What Are America’s Responsibilities to Ukraine?

With Russian forces primed to invade Ukraine, a debate is unfolding about America’s  responsibilities (or lack thereof) to defend Ukraine against Russian aggression.

The U.S. doesn’t need to fight in Ukraine, but it can do more to help that democratic nation defend itself.

For the second time in less than a year, President Joe Biden has allowed a democratic ally to fall to tyranny…

Any hostilities with Russia have to be weighed against the potentially catastrophic outcome of the world’s two leading nuclear powers going to war.

Are We Dealing with a “New Jim Crow?”

President Biden recently implied that the failure to pass his voting rights legislation (which has been blocked by the GOP and Democratic holdouts Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema) amounts to “Jim Crow 2.0.

Jim Crow was a terrible injustice and remains a stain on our country, but that is not where we are today. The 2020 election had the highest voter turnout in the nation’s history, including among Black, Latino, and Asian American voters…

…the voting rights bills being considered by Congress today are not technically an extension of the original 1965 Voting Rights Act. They add to the act.

It is sad, depressing and enraging to watch as the Senate refuses to defend voting rights, largely those of Black and brown people.

Twitter Talk: Is It OK To Be “Done with Covid?”

On “Real Time with Bill Maher,” journalist Bari Weiss stated that she is “Done with Covid,” earning her both praise and condemnation. Here’s what Twitter has to say:

“I’m done with COVID” is short for: “Continuing draconian restrictions at this moment is inflicting far more damage on vulnerable populations (especially kids) than benefit, and I will no longer participate in your inability to consider trade-offs”

The people saying they are #DoneWithCovid are literally the reason why Covid isn’t done with us.

Absolutely wonderful to see so many people declaring they are #DoneWithCovid! These people are DONE pretending to care about anyone but themselves! You go girl!

Would You Take Investment Advice from Matt Damon?

In a new ad deemed “cringe” by many voices on the internet, Matt Damon—shilling for crypto.com—tells viewers that “fortune favors the brave.”

…celebrities may not know what they’re shilling. I think that’s probably fair to say in a lot of these cases. A lot of these deals are brokered through third parties

Just because a surely well-paid Matt Damon seems like a remarkably bad source of investment advice to us in this moment does not mean his message will fail to ultimately grasp a foothold.

While plenty of random people have hopped headfirst into the world of cryptocurrencies and NFTs, celebrities have played no small role in driving the market to frothy new heights.

Do Americans Love Football Too Much?

There are concerns about football’s long term health effects on players, but do Americans care? Perhaps we love the sport too much to see some of its flaws.

Rules changes and better equipment have led to a 30% reduction in the number of concussions. But 172 still occurred in 2020, and more must be done.

Of all the disappearing stories in the American consciousness, none has receded from the public eye quite like football concussions.

The NFL has spent the past decade mired in controversy… But Americans just can’t get enough of it.

What’s New in Jewish Thought?

How are Orthodox women preserving tradition and rejecting extremism?

Is the Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia?

Is the Orange M&M Jewish?

…the Orthodox community is diverse, with diverse beliefs, including feminists and advocates against dangerous extremism. Take Shoshanna Keats-Jaskoll, co-founder of the Orthodox organization Chochmat Nashim, which directly translates to “women’s wisdom.”

Every four or five years, one can read an article in a newspaper or watch a report on TV or YouTube that the Ark of the Covenant, the sacred object of the ancient Hebrews roughly modeled on the Egyptian barque that transported souls into the afterlife, is kept somewhere in Ethiopia, where it has resided for the past 3,000 years. So where is it?

I’m most intrigued, in the wake of this groundbreaking announcement, by the details surrounding our dear pal Orange, who in this new iteration will “acknowledge and embrace his anxiety.” This fact is supported by perhaps my new favorite image of all time: the orange M&M with his eyebrows raised, a quivering lip and hands clutched to his face in a panic.

Today’s Hot Issues

What Are America’s Responsibilities to Ukraine? Are We Dealing with a “New Jim Crow?” Twitter Talk: Is It OK To Be “Done with Covid?” Would You Take Investment Advice from Matt Damon? Do Americans Love Football Too Much? What’s New in Jewish Thought?