming preoccupied with English speaking outlets, the immigration issue from the “other perspective” gets shoved into a blind spot.  A disclaimer: This isn’t a call to put on the suit of multiculturalism or to adopt the “other perspective” as one’s own.

On March 2, Governor Schwarzenegger spoke in Palm Springs to highlight his jobs package and encourage taxpayers to support a new measure that would exempt from the yoke of the sales tax, companies which work to produce cleaner technology through such mediums as the windmill and biomass harvesting. The green measure is coupled with a number of loosely related initiatives seeking to increase job numbers and state revenues, including the potential $10,000 homebuyers’ tax credit.

There is no group of people that is used more for political purposes than our country’s troops and veterans.  This politicized behavior began shortly after the Bush Administration launched the Iraq War (taking its eye off Afghanistan) seven years ago this month and continued for the better part of the 2000s.  The Bush Administration sent hundreds of thousands of our nation’s men and women half-way across the world to topple the Iraqi government and then re-build that same nation.  Once the troops were on the ground, any attempts to have a serious discussion about the pur

According to a recent Fox News poll, 60% of voters believe military force will be necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.  51% of independents, 51% of Democrats, and 75% of Republicans think a military strike will be required to thwart Iranian development of a nuclear weapons program. 

The series of firestorms currently underway at California’s public colleges and universities appears not to have burnt itself out yet.

Borrowing a page from Mitt Romney, former Bush strategist and current Fox News analyst, Karl Rove, is claiming that history will look favorably upon President George W. Bush.  In his upcoming memoir, the conservative mastermind defends the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq and its handling of Hurricane Katrina, and even refers to Bush's achievements as "impressive, durable, and significant".

Is California making a great financial move, or is it short-selling in a panic trying to solve its budget crisis?  That’s the question that state-watchers should be asking about the so-called Golden State Portfolio now being offered by CB Richard Ellis realty.  The list includes some of the state’s iconic public buildings such as the Ronald Reagan Building in Los Angeles and the Civ

It's been a busy week for food policy on Capitol Hill. Committees have already been convened to discuss antibiotic abuse in the meat industry (commendable) and improving the nutrition of school lunches (intriguing). Today starts a series of lobbying days for Senate Bill 510. Already having won bipartisan support, this FDA power grab vows to make our food system more “safe” and “modern” (frightening).