http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/category/analysis analysis news from TucsonSentinel.com - Tucson's independent nonprofit online news en Copyright 2013 2013-06-19T00:00:07+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/061713_citizen_obligations/citizens-without-obligations/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/061713_citizen_obligations/citizens-without-obligations/ 00:59:00Z Mike Alberti If American corporations are, as the Supreme Court ruled in 2010, citizens entitled to free speech and other rights from the nation, what corresponding obligations to the nation do these corporations have? 2013-06-18T00:59:29+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/061613_latin_am_unification/latin-america-divided-we-stand/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/061613_latin_am_unification/latin-america-divided-we-stand/ 23:13:00Z Simeon Tegel United and integrated, the region would be a force to reckon with on the world stage. But does Latin America’s unification reality match up to the rhetoric? 2013-06-16T23:13:06+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/061313_pope_francis/pope-francis-urges-profound-global-economic-change/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/061313_pope_francis/pope-francis-urges-profound-global-economic-change/ 17:22:00Z Jason Berry In his candid speeches and sermons, the new pope “forges a moral vocabulary on economics” to remind church leaders — and followers — of their responsibility to the poor. 2013-06-13T17:22:02+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/061213_american_antihero/the-rise-american-antihero/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/061213_american_antihero/the-rise-american-antihero/ 17:15:00Z Jean MacKenzie Edward Snowden’s decision to come forward as the über-leaker behind the latest government abuse scandal has made him into a modern antihero. He and Bradley Manning are shattering traditional concepts of patriotism, loyalty, even legality. A TV series can’t be far behind. 2013-06-12T17:15:36+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/061113_factcheck_judges_obama/factcheck-obamas-judicial-juggling/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/061113_factcheck_judges_obama/factcheck-obamas-judicial-juggling/ 17:10:00Z Brooks Jackson President Obama incorrectly claims that the Senate has taken three times longer to confirm his court nominees than those of his predecessor, George W. Bush. The president made the claim recently as he announced that he would nominate three judges to fill vacancies on the federal Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. 2013-06-11T17:10:59+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/060913_nonprofits_politics/do-nonprofits-names-imply-political-activity/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/060913_nonprofits_politics/do-nonprofits-names-imply-political-activity/ 06:25:00Z Michael Beckel Trevor Potter — a Republican lawyer and president of the Campaign Legal Center, which advocates for stronger campaign finance regulations — says that the Internal Revenue Service is right to be on the lookout for organizations with a “significant amount of political activity.” 2013-06-10T06:25:09+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/060913_money_think_again/the-power-money-not-logic/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/060913_money_think_again/the-power-money-not-logic/ 06:07:00Z Eric Alterman When economic historians look back at the current moment, they will likely be shocked first and foremost by the following paradox: During an era when global and technological developments were pushing most nations toward greater economic inequality, the U.S. government did almost everything possible to accelerate these trends and further enrich its wealthiest citizens at the expense of everyone else. 2013-06-10T06:07:28+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/060913_fiscal_debate_op/time-hit-reset-button-fiscal-debate/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/060913_fiscal_debate_op/time-hit-reset-button-fiscal-debate/ 23:09:00Z Michael Linden The federal budget has dominated the policy and political debate in Washington over the past three years. During this time, both the underlying fiscal landscape and the broader economic context for the debate have shifted in very important ways, yet the debate has remained remarkably static. Most policymakers seem to be stuck in 2010, as if nothing has changed in the years since. 2013-06-09T23:09:00+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/060613_immig_factcheck/factcheck-immigration-bills-63-trillion-price-tag/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/060613_immig_factcheck/factcheck-immigration-bills-63-trillion-price-tag/ 16:09:00Z Robert Farley Critics of a bipartisan Senate bill to overhaul the nation’s immigration system falsely claim that it will cost an additional $6.3 trillion, citing a study by a conservative group that opposes the bill. However, the report is not an analysis of the bill, and it says the cost of keeping the status quo “could run into the trillions” – so the net cost would be substantially lower than $6.3 trillion. 2013-06-06T16:09:13+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/060313_comm_colleges_op/are-community-colleges-truly-preparing-future-american-workforce/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/060313_comm_colleges_op/are-community-colleges-truly-preparing-future-american-workforce/ 21:08:00Z Hetchinger Report We were very surprised at the findings of a new report showing that the instructors in many of our community colleges expect very little from their first-year students—and a large fraction of those entering these institutions cannot meet even those low standards. 2013-06-03T21:08:22+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/052913_faith_in_values/faith-values-sequestration-hurts-all-us-not-just-most-vulnerable/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/052913_faith_in_values/faith-values-sequestration-hurts-all-us-not-just-most-vulnerable/ 01:18:00Z Sally Steenland It’s Day 90 of sequestration—the across-the-board spending cuts that went into effect March 1, which the Obama administration predicted would be devastating and conservatives insisted wouldn’t be so bad. Three months in, it’s worth asking how harmful the phased-in cuts have been—although that depends on whom you ask. 2013-05-30T01:18:57+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/052713_background_factcheck/factchecking-flake-background-checks/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/052713_background_factcheck/factchecking-flake-background-checks/ 16:50:00Z Robert Farley An ad from Mayor’s Against Illegal Guns accuses Sen. Jeff Flake of breaking a promise to strengthen background checks because he voted against a bill that would have expanded background checks. But Flake did not promise to expand background checks, and he voted in favor of a bill that he argues (though others contest) would have strengthened the system. 2013-05-27T16:50:40+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/052413_irs_facts/six-facts-lost-irs-scandal/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/052413_irs_facts/six-facts-lost-irs-scandal/ 19:24:00Z Kim Barker In the furious fallout from the revelation that the IRS flagged applications from conservative nonprofits for extra review because of their political activity, some points about the big picture — and big donors — have fallen through the cracks. Consider this our Top 6 list of need-to-know facts on social welfare nonprofits, also known as dark money groups because they don’t have to disclose their donors. 2013-05-24T19:24:42+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/052113_irs_propublica/sound-fury-and-irs-mess/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/052113_irs_propublica/sound-fury-and-irs-mess/ 19:11:00Z Richard Tofel ProPublica’s job is to report the news rather than to make news ourselves, but sometimes we find an article of ours to be itself a subject of public debate. Last week was such a time, when two articles we had published back in December and January became the subject of significant attention in light of the uproar over IRS oversight of the process for granting tax exemption to so-called “social welfare” groups. 2013-05-21T19:11:15+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/052113_irs_denials/irs-rarely-denies-social-welfare-applications/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/052113_irs_denials/irs-rarely-denies-social-welfare-applications/ 19:01:00Z Michael Beckel During its past four fiscal years, the Internal Revenue Service has formally denied the applications of just 60 organizations seeking recognition under Section 501(c)(4) of the U.S. tax code as “social welfare” groups. In the same period, the agency processed 8,214 applications and approved 6,837 of them. 2013-05-21T19:01:26+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/051913_syrian_opposition/the-structure-and-organization-syrian-opposition/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/051913_syrian_opposition/the-structure-and-organization-syrian-opposition/ 01:26:00Z Ken Sofer As President Barack Obama and his national security advisors continue to weigh the costs and benefits of providing greater financial and materiel support for elements of the Syrian opposition—potentially including lethal aid—it is important to understand the structure of the Syrian opposition, which remains plagued by many divisions. 2013-05-20T01:26:34+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/051613_catholic_saints/why-catholic-saints-are-marching-into-latin-america/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/051613_catholic_saints/why-catholic-saints-are-marching-into-latin-america/ 01:18:00Z Dudley Althaus Latin America’s Catholics multiplied in past centuries. Now their numbers are shrinking. The new Argentine pope canonizing two Latina nuns sends a calling to the region. 2013-05-17T01:18:58+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/051313_obama_drugs/is-obama-delivering-promise-21st-century-drug-policy/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/051313_obama_drugs/is-obama-delivering-promise-21st-century-drug-policy/ 19:51:00Z Christie Thompson Many public health experts say the administration deserves credit for increasing access to drug treatment. But others say despite an increase in funding for rehab, the administration has continued to push programs and policies built to punish drug users. As the administration lays out its latest plan on a new approach to drugs, here’s look at what’s in it, and what they’ve done so far. 2013-05-13T19:51:43+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/051313_9-11-visas/factcheck-9-11-hijackers-and-student-visas/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/051313_9-11-visas/factcheck-9-11-hijackers-and-student-visas/ 19:45:00Z Robert Farley Lawmakers on both sides of the immigration debate have falsely claimed that “some” or “all” of the 9/11 hijackers were in the U.S. on student visas. Only one of the 19 hijackers came to the U.S. on a student visa. The rest arrived here on tourist or business visas. 2013-05-13T19:45:23+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/051013_mex_mothers/mexicos-mamas-dont-want-let-babies-grow-up-gangsters/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/051013_mex_mothers/mexicos-mamas-dont-want-let-babies-grow-up-gangsters/ 20:30:00Z Dudley Althaus Friday marks arguably the most important day on a Mexican calendar, celebrated countrywide with patriotic parades, patron saint parties and local lark. Mexico’s Mother’s Day honors the touchstones of a nation in which family matters above all. So why are so many moms protesting? 2013-05-10T20:30:55+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/050213_immig_zuckerberg/zuckerberg-backed-group-spins-immigration/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/050213_immig_zuckerberg/zuckerberg-backed-group-spins-immigration/ 17:01:00Z Lori Robertson A group with ties to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hijacks the credibility of news organizations in a misleading ad that supports a bipartisan immigration overhaul bill. The ad, featuring Sen. Marco Rubio, attributes several quotes to media outlets, but the quotes come from opinion pieces written by backers of the immigration bill. 2013-05-02T17:01:14+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/050113_obama_mex/obamas-mexico-trip-what-they-probably-wont-say-but-should/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/050113_obama_mex/obamas-mexico-trip-what-they-probably-wont-say-but-should/ 15:35:00Z Dudley Althaus Analysis: Obama and Mexico’s Peña Nieto will play up the positives this week in Mexico. But what about the countries’ glaring drug war failures? 2013-05-01T15:35:18+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/042913_mex_teachers/mexicos-president-meets-his-match-teachers/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/042913_mex_teachers/mexicos-president-meets-his-match-teachers/ 19:13:00Z Dudley Althaus Analysis: Teachers’ unrest and new cracks in the uneasy alliance supporting the government’s reforms agenda mean hard days ahead for Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. 2013-04-29T19:13:10+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/042313_boston_fallout/the-boston-bombings-north-caucasus-us-russian-relations/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/042313_boston_fallout/the-boston-bombings-north-caucasus-us-russian-relations/ 00:06:00Z Corey Welt In the days following the dramatic manhunt in Boston for surviving terrorism suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, questions have multiplied regarding the significance of the Tsarnaev brothers’ Chechen roots. Thus far, it isn’t clear whether this connection played any role in their fatal attack on the city last week, but it will likely continue to be investigated in the weeks to come. 2013-04-24T00:06:21+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/041613_budget_factcheck/factcheck-spinning-obamas-budget/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/041613_budget_factcheck/factcheck-spinning-obamas-budget/ 22:41:00Z Robert Farley Both parties are putting political spin on the deficit reduction contained in President Obama’s $3.78 trillion budget plan. 2013-04-16T22:41:10+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/041613_prison_reform/prison-reform-time-retire-elderly-inmates-via-early-release/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/041613_prison_reform/prison-reform-time-retire-elderly-inmates-via-early-release/ 17:12:00Z Bill Hart Prison reform has never seemed very high on Arizona’s “to do” list, even though we’re spending $1 billlon annually for a “corrections” system that sees half of its released inmates return within six years. But saving money is always popular. So what if there were a way to reduce the state prison population at minimal threat to public safety? 2013-04-16T17:12:09+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/041213_guns_congress_op/background-check-bill-signals-new-era-congress/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/041213_guns_congress_op/background-check-bill-signals-new-era-congress/ 18:11:00Z Jimmy Zuma The United States Senate is now poised to debate a background check bill. The real story of Thursday’s demolition of a filibuster threat by Republican senators is that the NRA no longer has unchallenged veto power in Congress. That’s a big deal. 2013-04-12T18:11:08+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/041113_immig_states/immigration-changing-political-landscape-key-states/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/041113_immig_states/immigration-changing-political-landscape-key-states/ 18:19:00Z Philip E. Wolgin In the wake of the overwhelming Latino and Asian American support for President Obama in the 2012 election—support that was critical to his re-election—the political winds on immigration have shifted significantly to favor reform with a pathway to citizenship for the approximately 11 million undocumented living in our country. 2013-04-11T18:19:15+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/040813_thatcher_legacy/thatchers-death-prompts-sharply-divided-opinion-over-legacy/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/040813_thatcher_legacy/thatchers-death-prompts-sharply-divided-opinion-over-legacy/ 00:59:00Z Corinne Purtill Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister and one of the 20th century’s most prominent political figures, died of a stroke in London on Wednesday. Her death prompted tributes from around the world for the first elected female leader of a major Western country, and reignited debate over the contentious legacy of her unflinchingly conservative policies. 2013-04-09T00:59:47+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/040513_north_korea/north-korea-there-reason-hope/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/040513_north_korea/north-korea-there-reason-hope/ 00:20:00Z Bradley K. Martin Externally, it’s clear enough that Kim Jong Un intends this season’s extreme saber-rattling performance to establish North Korea as a recognized nuclear weapons and long-range missiles power, not to be messed with. Internally, it’s equally clear he wants his subjects to see him not as a 30-year-old kid who’s inheriting power from his dead daddy but as a clever and fearless general able to save them from the machinations of ferocious enemies. 2013-04-06T00:20:58+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/040413_ap_drops_illegal_immigrant/the-ap-drops-illegal-immigrant-why-it-matters/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/040413_ap_drops_illegal_immigrant/the-ap-drops-illegal-immigrant-why-it-matters/ 17:08:00Z Alex Leff The Associated Press has nixed “illegal immigrant” from its stylebook. It now dictates to stop using “illegal” when describing a person. “Instead, it tells users that ‘illegal’ should describe only an action, such as living in or immigrating to a country illegally,” says Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll’s statement explaining the move. 2013-04-04T17:08:52+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/040313_potter_insurance/potter-industry-pushes-high-deductible-insurance-plans/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/040313_potter_insurance/potter-industry-pushes-high-deductible-insurance-plans/ 21:11:00Z Wendell Potter Those accustomed to obtaining health insurance through the workplace and choosing among different types of policies may be in for a rude surprise. 2013-04-03T21:11:33+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/040213_road_to_emmaus/how-christian-exodus-from-middle-east-undermines-arab-awakening/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/040213_road_to_emmaus/how-christian-exodus-from-middle-east-undermines-arab-awakening/ 22:45:00Z Charles M. Sennott Why anyone who cares about tolerance and peace in today’s Middle East should care about the diminishing Christian presence in the land where the faith began. 2013-04-02T22:45:27+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/040213_iraq_think_again/acknowledging-mistakes-iraq-would-prevent-repeat/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/040213_iraq_think_again/acknowledging-mistakes-iraq-would-prevent-repeat/ 16:20:00Z Eric Alterman For better or worse, the Vietnam War proved itself to be a learning experience for Americans. In many respects, President George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq was an even greater catastrophe — one that is even less morally and intellectually defensible. And yet, as a nation, we appear to have learned virtually nothing this time around. 2013-04-02T16:20:55+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/033113_road_to_emmaus/the-road-emmaus-dwindling-christian-communities-middle-east/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/033113_road_to_emmaus/the-road-emmaus-dwindling-christian-communities-middle-east/ 23:35:00Z Charles M. Sennott On the ancient cobblestones of Jerusalem’s Old City today Christians retraced what tradition holds as the path of Jesus in his final hours of life. 2013-03-31T23:35:29+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032813_public_and_guns/what-public-really-thinks-guns/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032813_public_and_guns/what-public-really-thinks-guns/ 17:07:00Z Center for American Progress For years the conventional wisdom has said that “gun control” is a deeply polarizing and divisive issue and that support for stronger gun laws has been declining. In the wake of the December shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, however, a wealth of new data challenges this conventional wisdom. 2013-03-28T17:07:16+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032613_mayoral_school_control/top-5-things-know-mayoral-control-schools/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032613_mayoral_school_control/top-5-things-know-mayoral-control-schools/ 01:09:00Z Juliana Herman Switching to a mayor-led school system can provide a huge boost in student achievement, and cities across the country are experimenting with this new method of district control. 2013-03-27T01:09:40+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032613_immigration_reform/welcoming-newcomer-faith-groups-rally-religious-immigration-reform/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032613_immigration_reform/welcoming-newcomer-faith-groups-rally-religious-immigration-reform/ 01:01:00Z Jack Jenkins Advocacy around immigration reform continues to gain momentum, with bipartisan groups in Congress and President Barack Obama pushing to fix our nation’s immigration system and provide a road map to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in our country. 2013-03-27T01:01:39+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/032613_scotus_prop8_rulings/gay-marriage-supreme-courts-possible-rulings/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/032613_scotus_prop8_rulings/gay-marriage-supreme-courts-possible-rulings/ 19:05:00Z Kristen Deasy Leave it to San Francisco to advance what’s likely to be one of the most contentious cases facing the Supreme Court in decades, with California’s Proposition 8 heading to the nation’s top court on Tuesday carrying activists’ magic question: are gay marriage bans unconstitutional? Yes or no? (with hearing audio) 2013-03-26T19:05:38+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032613_prop8_scotus/justices-want-prop-8-go-away/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032613_prop8_scotus/justices-want-prop-8-go-away/#When: 11:49:000 Ian Millhiser Updated: There are probably five justices who object to California’s anti-gay Proposition 8 and who would prefer to see it struck down. Justice Kennedy, the conservative viewed as most likely to provide the fifth vote for equality, openly pondered whether Prop 8 violates the Constitution’s ban on gender discrimination. (with full audio) 2013-03-26T11:49:13+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032613_gullible_think_again/are-journalists-any-less-gullible-than-they-were-10-years-ago/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032613_gullible_think_again/are-journalists-any-less-gullible-than-they-were-10-years-ago/ 15:42:00Z Eric Alterman Instead of being a government watchdog and fact checking all the assertions politicians feed them, journalists have become prone to the lapdog tendencies of repeating what those in power say without questioning whether it’s true. 2013-03-26T15:42:56+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032513_factcheck_bgchecks/factcheck-guns-acquired-without-background-checks/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/032513_factcheck_bgchecks/factcheck-guns-acquired-without-background-checks/ 16:34:00Z D'Angelo Gore The Line: 40 percent of guns are purchased without a background check. The Party: Democratic gun-control advocates. How solid is that figure? 2013-03-25T16:34:15+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032313_gun_lobby_op/blindfolded-with-one-hand-tied-behind-back/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032313_gun_lobby_op/blindfolded-with-one-hand-tied-behind-back/ 21:09:00Z Winnie Stachelberg How the gun lobby has debilitated federal action on firearms and what President Obama can do about it. 2013-03-23T21:09:22+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032313_phx_gammage_op/gammage-phoenix-doomed-to-easy-target-doomsayers/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032313_phx_gammage_op/gammage-phoenix-doomed-to-easy-target-doomsayers/ 20:45:00Z Grady Gammage Jr. It comes as no surprise to those of us who live here in the Valley of the Sun that it’s hot and that it is likely to get hotter. In Phoenix, more than any other American city I know, we debate our future constantly. Maybe that’s because we fully realize that Phoenix is built in a place with geographical challenges. 2013-03-23T20:45:17+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/031813_premiums_potter_op/health-reform-will-help-level-premium-costs/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/031813_premiums_potter_op/health-reform-will-help-level-premium-costs/ 17:37:00Z Wendell Potter I know firsthand that insurers are eager to avoid the expense of providing coverage for people who, because of their age and health status, might need costly medical care. The industry is running a massive PR campaign to try to get Congress to change Obamacare so that states can decide how much insurers can charge people based on age. 2013-03-18T17:37:01+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031813_pope_dirty_war/two-discordant-dirty-war-narratives-pope-francis/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031813_pope_dirty_war/two-discordant-dirty-war-narratives-pope-francis/ 17:22:00Z Jason Berry The news from Argentina on what Pope Francis did, or didn’t do during the years of the dirty war has shadowed the early days of his papacy, prompting the Vatican to denounce reporting to that effect. Could it be, on this one, that the Vatican may be right? 2013-03-18T17:22:39+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/031513_war_on_drugs/war-drugs-what-it-good-for/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/031513_war_on_drugs/war-drugs-what-it-good-for/ 19:20:00Z David Case It’s not just Colorado and Washington: The world is abandoning the U.S.-backed drug war in favor of a more liberal approach to cannabis. Four decades after President Nixon declared war on drugs, nearly everyone agrees it’s time for a truce. 2013-03-15T19:20:48+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031513_assault_weapons/did-1994-assault-weapons-ban-work/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031513_assault_weapons/did-1994-assault-weapons-ban-work/ 19:01:00Z Robert Farley Both sides in the gun debate are misusing academic reports on the impact of the 1994 assault weapons ban, cherry-picking portions out of context to suit their arguments. 2013-03-15T19:01:53+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/031413_pope_op/first-latin-american-pope-speaks-softly-carries-allegedly-dark-past/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/031413_pope_op/first-latin-american-pope-speaks-softly-carries-allegedly-dark-past/ 23:41:00Z John Otis The 266th pope, and the first ever from Latin America, has one lung, rides the subway, reads Dostoevsky and has been described as both a moral compass and a sellout to Argentina’s former Dirty War leaders. 2013-03-14T23:41:06+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031413_ryan_debt_factcheck/factcheck-charting-ryans-debt-exaggeration/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031413_ryan_debt_factcheck/factcheck-charting-ryans-debt-exaggeration/ 23:15:00Z Eugene Kiely Rep. Paul Ryan exaggerates future growth of the federal debt in a chart contained in his newly released budget plan. The chart relies on Congressional Budget Office projections from last year that do not account for actions taken since then to reduce federal deficits by nearly $2 trillion over 10 years. 2013-03-14T23:15:09+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031213_global_church/for-new-pope-issues-global-church/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031213_global_church/for-new-pope-issues-global-church/ 00:56:00Z Jason Berry The reality of the global church is much larger than concerns bearing down on Princes of the Church, or social forces driving polarization of the church in Western countries, such as the priest shortage, celibacy, women’s ordination and gay rights. 2013-03-13T00:56:27+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031213_guns_qna/qa-after-sandy-hook-people-simply-cannot-walk-away/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/031213_guns_qna/qa-after-sandy-hook-people-simply-cannot-walk-away/ 20:31:00Z Lilly Fowler An interview with an expert on gun violence, who’s backing the push for universal background checks. 2013-03-12T20:31:26+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/031213_staying_afghanistan/afghanistan-should-we-stay-or-should-we-go/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/031213_staying_afghanistan/afghanistan-should-we-stay-or-should-we-go/ 17:24:00Z Jean MacKenzie Analysis: As Karzai insinuates Washington-Taliban collusion, fault lines deepen in an already troubled relationship. 2013-03-12T17:24:18+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/030713_ignorance_thinkagain/the-terrible-power-purposeful-ignorance/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/030713_ignorance_thinkagain/the-terrible-power-purposeful-ignorance/ 21:51:00Z Eric Alterman It is true that knowledge is power. But getting American politicians to act upon that knowledge—or even convincing top pundits and reporters to pay attention to it—well, that’s another matter entirely. Just ask the millions of families of those killed, wounded, or displaced by the pointless and counterproductive American invasion of Iraq on its 10th birthday. 2013-03-07T21:51:13+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/030413_obama_appts/under-obama-appointments-go-unfilled/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/030413_obama_appts/under-obama-appointments-go-unfilled/ 17:15:00Z Theodoric Meyer The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services haven’t had a Senate-confirmed administrator since 2006. The Federal Labor Relations Authority has had only a single member since January and can’t issue decisions. And the Election Assistance Commission hasn’t had any commissioners at all since 2011. 2013-03-04T17:15:21+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/030413_sequester_blame/factcheck-sequester-blame-game/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/030413_sequester_blame/factcheck-sequester-blame-game/ 17:08:00Z Eugene Kiely President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner emerged from their White House meeting on sequestration blaming each other for the automatic spending cuts and misrepresenting the other side’s position: 2013-03-04T17:08:50+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/022813_hagel_op/hagel-sworn-in-now-hard-part-begins/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/022813_hagel_op/hagel-sworn-in-now-hard-part-begins/ 15:48:00Z Jean MacKenzie Analysis: Chuck Hagel is now secretary of defense, but with a world of trouble awaiting him, he may wonder whether he really wants the job. 2013-02-28T15:48:14+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/022613_factcheck_video_games/factcheck-paying-people-play-video-games/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/022613_factcheck_video_games/factcheck-paying-people-play-video-games/ 18:17:00Z Robert Farley House Speaker John Boehner tweets that the Obama administration is spending $1.2 million “paying people to play video games.” That’s misleading. The government did pay $1.2 million for university research that includes the study of how video games can stimulate the cognitive abilities of seniors. 2013-02-26T18:17:59+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/022513_voting_rights_op/5-reasons-section-5-voting-rights-act-enhances-democracy/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/022513_voting_rights_op/5-reasons-section-5-voting-rights-act-enhances-democracy/ 18:16:00Z Sandhya Bathija On Feb. 27 the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case Shelby County v. Holder, a challenge to the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This landmark law outlawed discriminatory voting practices by ending the disfranchisement of minority voters and preventing vote dilution through racial gerrymandering. 2013-02-25T18:16:32+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/022113_gun_safety/gun-road-safety-veer-different-directions/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/022113_gun_safety/gun-road-safety-veer-different-directions/ 17:39:00Z Ben Kelley Vehicle crashes have long been the leading cause of violent death in America, but that dubious distinction may soon belong to gunshot deaths. 2013-02-21T17:39:54+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/021813_media_think_again/mainstream-media-gobbling-up-conservative-crazies/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/021813_media_think_again/mainstream-media-gobbling-up-conservative-crazies/ 17:27:00Z Eric Alterman The sad truth is that this nonsense is introduced into the media ecosystem by right-wing reality-denying sources, and it almost always makes its way into the mainstream media—often going unchallenged. 2013-02-18T17:27:11+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/021613_nuclear_north_korea/how-do-you-solve-problem-like-north-korea/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/021613_nuclear_north_korea/how-do-you-solve-problem-like-north-korea/ 01:34:00Z David Case Five questions with MIT professor Jim Walsh on what North Korea’s nuclear detonation means for China, the US and global security. 2013-02-17T01:34:23+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/021213_pope_retire_op/benedict-pope-ironies-steps-down/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/021213_pope_retire_op/benedict-pope-ironies-steps-down/ 17:39:00Z Jason Berry Analysis: Neither peacemaker nor reformer, Pope Benedict hands along a church in crisis. 2013-02-12T17:39:34+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/021113_atf_crippled/atf-crippled-by-weak-laws-paltry-budgets/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/021113_atf_crippled/atf-crippled-by-weak-laws-paltry-budgets/ 17:21:00Z Alan Berlow The massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary has placed gun violence squarely at the front of the national agenda. But conspicuously absent is much of anything that might address the stunning and widespread weaknesses that have for years crippled the federal agency responsible for enforcing the nation’s gun laws — the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 2013-02-11T17:21:01+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/021013_makers_not_takers/immigrants-are-makers-not-takers/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/021013_makers_not_takers/immigrants-are-makers-not-takers/ 19:15:00Z Marshall Fitz Mainstream economists have thoroughly debunked the general stereotype of immigrants as takers, finding that immigrants are a net positive for the economy and pay more into the system than they take out. 2013-02-10T19:15:43+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/020613_obama_gun_control/factcheck-did-obama-flip-flop-gun-control/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/020613_obama_gun_control/factcheck-did-obama-flip-flop-gun-control/ 18:00:00Z Robert Farley The NRA’s Wayne LaPierre incorrectly claimed Obama pulled a bait-and-switch, promising during the campaign not to take away anyone’s guns, but now supporting an assault weapons ban. Obama is not now seeking to take away anyone’s existing guns, and he has for years consistently supported a reinstatement of the assault weapons ban. 2013-02-06T18:00:58+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/013013_immigration_reform1/immigration-reform-here-we-go-again-latin-americans-say/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/013013_immigration_reform1/immigration-reform-here-we-go-again-latin-americans-say/ 03:48:00Z Dudley Althaus Excitement, or anxiety, is rising fast in the United States — depending on which side of the immigration debate you take the pulse. 2013-01-31T03:48:52+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/013013_immigration_reform/top-10-reasons-why-its-time-immigration-reform/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/013013_immigration_reform/top-10-reasons-why-its-time-immigration-reform/ 00:25:00Z Philip E. Wolgin The president, Democrats and Republicans in Congress, and the American people are all pushing for comprehensive immigration reform. Now is the time to pass it. 2013-01-31T00:25:19+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/012113_obama_inauguration_speech/obama-we-are-made-this-moment-and-we-will-seize-it/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/012113_obama_inauguration_speech/obama-we-are-made-this-moment-and-we-will-seize-it/ 17:40:00Z Dylan Smith Complete text: Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. (with video) 2013-01-21T17:40:34+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/012113_mlk_dream/mlk-i-have-dream/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/012113_mlk_dream/mlk-i-have-dream/ 17:16:00Z Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. (with video) 2013-01-21T17:16:26+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/012013_abortion_faith/roe-v-wade-and-religion/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/012013_abortion_faith/roe-v-wade-and-religion/ 18:19:00Z Sally Steenland As we approach the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade on Tuesday, it may be surprising for some to find out that in the years before the Supreme Court legalized abortion in its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, clergy were among the staunchest supporters of women seeking an abortion. 2013-01-20T18:19:34+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/011413_gun_control_op/preventing-gun-violence-our-nation/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/011413_gun_control_op/preventing-gun-violence-our-nation/ 17:38:00Z Neera Tanden After last month’s senseless shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut—in which 20 children and 6 adults were shot and killed—we need to immediately address the gaps in our current law that enable mass shootings, as well as the everyday shootings that on average claim the lives of 33 Americans each day. 2013-01-14T17:38:17+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/011313_tea_party_think_again/more-tea-party-fiction/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/011313_tea_party_think_again/more-tea-party-fiction/ 20:22:00Z Eric Alterman The number of Americans who call themselves members of the Tea Party is down to just 8 percent, a decline that’s is entirely predictable in hindsight, considering just how much nonsense one had to believe in order to take seriously the absurdities that Tea Party leaders spouted. 2013-01-13T20:22:30+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/011313_churches_guns_op/faith-communities-step-up-efforts-against-gun-violence/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/011313_churches_guns_op/faith-communities-step-up-efforts-against-gun-violence/ 20:19:00Z Sally Steenland Two days after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the Very Rev. Gary Hall climbed into the stone pulpit at Washington, D.C.’s National Cathedral and delivered a fierce sermon that grabbed headlines across the country. 2013-01-13T20:19:55+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010913_zero_dark_thirty/zero-dark-thirty-right-torture-useless-finding-bin-laden/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010913_zero_dark_thirty/zero-dark-thirty-right-torture-useless-finding-bin-laden/ 04:19:00Z Ken Sofer As “Zero Dark Thirty” rightly implies, the systematic use of enhanced interrogation techniques came at a steep moral cost while producing little to no valuable information in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. 2013-01-10T04:19:01+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010913_clean_energy/obamas-clean-energy-progress/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010913_clean_energy/obamas-clean-energy-progress/ 18:13:00Z Daniel J. Weiss Despite congressional failure to pass essential legislation to reduce carbon pollution and establish a renewable electricity standard, during its first term the Obama administration successfully adopted policies to protect public health from air pollution, lower oil consumption, and create jobs. 2013-01-09T18:13:58+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010813_health_ins_language/potter-finally-plain-english-from-health-insurance-companies/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010813_health_ins_language/potter-finally-plain-english-from-health-insurance-companies/ 01:05:00Z Wendell Potter You probably missed it because of the media’s focus on the fiscal cliff, but a provision of ObamaCare took effect on January 1 that can help you avoid making costly mistakes when you sign up for health insurance. At the very least you’ll be able to understand what you’re actually signing up for. 2013-01-09T01:05:57+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010413_center_quizzes/the-new-center-shifting-political-consensus/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010413_center_quizzes/the-new-center-shifting-political-consensus/ 20:31:00Z Jon Talton What do the questions on political quizzes say about our public consensus? It’s fascinating and frightening what topics aren’t raised: The far left is dead, while the far right is very alive, carries influence far beyond its numbers and is growing more extreme. 2013-01-04T20:31:12+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010413_immig_infographic/setting-record-straight-immigration-and-border-enforcement/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010413_immig_infographic/setting-record-straight-immigration-and-border-enforcement/ 19:03:00Z Marshall Fitz Those opposed to comprehensive immigration reform still point to deficiencies in border security as a reason to stall new immigration policy, but they are ignoring the facts. 2013-01-04T19:03:18+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010313_fiscal_cliff_deal/revenue-from-fiscal-cliff-deal-context/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010313_fiscal_cliff_deal/revenue-from-fiscal-cliff-deal-context/ 23:16:00Z Michael Linden Though the fiscal cliff deal passed by Congress late on New Year’s Day will raise a substantial amount of new revenue over the next decade, the resulting revenue levels will still be significantly below what bipartisan experts believe we will need in the medium term and far lower than the last time the budget was balanced. 2013-01-03T23:16:32+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010313_top_stories_think_again/the-top-stories-2012-or-maybe-not/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/010313_top_stories_think_again/the-top-stories-2012-or-maybe-not/ 19:49:00Z Eric Alterman Eric Alterman has an alternative take on Politico’s top media stories of the past year and what those stories say about the media’s coverage of politics. 2013-01-03T19:49:42+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/123012_global_power_shift/global-power-will-shift-by-2030/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/123012_global_power_shift/global-power-will-shift-by-2030/ 02:24:00Z R. Jeffrey Smith A new U.S. intelligence report forecasts an end to U.S. predominance. 2012-12-31T02:24:02+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122912_marijuana_legal/washington-and-colorado-as-precedent-marijuana-legalization/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122912_marijuana_legal/washington-and-colorado-as-precedent-marijuana-legalization/ 18:44:00Z Bob Giles An unwanted item on President Obama’s second term agenda was contributed by voters in Colorado and Washington State who, by impressive margins on November 6, passed ballot measures making it legal to smoke pot recreationally, without any prescription or medical justification. 2012-12-29T18:44:52+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122812_medicare_age/potter-dont-raise-medicare-eligibility-age/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122812_medicare_age/potter-dont-raise-medicare-eligibility-age/ 23:42:00Z Wendell Potter Not only would raising the eligibility age be cruel, it doesn’t make sense from an economic point of view. If lawmakers take the time to consider the facts, this idea will quickly fall off the table during the fiscal cliff discussions. 2012-12-28T23:42:53+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122812_fiscal_cliff_crisis/fiscal-cliff-continuing-crisis/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122812_fiscal_cliff_crisis/fiscal-cliff-continuing-crisis/ 18:51:00Z Jon Talton I have been hesitant to write about the so-called fiscal cliff, but it looks as if one of two things will happen: Either we’re going off the cliff/curb/ramp, or President Obama will sell out the middle class safety net to get a deal. We don’t have a debt crisis. We have an unemployment, opportunity and economic growth crisis, none of which will be addressed by the GOP austerity fetish or Obama’s itchy trigger finger on “reforming entitlements.” 2012-12-28T18:51:42+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122712_immig_polling/immigration-polls-americans-put-11-million-undocumented-first/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122712_immig_polling/immigration-polls-americans-put-11-million-undocumented-first/ 17:11:00Z Philip E. Wolgin On the heels of November’s presidential election, the conversation on immigration reform has changed dramatically and for the better. Recent polling shows that the American people want immigration reform to first and foremost provide undocumented immigrants with a pathway to citizenship. 2012-12-27T17:11:08+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122212_unreality_think_again/the-power-un-reality-propaganda-overwhelms-public-debate/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122212_unreality_think_again/the-power-un-reality-propaganda-overwhelms-public-debate/ 00:09:00Z Eric Alterman Naturally, last week’s tragedy in Newtown has inspired a revival of America’s attempts to discuss the problem of gun control. What many people fail to consider when the nation is faced with such soul-searching tragedies (or natural catastrophes) is how much of our debate is predetermined by the ability of powerful interests. 2012-12-23T00:09:19+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122212_dark_money_house/how-dark-money-helped-republicans-hold-house/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122212_dark_money_house/how-dark-money-helped-republicans-hold-house/ 00:05:00Z Olga Pierce In the November election, a million more Americans voted for Democrats seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives than Republicans. But that popular vote advantage did not result in control of the chamber. Instead, despite getting fewer votes, Republicans have maintained a commanding control of the House. Such a disparity has happened only three times in the last century. 2012-12-23T00:05:14+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122212_gun_facts/gun-rhetoric-vs-gun-facts/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122212_gun_facts/gun-rhetoric-vs-gun-facts/ 22:40:00Z Factcheck.org The mass shooting in Newtown has reignited a national debate on gun control. Some facts are clear — there has been a massive increase in gun sales. Some things are not so clear — such as whether there is causation between more guns and more violent crimes. And some are contrary to the general impression — for example, the rate of gun murders is down, not up. 2012-12-22T22:40:24+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122212_gun_culture/qa-does-gun-culture-influence-gun-related-violence/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122212_gun_culture/qa-does-gun-culture-influence-gun-related-violence/ 22:33:00Z Priyanka Boghani How much do the laws and social norms surrounding guns — in other words, “gun culture” — influence how violent a society is? 2012-12-22T22:33:31+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122212_newtown_shooting_op/searching-answers-after-sandy-hook-shootings/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122212_newtown_shooting_op/searching-answers-after-sandy-hook-shootings/ 22:23:00Z Sally Steenland It feels wrong to speak of children in the past tense. Their lives are just unfolding, with so many years ahead. But the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last Friday stopped short the lives of 20 young children, erasing their future, breaking the natural order of birth and death—and breaking the hearts of their families and community. 2012-12-22T22:23:03+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122012_gun_control_op/regulating-assault-rifles-how-to-guide-non-shooters/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122012_gun_control_op/regulating-assault-rifles-how-to-guide-non-shooters/ 00:31:00Z Jimmy Zuma We can regulate rifles to reduce their potential for mass murder. And we can do it without harming the shooting sport. Here’s how… 2012-12-21T00:31:17+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122012_deferred_action_requests/deferred-action-requests-continue-rise-4th-month/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122012_deferred_action_requests/deferred-action-requests-continue-rise-4th-month/ 17:35:00Z Patrick Oakford Last week, the Department of Homeland Security’, for the fourth time, data on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Today there are an estimated 950,000 people who are immediately eligible to submit a request under the program. And in just four months, a remarkable 39 percent of these aspiring Americans have had a request accepted. 2012-12-20T17:35:50+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/121712_newtown_debate_op/newtown-shootings-americas-moment-truth/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/121712_newtown_debate_op/newtown-shootings-americas-moment-truth/ 17:06:00Z Jean MacKenzie As parents and loved ones struggle to come to terms with unimaginable grief, a nation, with its president in the forefront, is trying to understand what in its makeup leads so regularly to scenes of mayhem and death. The answers will not be easy to uncover, but at last, it seems, Americans have the will to begin. 2012-12-17T17:06:55+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/121712_domestic_violence_op/domestic-violence-down-but-why/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/121712_domestic_violence_op/domestic-violence-down-but-why/ 16:58:00Z Bill Hart The issue of domestic violence seldom features good news, but a new national report provides a happy exception. A study finds that the national rate of reported domestic violence dropped by 64 percent from 1994 to 2010. 2012-12-17T16:58:41+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/062311_background_checks/flawed-background-checks-dont-contain-firearm-sales/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/062311_background_checks/flawed-background-checks-dont-contain-firearm-sales/ 16:49:00Z Rick Schmitt Guns galore, inadequate checks: The background check system is supposed to keep firearms away from potentially dangerous people, but the system is plagued by data problems, loopholes and disputes over just who should be barred. “There is a problem with a system like that. It is harder for a high school kid to get a job at McDonald’s.” (with video) 2012-12-17T16:49:58+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/121012_obamacare_subversion/potter-behind-the-scenes-battle-that-could-subvert-obamacare/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/121012_obamacare_subversion/potter-behind-the-scenes-battle-that-could-subvert-obamacare/ 19:09:00Z Wendell Potter Complex state level battle over stop-loss coverage could eliminate crucial consumer protections. 2012-12-10T19:09:55+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/121012_potter_ins_op/potter-health-insurance-needs-tougher-regulation/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/121012_potter_ins_op/potter-health-insurance-needs-tougher-regulation/ 17:15:00Z Wendell Potter I’ve often said that the Affordable Care Act is the end of the beginning of health reform.  It addresses many problems associated with health insurance, but more must be done to control costs and access real universal coverage. And flaws in the law need to be fixed. 2012-12-10T17:15:28+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/120612_repub_rebrand/can-republicans-rebrand/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/120612_repub_rebrand/can-republicans-rebrand/ 23:49:00Z Jimmy Zuma Smart v. Stupid: The Republican Party is re-branding. Will voters forget the old, white, boys club that it is today? The current party cannot survive in a multicultural America where a whites-only election strategy can no longer win national elections. 2012-12-07T23:49:51+00:00 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/120712_think_again_taxes/will-times-terrific-tax-reporting-matter/ http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/120712_think_again_taxes/will-times-terrific-tax-reporting-matter/ 16:30:00Z Eric Alterman My “Think Again” column last week addressed how conservative politicians’ professed theories about job creation in the (endless) process of seeking tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans are in direct conflict with real evidence of the actual behavior of individuals. 2012-12-07T16:30:15+00:00