Recent content from John Rash
The solstice, Christmas and Hanukkah align for more light
Amid dark sky and dark times, hope endures.
Rash: Syrians emerge from an Arab Spring turned nightmarish winter
Simon Adams of the Minnesota-based Center for Victims of Torture on Assad's 'industrial-scale' human-rights abuses.
Rash: Moving images: The best of British advertising
Emotions evoked at the Walker Art Center's annual Arrows Awards screening.
Rash: Luger's 'sense of urgency' served the state well
U.S. attorney who served two terms will soon step down.
Rash: Year of elections doesn't ensure an era of strong democracies
At Norway House, a Minnesota Peace Initiative panel examines "The World Votes: Global Democracy at a Crossroads."
Rash: U.S. approval affects Ukraine's use of a missile and its mission
The Biden administration agrees to allow ATACMS to be launched into Russia.
Rash: Bombing of civilians seen in 'Blitz' isn't old history — it's happening in today's wars, too
As in London during World War II, the aerial warfare of contemporary conflicts reflects 'The Return of Total War' and its devastating toll on children.
Rash: Senate must thoroughly, thoughtfully vet Hegseth
The Minnesotan nominated for secretary of defense would face "the most daunting geostrategic environment" in the postwar era.
Rash: Senate should keep its check on cabinet nominees
"The confirmation of nominees is one of the most important responsibilities we have, and it's a big part of our system of checks and balances," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Media morphed along with politics this presidential election
Three prominent political scientists share their analysis.
Lin-Manuel Miranda on Puerto Rico, 'Hamilton' and the election
"Your voice is your vote," says the Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award winner.
Rash: Take Trump's threats literally and seriously
Former military leaders sound the alarm about the former president.
Sinwar's death is an opportunity for a diplomatic pivot
Killing of the Hamas leader should give impetus to end the war in Gaza.
Rash: Nobel Peace Prize honors atomic-bomb survivors while warning of today's dangers
Japanese grass-roots group Nihon Hidankyo has borne witness to nuclear war's horrors.
Rash: Election stakes high for journalists and press freedom
A new Committee to Protect Journalists study states the outcome "could shape the global media environment for decades."
Artistry runs wild in marathon posters
Sixteen works by locally based artists depict "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America."
Rash: The global glare on America's election
The debate, and our democracy, as seen through the eyes of international journalists visiting Minnesota.
No debate: The stakes are high in Tuesday's Trump-Harris matchup
The election event doesn't really replicate real debates, however, let alone governing the country.
The facts on Afghanistan from a Minnesotan who was at the center of it all
Ross Wilson, America's top (and for now, final) diplomat in Kabul, recounts the events that culminated in tragedy three years ago this week.
Whoever wins, their international inbox will be full
The campaign has mostly focused on domestic issues. But foreign-policy crises await.
Walz seeks an office that humbled Humphrey and was modernized by Mondale
Minnesota's second vice president set a precedent that's endured since.
Prisoner swap a 'joyous day' amid a dark era in U.S.-Russia relations
The asymmetric list of prisoners exchanged, including journalist Evan Gershkovich, reflects the deep divides between the Kremlin and the West.
Amid ascendant nationalism, Olympics' internationalism endures
Twelve athletes with Minnesota ties will compete for Team USA while 16 will join their home countries' squads as Paris welcomes the world.
A restive West warily watches U.S. election
Turmoil roiling the Democrats — and America's democracy — shadowed this week's summit of NATO nations.
State Department envoy displays diaspora diplomacy
To find out what's going on abroad, it's often best to seek insight from regular people, she says.
Despite change and challenge, U.S. journalists rally to the task
Washington Post's reporters' response to that paper's own scandal and the Wall Street Journal's advocacy for jailed journalist Evan Gershkovich serve as models.
What the worldwide wave of elections is indicating
Running for office by running against the system is just one of the themes seen in multiple countries — including the U.S.
'Tectonic shifts' roil media and politics
The interrelated changes are sharpening the partisanship shaping the character of the country.
Many governments worldwide failing to protect press freedom
As Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index details declines across continents, the Pulitzer Prizes highlights the need for great reporting.
Ukraine aid vote is a domestic and geopolitical inflection point
Renowned Russia expert Fiona Hill reflects on the Kremlin's propaganda program, what President Vladimir Putin is thinking and how U.S. divisions impact international issues.
Film festival shows the transformative power of art
At the 43rd Annual Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, movies like "Sing Sing" and "The Movie Teller" reflect "how cinema or art in general moves us."
NATO's strength in numbers makes U.S. more secure
The transatlantic alliance, now up to 32 members, has protected the West for 75 years.
McDaniel mess suggests a more profound pundit problem
The "revolving door" of the political media industrial complex hurts journalism and democracy.
Osterholm: As politics infect science, new tactics critical
The widening partisan divide may make responding to the inevitable next pandemic even more difficult.
Photo flap a tempest in a (royal) teapot compared to coming AI era
Photoshop fails are more easily detectable than the insidious artificial-intelligence images that may threaten society and democracy itself.
The complexities of age and ethics in the presidential race
The numbers voters may mostly focus on aren't economic metrics, but Biden's age and Trump's indictments.
Film shows what doing 'whatever the hell they want' looks like
Oscar-nominated documentary "20 Days in Mariupol" depicts the results of an unrestrained Russia and Vladimir Putin.
The global impact from local human-rights activism
New U exhibit explores how Minnesota-based organizations often have had a worldwide influence in the enduring struggle for human rights.
Higher education takes a tough test
The University of Minnesota and other institutions face campus controversies, concern over cost and value from an increasingly skeptical public.
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Why Dean Phillips continues against-the-odds quest
The Minnesota Democrat, who acknowledges a "steep slope ahead," has focused more on politics than policy while largely being ignored by the national news media.
Presidential candidates should run everywhere, for everyone
Biden, by bypassing Iowa and New Hampshire, reinforced Democratic drift from rural America.
The link between global connectedness and geopolitical outlook
Two new Pew Research Center reports reflect the value of international travel.
In war-torn world, the Peace Corps endures
"Do whatever is in your sphere of influence," Peace Corps director Carol Spahn tells attendees at a summit of internationally involved Minnesotans.
U.S. is at peace, but Biden is increasingly a wartime president
Crises in the Mideast, Eastern Europe and elsewhere reflect the possibilities, and limits, of being commander-in-chief.
Ukraine, Israel inspire clashing reactions in foreign lands
President Joe Biden legislatively and geopolitically tied the wars between Russia-Ukraine and Hamas-Israel together, but much of the world may see it differently.
Casualties, including truth and truth-tellers, keep mounting in the Mideast
A wave of mis- and disinformation and the deaths of journalists imperil the ability to get verifiable information about the war in Gaza.
A new film right on the (Dumb) Money
A comedy about 2021's GameStop stock-frenzy dramatically shows the inequity in equity markets — and the rest of society.
A Minnesota lens: Defending democracy in Ukraine and beyond
At a Twin Cities event, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Sen. Amy Klobuchar reflected on today's key geopolitical divide.
Elon Musk shouldn't command Ukraine decisions
Governments, not individual citizens, should make — and be held responsible for — military policies.
John Rash: Respect voters by improving debates
Fox News and former President Donald Trump should show more regard for the electorate as the debate schedule rolls on.
With newspapers, don't try that in a small town
A police raid on a Kansas newspaper galvanizes press advocacy organizations and everyday citizens to defend the First Amendment.
John Rash: As heat broils the planet it may roil geopolitics, too
The effects of climate change can spur migration — and subsequent political — crises that endanger democracy.
Oppenheimer-era blast radius still reverberating
The threat of nuclear war — and of silencing scientists — is more dangerous than ever.
Ukrainian soccer team returns to USA Cup, U.S. 'family'
For the squad's head coach, it's a respite from the war yet an opportunity to share "what's going on in Ukraine."
Drawing out — and calling out — Vladimir Putin
Graphic novel "Accidental Czar: The Life and Lies of Vladimir Putin" examines and explains the Russian president.
U.S., Biden approval ratings on the rise — abroad, at least
New Pew poll in 23 countries across continents shows increasing international support for America and its commander in chief.
Why one tragedy at sea eclipsed another
The search for the submersible Titan generated a level of media coverage far beyond the attention paid to the Adriana and the deaths of hundreds of migrants.
In Ukraine and the U.S., a reckoning on classified information
When secrets are "divulged through whatever means, you are literally putting people's lives in danger," said a top defense expert.
Carleton students attempt virtual peacemaking in War College exercise
The U.S. Army War College's International Strategic Crisis Negotiation Exercise focused on the South China Sea.
Finland strengthens, and is strengthened by, NATO
Finland's ambassador to the U.S. shares his views on his nation, NATO ascension, Russian aggression and tighter ties with Minnesota.
2023's most important election
Just months after devastating earthquakes, Turks head to the polls for a vote that has global implications.
Gerald Ford, an extraordinary 'ordinary man'
A new biography of America's 38th president offers a lesson for today's leaders contending with a riven nation.
'Discord Leaks' sows an evolving surveillance era
Discord, the online site popular with video gamers, is where classified U.S. government documents were initially posted.
International film festival seeks to 'unite, inform and transform'
Close to 200 short and feature films from around the world will screen between April 13-27 at the 42nd annual Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival.
Russia must free reporter Evan Gershkovich
"Wrongfully detained" Wall Street Journal correspondent shows the severity of Russia's repression of media freedom — and ultimately the truth.
Campaigns past and present reflect on Reagan's legacy
Allegations about the 1980 campaign surface as the GOP's top 2024 candidates veer from Reagan's resolute stand against totalitarianism.
China's unexpected diplomatic coup changes the Mideast puzzle
A Beijing-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia alters regional, and maybe even geopolitical, dynamics.
U.S. must be a beacon for democracy for Mexico, Israel
As protests roil its two allies, America needs to live up to its own democratic ideals.
An exemplary post-presidency. (And a pretty good presidency, too.)
Belying public (and often pundit) perceptions, Jimmy Carter had an often consequential and constructive White House tenure.
Avoiding 'Munich' at the Munich Security Conference
World leaders gathering at the annual meeting seem resolute in rejecting further appeasement of Russia.
In a new documentary, as in life, LBJ looms large
"Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb" focuses on the 50-year collaboration between the legendary writer and editor.
In tank debate, all was not quiet on the German front
Oscar-nominated "All Quiet on the Western Front" reminds why Germany's history plays a role in present-day politics, too.
Geopolitical, global-warming angst in the Alps
The climate crisis is the type of challenge meant for the business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
