Food Rationing, A Temporary Measure Now in its 48th Year

Yoani Sanchez, 01.07.2010

Award-Winning Cuban Blogger

The new ration book surprised us at the end of December, just when speculation was growing about the demise of this booklet with its grid-paper pages....

Spoof Predictions for 2010 and Beyond

Bill Baker, 01.06.2010

Author of "Endless Money"

With levity the object, we provide herewith an implausible alternative to the usual fare from the financial establishment, which disturbingly seems possible in these unsettled political and economic times.

"I Don't Want to Die in Chile:" Swine Flu in the Desert

Sally Thorner, 01.05.2010

Retired local news broadcaster

My son came down with H1N1 when we were on vacation in Chile. It is not an exaggeration to say I have never been so terrified in my life.

Terrorism State Lottery Winners: Not Welcome in the Secure Homeland

Denis Campbell, 01.04.2010

If you hold a passport from countries considered to be "state sponsors of terrorism" or "countries of interest," don't plan on making your connecting flight to your final destination inside the USA.

The NYGMen Podcast Week 17 Preview: The Giants Visit the Vikings

Dan Weiner, 01.03.2010

Lawyer and Giants fan

In this Week 17 preview, the New York Giants travel to Minnesota to face off with the Vikings in a pretty pointless match-up, well, at least for the G-Men.

Roadside Checkpoints... Looking for Shrimp, Lobster and Cheese

Yoani Sanchez, 01.02.2010

Award-Winning Cuban Blogger

While the purchase of thousands of Yutong buses, some years ago, was intended to solve transportation in Cuba, moving from one place to another on the Island is still an odyssey.

Foreign Affairs Roundup

Christopher Herbert and Victoria Kataoka Rebuffet, 01.01.2010

Editors of Simple Intelligence

This Week's Top Stories in Foreign Affairs: Iran Rallies, Counter-Rallies, and a Deadline Passed This week saw the continuation of another wave of m...

End of Year, 2009

Lord Weidenfeld of Chelsea, 12.31.2009

Founder and chairman of Weidenfeld & Nicolson

2009 was certainly not a year of triumphs for mankind nor human kindliness. The world economic crisis is neither diagnostically nor therapeutically on the way to a solution.

Fidel Castro, Behind the Ramparts (Part II of III)

Norberto Fuentes, 12.30.2009

Author, "The Autobiography of Fidel Castro"

In the whole of my experiences with or close to Fidel, this was the most pathetic. Here was a man who knew solitude was an impossibility, yet seemed happy to have the illusion of it.

What Kind of Global Player Does Brazil Want to Be?

Robert Amsterdam, 12.30.2009

International lawyer on emerging markets, politics of business, and rule of law

Brazil is impressive to international observers for its economic growth, low inflation, and firmly established democratic institutions. But the question remains: what kind role in the world does Brazil want to play?

What Did You Do When They Came For The Nonconformist?

Yoani Sanchez, 12.29.2009

Award-Winning Cuban Blogger

Cubans are not living through a return of the cultural inquisitors, but rather the tightening of the screws of a dying system that has run out of arguments.

The Significance of the Diaz-Balarts' "Un-Endorsement" of Charlie Crist

Sergio Bendixen, 12.29.2009

President, Bendixen & Associates

Call me naïve or an idealist, but endorsements should be based on merits, issues and convictions, not political favors. Our country and community deserve better.

Thanks for the Welcome

Raúl de Molina, 12.29.2009

Emmy-award winning co-host of Univision's El Gordo y La Flaca

So as we advance into 2010, Lou Dobbs, take a moment to reflect. Remember that one of the Latinos you so systematically bash could well be your president one day. You can bet your Senate run on it.

The Importance of Being Cerrado: Brazil's Other Huge, Endangered Ecosystem

Chris McGowan, 12.29.2009

Author and journalist based in Brazil

The Cerrado savanna has already lost 48% of its original vegetation and is shrinking faster than the Amazon rain forest. It could disappear almost entirely within a few decades.

Bolivia: One Llama's Great Incan Adventure

Nathaniel Loewentheil, 12.27.2009

Exploring Bolivia's politics and resources

Four men lifted the bleating llama on to the rock and held her down. The cut was swift and deep, and blood gushed from the neck. I'd never seen an animal slaughtered before.

My 2009 "McLaughlin Awards" [Part 1]

Chris Weigant, 12.26.2009

Author, Political Commentator, and Blogger (ChrisWeigant.com)

Welcome once again to our year-end wrap-up and awards ceremony. Honesty dictates that I immediately genuflect to The McLaughlin Group, from whom I have stolen all these award categories.

The Domino Effect: Hunger, Poverty and Corrupt Politics Destroy Security

Conchita Sarnoff, 01.05.2010

Most economists agree that poverty won't end unless future generations meet a certain educational standard before entering the markets.

To All, Happiness, Luck and Perseverance for 2010

Yoani Sanchez, 12.25.2009

Award-Winning Cuban Blogger

For a long time we had a New Year's ritual, we met with several friends at Camilla's house. Seated on the floor with everyone talking at once, we wo...

Goldman Brazilian Nightmare Over: Father and Son Finally Reunited

Thane Rosenbaum, 12.25.2009

Novelist, Essayist, and Law Professor

Before we luxuriate too comfortably in the Hallmark happy ending of the Goldman father-son reunion, let us not forget that in custody battles, fathers are routinely treated as second-class citizens.

The Copenhagen Accord: A Big Step Forward

David Doniger, 12.23.2009

Policy Director, NRDC Climate Center

Too many observers, in my view, are judging the Copenhagen Accord by the wrong yardsticks.

Open Letter to Cuba's Vice Minister of Culture

Yoani Sanchez, 12.23.2009

Award-Winning Cuban Blogger

Considering that everyone knows I am a writer and you are the Vice Minister of Culture, I would say that an atmosphere of terror doesn't agree with you, and that the image of your delivering a beating is unfortunate.