The ‘Boston Globe’ Backs a Challenge to Politics as Usual The ‘Boston Globe’ Backs a Challenge to Politics as Usual
The Boston Globe's endorsement of progressive challenger to disappointing Democratic Congressman Stephen Lynch is a sign of life in old media.
Sep 13, 2010 / John Nichols
Rev. Jesse Jackson and John Nichols at the Fighting Bob Fest Rev. Jesse Jackson and John Nichols at the Fighting Bob Fest
Following his speech at Saturday's Fighting Bob Fest, Jackson tells The Nation's John Nichols that critics of the Republicans need to do more to participate in the democratic proce...
Sep 13, 2010 / On The Earth Productions
What Obama’s Presidency Needs: A Big Reset What Obama’s Presidency Needs: A Big Reset
Some free advice for President Obama: take a deep breath, admit the Democratic Party has failed to grasp the enormity of economic upheaval in this country—and start using gov...
Sep 13, 2010 / William Greider
Afghanistan on Life Support Afghanistan on Life Support
The American war and Afghanistan’s civilians.
Sep 13, 2010 / Nick Turse
Congress to Hold Hearings on Nation Investigation Into Discharges of Veterans Congress to Hold Hearings on Nation Investigation Into Discharges of Veterans
The House Veterans Affairs Committee will hold hearings Wednesday morning into the impact of "personality disorder discharges," and allegations raised in The Nation in April that the Department of Defense is cheating veterans of health benefits through faulty "personality disorder" diagnoses. The Committee, chaired by Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) will call both reporter Joshua Kors and the subject of his investigation, former Army Sgt. Chuck Luther, as witnesses. Information about the hearing is here. You can read Joshua Kors's "Disposable Soldiers" here. For media inquiries, contact ben [at] thenation [dot] com. In "Disposable Soldiers," Kors provides an overview of the investigation and the issue at stake: For three years The Nation has been reporting on military doctors' fraudulent use of personality disorder to discharge wounded soldiers [see Kors, "How Specialist Town Lost His Benefits," April 9, 2007]. PD is a severe mental illness that emerges during childhood and is listed in military regulations as a pre-existing condition, not a result of combat. Thus those who are discharged with PD are denied a lifetime of disability benefits, which the military is required to provide to soldiers wounded during service. Soldiers discharged with PD are also denied long-term medical care. And they have to give back a slice of their re-enlistment bonus. That amount is often larger than the soldier's final paycheck. As a result, on the day of their discharge, many injured vets learn that they owe the Army several thousand dollars. According to figures from the Pentagon and a Harvard University study, the military is saving billions by discharging soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan with personality disorder.
Sep 13, 2010 / Press Room
GAO: Iraq’s Government, Requesting Billions, Has Billions in Surplus GAO: Iraq’s Government, Requesting Billions, Has Billions in Surplus
A GAO report suggests that Iraq is not broke. Instead, Iraq’s rulers have been sitting on a vast pile of cash while begging for billions of dollars from the US and the i...
Sep 10, 2010 / Aram Roston
Major Student Loan Mistakes, and Ways to Avoid Making Them Major Student Loan Mistakes, and Ways to Avoid Making Them
The economy's long nosedive has done more than raise unemployment rates and housing foreclosures—it's also contributed to a devastating increase in the amount of student debt. Following a recent Education Department report on debt repayment figures, Gawker compiled a list of the top ten universities for student debt, which is topped by NYU's staggering $659 million total. This year also marked the first time in history that outstanding student loan debt exceeded outstanding total credit card debt, with student loan debt nationwide increasing at a rate of about $2853.88 per second. It's a grim landscape for students who've borrowed money, and one that is rife with ways to exacerbate the amount owed. In light of this, Sarah Deveau has provided a helpful list of tips and practices to avoid via the San Francisco Chronicle. Highlights from the pieces, "The 6 Worst Student Loan Mistakes You Can Make" include smart warnings against tempting practices like falsifying information on a student loan application, spending loan money on non-essential purchases and missing payments. "Some experts suggest that your monthly student loan payment should be no more than 10% of your expected salary," Deveau writes. "Calculate your monthly loan payments based on a 10-year repayment schedule, including interest, the find out the average starting salary for your career choice. If your loan payments will be higher than 10%, look at reducing the amount you borrow, either through producing more income or switching to a less expensive program." The bottom line, she says, is this: A student loan is often the first large sum of money a young adult must manage themselves. Avoiding common money mistakes when it comes to financing your college education is crucial to graduating with only good debt, and as little of it as possible. Some of it seems fairly no-brainer, but Deveau lays it out in concrete, practical terms that should make a lot of sense—especially to students taking on loans for the first time.
Sep 10, 2010 / StudentNation / Carrie Battan
The Afghanistan Study Group Challenges US Strategy, With Flawed but Useful Report The Afghanistan Study Group Challenges US Strategy, With Flawed but Useful Report
Will the "Team B"–style approach open the debate over the Afghan war, in which the establishment has largely closed ranks in support of a failing strategy?
Sep 10, 2010 / Bob Dreyfuss
Slacker Friday Slacker Friday
Obama's power-grab, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the mail.
Sep 10, 2010 / Eric Alterman
NFL Opener Becomes Site of Solidarity NFL Opener Becomes Site of Solidarity
The opening of the NFL season witnessed perhaps the most public display of solidarity in US history. Seriously.
Sep 10, 2010 / Dave Zirin