News at Home

A Conversation with the Eastham Historical Society

by Jonathan Montano

The Eastham Historical Society, a small institution on Cape Cod, discusses their archives and the importance of preserving local history.  

Racist Bullying in My Small Town Made National News. Here's What We Can Learn From How the Town Responded.

by Claudia Moscovici

Even if only a small minority of Salinians hold racist and xenophobic views, this community will do its best to make sure these discriminatory views are no longer swept under the rug, but faced, combatted and discouraged. 

Why Trump Is Different than Reagan, Either Bush, Dole, McCain, or Romney—He’s Evil

by Water G. Moss

Like Trump’s six previous Republican presidential candidates (and like many Trump supporters), all of the major 2020 Democratic candidates are decent human beings. Trump is evil.

In Defense of Public Institutions

by Elizabeth Stice

While the generations of the past sought to establish public institutions, in our era, there is a relentless push for more privatization, far beyond the postal service.

“Free College” in Historical Perspective

by John R. Thelin

“Free college” is a visible and volatile issue in the Democrat candidates’ presidential campaign platforms. No Democratic candidate today can afford to ignore the issue, even if it means taking time to impose strict limits. 

New Evidence from the Clinton Presidential Library on Bill Clinton and Helmut Kohl's Diplomatic Relationship

by Stephan Kieninger

The Clinton-Kohl documents shed new light on their efforts to facilitate the emergence of an interdependent and transnational world based on freedom, peace, security and prosperity.

“Patriotic” Veterans Only, Please

by Gregory A. Daddis

While perhaps an indication of our current toxic political environment, the attacks on “unpatriotic” veterans like U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman actually have a long and checkered history in post-World War II America.

Was Nixon Really Better Than Trump?

by James Robenalt

Nixon’s tapes show an embattled president acting the same way, only behind closed doors.

Trump's Acquittal and the History of the Intentionally Undemocratic Senate

by Ed Simon

What can and must be learned from the impeachment affair isn’t that resistance to Trump has to be fruitless, but rather that we can’t expect institutions and procedures to be that which saves us. 

The Unique Struggles of Women and Native Americans to Vote

by Thom Hartmann

And how efforts to surpress certain voters continue. 

The Erasure of the History of Slavery at Sullivan’s Island

by Roy E. Finkenbine

Some 40% of the nearly 400,000 Africans imported into British North America and the young United States passed through this place.  It has been termed the “Ellis Island” of African Americans.

Remembrances, Race, and Role Models: The Renaming of a Middle School

by Frank P. Barajas

The new name of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, whatever it will be, should have a recognizable footnote so people can learn not only about the totality of Oxnard’s history but also its relationship with larger national currents.

The Dramatic Relationship Between Black America and the Academy Awards

by Elwood Watson

From Hattie McDaniel to #OscarsSoWhite. 

JFK's New Hampshire Primary Hope Resonates Today

by William Lambers

The day before the 1960 New Hampshire presidential primary, candidate John F. Kennedy talked about America's great hope for disarmament. Speaking at the University of New Hampshire, JFK said "No hope is more basic to our aspirations as a nation" than disarmament.

Should the Democratic Presidential Candidates Announce Their VP Picks Now?

by Joel K. Goldstein

History suggests that these well-intended proposals rest on mistaken judgments about the way the vice-presidential selection system now operates, exaggerate the benefits of the proposed reforms, and underestimate the difficulty of implementing those remedies.

Unforgettable Images, and Something New in TV News

by Ron Steinman

A month past the Capitol Riots, a veteran television news journalist observes that the coverage of the chaotic protest and breach of the Capitol relied on something new: masses of journalists and citizens (including the rioters) recording video on their phones where TV cameras couldn't operate, forming a rich and important composite of the day's events. 

Harriet Tubman and a National Legacy of Midnight Skies and Silent Stars

by Todd Lookingbill

The Oscar buzz around the film and the popularity of the biopic with critics and general audiences alike creates an opportunity to discuss and shine a light on the important landscape associated with this amazing historical figure. 

The Remarkable Success of Midwestern Front Porch Campaigns

by Jeffrey Normand Bourdon

No presidential electioneering technique has ever been as successful while appearing and disappearing as quickly as front porch campaigning.

What’s in a Nickname? From Caligula to Sleepy Joe

by Josiah Osgood

If Suetonius, who served on the staff of two Roman emperors, were alive today, I think he’d advise Trump to spend less time coming up names for others and think about what he could call himself.

Secretary Pompeo, Meet Vice President Agnew

by Charles J. Holden, Zach Messitte, and Jerald Podair

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s expletive-laden dust-up with NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly is on message for the Trump-led Republican Party. Whether he knows it or not, Pompeo is drawing from a playbook written a half century ago.