Robert Balint

Intern, The Takeaway

Robert Balint appears in the following:

Countdown to the Olympics Opening Ceremony

Friday, July 27, 2012

The London Olympics Opening Ceremonies is called 'Isles of Wonder' and draws inspiration from Shakespeare's The Tempest and is expected to be watched by a global audience of one billion.

Comments [2]

Carrying the Olympic Torch

Friday, July 27, 2012

Oscar Pistorius, the lightning-fast South African sprinter, isn't the only blade runner in the Olympics. Journalist and torch bearer Stuart Hughes, who lost his right leg, carried the...

Comment

Should Voting Be Mandatory?

Thursday, July 26, 2012

It's no secret that voter turnout in America is low, hovering around 50 percent. But Norman Ornstein is trying to change that. He's a columnist for Roll Call and wrote “The U.S. shoul...

Comments [18]

Balancing Freedom of Speech with National Security

Thursday, July 26, 2012

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, Congress passed the Patriot Act, a law that expanded the government's powers of surveillance and intelligence-gathering. ...

Comments [2]

From the Tug-Of-War to Tandem Bicycling: Defunct Sports of the Summer Olympics

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Have you ever wondered why there’s a trampoline competition in the Summer Olympics, but no mixed martial arts? Do you ever wish the International Olympic Committee would bring back cr...

Comments [4]

Why The Name of the Aurora Shooter Should Be Remembered

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

When President Obama traveled to Aurora earlier this week, he agreed to not use the name of the shooter in any of his public speeches. John Cassidy, staff writer for The New Yorker, ...

Comments [5]

Fighting AIDS from the Pulpit, Beginning With the Pastor Himself

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The Reverend Tony Lee, the pastor of a predominantly African-American church, is doing something unique to combat the AIDS. Four times a year, on the pulpit, he has himself tested for...

Comments [1]

The Search for the Next Sally Ride

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

When Sally Ride took off for the stars in 1983, everyone thought we were entering the Age of the Female Scientist, but 25 years after her first mission women comprised only 20 percent...

Comments [3]

'Searching for Sugar Man': A Rock Star's Cinderella Story

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Few Americans have ever heard of Rodriguez, a protest rock musician who, after making two albums in the early '70s, quit the music business. Rodriguez returned to his native Detroit a...

Comments [3]

Women's Olympic Uniforms: Athleticism versus Sex Appeal

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

When it comes to the Olympic games, it’s hard not to be captivated by the human body and what it can accomplish. But looking at uniform changes over the years, it's clear that some pe...

Comments [9]

Oprah's Recent India Episode Not an "Aha!" Moment

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

For nearly 30 years, Oprah Winfrey has been one of the most influential voices in American culture, overseeing a multi-billion dollar empire that includes publishing, radio, motion pi...

Comments [11]

How Long Until Spain Is Bailed Out?

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Over the past few months, the Spanish economy has been in critical condition. Now, a full bailout could be closer than expected. 

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Are the Sanctions Against Penn State a "Death Sentence"?

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Do the penalties put upon the Penn State football program in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal amount to a “death penalty”? That’s what many are reporting one day after NCAA pres...

Comments [8]

Audio Essay: Inverse Proportions of an Olympic Legacy

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Bob Costas won’t tell you, but watching the Olympics on NBC this year cost the network more than a billion dollars, a price tag that nearly covers the security bill for the 2012 Games...

Comments [3]

Syrian Conflict Taking Heavy Toll on Children

Monday, July 23, 2012

Clashes continued across Syria over the weekend. As the conflict drags on, the toll of war is increasingly carried by Syria’s youngest citizens.

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CIA Assassination Unit Allegedly Run by Former Mobster Bodyguard

Monday, July 23, 2012

In the new book "How to Get Away with Murder in America," author and journalist Evan Wright profiles the man who ran a top-secret CIA assassination program.

Comments [2]

Thirteen Years After Columbine, Colorado Revisits Questions of Mental Health Resources

Monday, July 23, 2012

The gun control debate has featured prominently in news and political agendas in the wake of both disasters, but questions of mental health resources are just as pressing. What has Colorado learned since Columbine?

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Was the Colorado Shooter a Terrorist?

Monday, July 23, 2012

In the days since the Colorado shootings, commentators and politicians have started to liken James Holmes, the suspected killer, to a terrorist. So what makes a domestic terrorist?

Comments [14]

Bachmann's Accusations of Islamist Plot Condemned by Colleagues

Friday, July 20, 2012

Michele Bachmann has been the target of strong criticism from fellow Republican lawmakers after accusing one of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's longtime aides of having possible ties with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Comments [2]

New Collection Anthologizes Taliban Poetry

Friday, July 20, 2012

Afghanistan has a long, rich literary tradition, particularly storytelling through poetry. A new collection, edited and translated by British researchers living in Kandahar, anthologi...

Comments [1]