Kateri A. Jochum

Kateri A. Jochum appears in the following:

After the Rally: The Constitution, Taxes ... and God

Monday, August 30, 2010

The Tea Party movement has billed itself as "grassroots libertarian," and has focused on government over-spending and attention to the Constitution in its rallies to date. Glenn Beck's ostensibly non-political "Restoring Honor" rally this weekend turned to religion, invoking God as a force of change. How will religion play a role in the movement from here on out — and will it be a force of growth or a dividing line?

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What Was Glenn Beck's 'Restoring Honor' Rally Really About?

Monday, August 30, 2010

At Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally in Washington, D.C., this weekend, Beck, Sarah Palin and niece of Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Alveda King, invoked King's speech and memory, while calling on God and American values to lead the way in their movement. While they were gathering in the National Mall on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Reverend Al Sharpton and the National Action Network was holding a separate rally in the city to commemorate King's "I have a dream speech", held on the same day, 47 years ago. The NAN and the NAACP say Beck and like-minded conservative groups have co-opted the civil rights movement and King's memory.

What would Martin Luther King have thought about Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally this weekend? And is this the beginning of a new religious movement?

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Search For Life in Space Finds Promising Planet

Friday, August 27, 2010

NASA Scientists working on the Kepler spacecraft mission say they may have found the first Earth-sized planet, orbiting a Sun-like star just 2,000 light years away. The Kepler was launched in March 2009 to find habitable planets in the universe. Despite the fact that the potential planet isn't "Earth-like," its confirmation could still be a "true revolution" and a big step forward towards the discovery of life in outerspace.

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Looking Ahead to the US Open

Friday, August 27, 2010

On Monday, the U.S. Open in New York City will pit the world's best tennis players against each other. The Takeaway's sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin tells us more about the standings: what matchups to look for, and the expected head-to-head of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

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Islamophobia On the Rise?

Thursday, August 26, 2010

On Wednesday, Michael Enright, 21, a college student who had just returned from doing volunteer work in Afghanistan, was charged with using a tool to slash the neck and face of a New York City taxi driver after the driver told Enright he was a Muslim.

Police have deemed the attack a hate crime — and the suspect is being held without bail on charges of attempted murder and assault. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance has recommended that its members refrain from talking about religion with their customers, and Muslim cab drivers aren't the only ones worried that the debate over the Islamic Cultural Center, Park 51, has brought on a new wave of "Islamophobia."

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Judge Blocks Federally Funded Stem Cell Research

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

A federal judge on Monday blocked federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The decision overrides an executive order signed by President Obama over a year and a half ago, just six weeks after he took office, reversing the Bush administration’s strict policy on embryonic stem cell research.

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What's In a Name, Nevada?

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

From George W. Bush to Michelle Obama, political candidates have learned the hard way that if you want to get votes in Nevada, you need to know how to pronounce it like a local. But that isn't as clear-cut as it sounds. The linguistics are so disputed that outgoing Assemblyman Harry Mortenson is now working on a resolution that would make “neh-VAH-dah” an equally acceptable pronunciation as "neh-VA-dah." It is a political plea for tolerance.

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New Yorkers Split on Islamic Cultural Center in Lower Manhattan

Friday, August 20, 2010

Whether they are families of September 11 victims or just normal New Yorkers, a recent poll showed that the city is split over Park 51, the Islamic cultural center and mosque proposed a few blocks from Ground Zero, in lower Manhattan. Two-thirds of New Yorkers are against it, and less than one-third in favor. Mid-term election candidates have made the center an election issue, with politicians defending it as a First Amendment right or demanding that the city prevent the construction by taking over the site via "eminent domain." With all the controversy, emotions are running high. 

If you could decide whether or not the center were built at that location, how would you make your decision?

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Two Military Wives on the End of Operation Iraqi Freedom

Thursday, August 19, 2010

For wives of the 4th Stryker Brigade, the waiting game is over – their husbands are coming home. But there are still 50,000 troops left in Iraq. With the troops and equipment tasked to combat gone, the future of the troops who stay behind will rely heavily on local Iraqi forces.

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Is the Academic Job Market a Ponzi Scheme?

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Going back to school for a masters or doctorate degree may seem like a smart move in this economy. And universities are happy to get grad students, upon whom they rely for inexpensive, labor-intensive research and to teach undergraduates. But while getting a PhD might stave off the job search for five to seven years, the prospects for getting a teaching job at a university afterwards are slim. The long-term professional positions will be few and far between. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that while academic positions are expected to increase by 15 percent over the next ten years, most of those positions will be for graduate assistants and non-tenured instructors. Is it a "social trap", with academic hopefuls getting the short end of the stick? 

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The Financial Regulatory Overhaul - What It Means For Banks, What it Says About Washington

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Today, after months of wrangling, the Senate is set to pass a bill that will completely change how the government regulates Wall Street and the banking sector. The legislation marks the first major overhaul of financial regulations since the 1930s.

But although there seemed to be general agreement that the financial sector was in dire need of an update, only three Republicans look ready to vote in favor of the bill. Is this major Democratic victory a sign that bipartisanship is dead in Washington? And how will Wall Street respond?

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