| Home | Blog | Ask This | Showcase | Commentary | Comments | About Us | Contributors | Contact Us |
Breathtaking new fortunes | The wealth puzzle: There’s a lot of money someplace, but where? ASK THIS The IRS estimates, from records obtained from credit card companies, that one to two million U.S. citizens have offshore bank accounts. If they are using them to avoid taxes, it’s at least in part because the government encourages them. 
Bush 0, 4th estate 0 | Questions about George Bush’s flu pandemic plan ASK THIS Annette Renner, a reader of this Web site, doesn’t seem to trust the President and she feels the press isn’t too interested in digging for the truth. She’s got a bunch of questions reporters should look into.
28% of the population | Just how monolithic are American Evangelicals? ASK THIS Evangelical Protestants were widely credited for George W. Bush’s reelection in 2004, and one of their own, former Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, was assumed to be a cultural conservative almost entirely on the basis of her religious affiliation. Political scientist Laura Olson asks an important political question: To what extent are evangelicals a political monolith?
No more secrets | Questions for the Times and Judith Miller ASK THIS The newspaper of record needs to set the record straight on its own involvement in the Plame investigation – and the run-up to war in Iraq.
The politicizing of government | Michael Brown as wake-up call to journalists ASK THIS You think FEMA is the only government department crippled by incompetent political appointees? Princeton University Professor David Lewis suggests some lines of inquiry reporters should pursue to determine the extent to which the federal government has been politicized – and what that means.
Evaluating alarmism | Why not cool down the terrorism rhetoric a little? ASK THIS Excluding the year 2001, fewer people have died in America from terrorism than have drowned in bathtubs. John Mueller argues that risk and comparative probability should be guidelines in coverage of terrorism.
Religion and politics | How about looking at the Democrats' 'secular' problem? ASK THIS A poll conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life says that only 29 percent of Americans believe the Democratic Party is 'friendly toward religion.' As Laura Olson notes, that's a good starting point for reporters.
Over-reaching at the top | What’s the reason for the growing chasm in wealth and income? ASK THIS Some blame globalization but Henry Banta doesn’t buy that and points instead to the spectacular gains of corporate managers whose annual incomes exceed the budgets of some countries.
Social services | Overcoming barriers to the adoption of foster children ASK THIS Would-be foster parents in your area may be getting scared away by – of all things – bad customer care from your local child welfare agency. Here’s a watchdog story that could improve a lot of lives.
A tradional, observant Catholic | How relevant is religion in the John Roberts confirmation process? ASK THIS Religion is playing an increasingly important and relevant role in American politics. What role will it play, if any, in the Senate confirmation hearings for Chief Justice nominee John Roberts?
|
