John Avlon has been a fixture on CNN over the last several years, following a five-year stint as editor in chief of The Daily Beast. Now the 51-year-old, who has written four books on politics, is running for Congress and aiming to unseat Republican incumbent Nick Lalota in a battle for New York’s 1st Congressional District. The journalist-turned-candidate (a former colleague of mine at the Beast) spoke to The Hollywood Reporter as his campaign gets underway.
Why did you make the decision to leave journalism and run for office?
I didn’t want to look at my kids and tell them I could’ve done more when it mattered most. I’m the grandson of immigrants. I’m a patriotic guy and I’m deeply concerned about the stakes of this race for our country and my community. We’ve never had a presidential nominee of a major party...
Why did you make the decision to leave journalism and run for office?
I didn’t want to look at my kids and tell them I could’ve done more when it mattered most. I’m the grandson of immigrants. I’m a patriotic guy and I’m deeply concerned about the stakes of this race for our country and my community. We’ve never had a presidential nominee of a major party...
- 3/14/2024
- by Lachlan Cartwright
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
George Santos — the serial liar and alleged felon who was kicked out of Congress in December — says he’s running for Congress again.
The disgraced former New York representative made a surprise appearance at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday. He sported a bedazzled collar, and shortly after the address commenced posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he is running for Congress again.
“I just witnessed a weak, frail president deliver spin and lies to the American people from inside the chambers. I have made...
The disgraced former New York representative made a surprise appearance at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday. He sported a bedazzled collar, and shortly after the address commenced posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he is running for Congress again.
“I just witnessed a weak, frail president deliver spin and lies to the American people from inside the chambers. I have made...
- 3/8/2024
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
John Avlon, who recently departed CNN, has officially launched his bid for a New York congressional seat.
He is running in the first congressional district, which covers Suffolk County and is currently held by Rep. Nick Lalota (R-ny), who has endorsed Donald Trump in the presidential race. Avlon faces a crowded Democratic field in the June 25 primary.
“I believe the United States is the greatest democracy the world has ever known, but right now, our democracy is in danger,” he said in an announcement video posted today.
“We need to build the broadest possible coalition to defeat Donald Trump, defend our democracy, and win back the House from his Maga minions who don’t even seem interested in solving problems anymore.”
Avlon was previously the editor in chief of The Daily Beast and, before that, chief speechwriter for then-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He departed CNN earlier this month, after...
He is running in the first congressional district, which covers Suffolk County and is currently held by Rep. Nick Lalota (R-ny), who has endorsed Donald Trump in the presidential race. Avlon faces a crowded Democratic field in the June 25 primary.
“I believe the United States is the greatest democracy the world has ever known, but right now, our democracy is in danger,” he said in an announcement video posted today.
“We need to build the broadest possible coalition to defeat Donald Trump, defend our democracy, and win back the House from his Maga minions who don’t even seem interested in solving problems anymore.”
Avlon was previously the editor in chief of The Daily Beast and, before that, chief speechwriter for then-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He departed CNN earlier this month, after...
- 2/21/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
The topics covered on Bill Maher’s Real Time on Friday were no laughing matter – inflation, crime, the suppression of free speech, the war in Ukraine, antisemitism on campus.
One area of special interest was when the talk turned to crime. Guest Jane Ferguson, an award-winning special correspondent for PBS NewsHour, contributor to The New Yorker, and author of the book No Ordinary Assignment, was randomly attacked on a New York subway.
Her fellow panelist, John Avlon, senior political analyst and anchor at CNN and the former editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast, noted how “we brought down crime in the mid-1990s. We seem to have forgotten a lot of those lessons.”
Maher then made a somewhat surprising confession, bringing up Jason Aldean’s song Try That In A Small Town, a country anthem that dares miscreants to try various antisocial activities and “see how far ya make it down the road.
One area of special interest was when the talk turned to crime. Guest Jane Ferguson, an award-winning special correspondent for PBS NewsHour, contributor to The New Yorker, and author of the book No Ordinary Assignment, was randomly attacked on a New York subway.
Her fellow panelist, John Avlon, senior political analyst and anchor at CNN and the former editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast, noted how “we brought down crime in the mid-1990s. We seem to have forgotten a lot of those lessons.”
Maher then made a somewhat surprising confession, bringing up Jason Aldean’s song Try That In A Small Town, a country anthem that dares miscreants to try various antisocial activities and “see how far ya make it down the road.
- 12/9/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Donald Trump fired off his latest defamation lawsuit against a news outlet Monday, this time seeking 475 million in punitive damages from CNN over what his lawyers say was an effort to “defame the Plaintiff in the minds of its viewers and readers for the purpose of defeating him politically.”
Trump’s lawsuit (read it here) focuses on references made by CNN on-air figures to the “Big Lie,” or the former president’s unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. Trump contends that the references compare him to Adolf Hitler.
“CNN’s highly defamatory and persistent association of the Plaintiff to Hitler and Hitler’s ‘Big Lie’ is no mistaken misappropriation,” Trump’s attorneys write. “It is wanton and malicious ‘reporting’ intended to feed a narrative and to achieve a desired end: to cause readers and viewers to associate the Plaintiff with the lowest of low, to fear him,...
Trump’s lawsuit (read it here) focuses on references made by CNN on-air figures to the “Big Lie,” or the former president’s unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. Trump contends that the references compare him to Adolf Hitler.
“CNN’s highly defamatory and persistent association of the Plaintiff to Hitler and Hitler’s ‘Big Lie’ is no mistaken misappropriation,” Trump’s attorneys write. “It is wanton and malicious ‘reporting’ intended to feed a narrative and to achieve a desired end: to cause readers and viewers to associate the Plaintiff with the lowest of low, to fear him,...
- 10/3/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Bill Maher Attacks John Cena, LeBron James, Tom Cruise, Eileen Gu For Siding With Totalitarian China
Bill Maher couldn’t hide his contempt for the country hosting the Winter Olympics on his Friday Real Time.
Maher called out freestyle skier Eileen Gu, an American-born skier who chose to participate on China’s Olympic team for the Beijing games. Gu hasn’t said whether she gave up her American citizenship to do so, but plans to return to Stanford University and has reaped millions of dollars in product endorsements in China.
“She chose to represent a totalitarian police state over America,” Maher said, calling China an “authoritarian surveillance state.”
Acknowledging that the United States has its problems, Maher noted that at least the US is “a democracy based on freedom.” China has “jailed an entire ethnic minority,” and said it was a cynical dodge to overlook China’s sins in its treatment of Hong Kong freedom and its desire for a Taiwan take-back.
Maher recalled the outrage...
Maher called out freestyle skier Eileen Gu, an American-born skier who chose to participate on China’s Olympic team for the Beijing games. Gu hasn’t said whether she gave up her American citizenship to do so, but plans to return to Stanford University and has reaped millions of dollars in product endorsements in China.
“She chose to represent a totalitarian police state over America,” Maher said, calling China an “authoritarian surveillance state.”
Acknowledging that the United States has its problems, Maher noted that at least the US is “a democracy based on freedom.” China has “jailed an entire ethnic minority,” and said it was a cynical dodge to overlook China’s sins in its treatment of Hong Kong freedom and its desire for a Taiwan take-back.
Maher recalled the outrage...
- 2/19/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
As CNN’s many journalists tried to delve into the ouster of Jeff Zucker, but ran up against one of their biggest professional hurdles: a source who refuses to talk.
Some of WarnerMedia’s best-known on-air personalities pressed the company’s CEO Jason Kilar again and again on Monday, asking him to divulge more details around why Zucker resigned after acknowledging a personal relationship with Allison Gollust, CNN’s chief marketing officer. But Kilar would not.
The WarnerMedia chief faced questions from Don Lemon, Alisyn Camerota, Brian Stelter, Jim Sciutto, Bill Weir, Richard Quest, John Avlon and Victor Blackwell, as well as longtime producer Jim Murphy, many of them pressing him for more information about whether the parent company felt Zucker was given a harsher punishment than was necessary; about whether WarnerMedia was negotiating with Chris Cuomo, fired by Zucker last year, over severance; and whether the looming merger of...
Some of WarnerMedia’s best-known on-air personalities pressed the company’s CEO Jason Kilar again and again on Monday, asking him to divulge more details around why Zucker resigned after acknowledging a personal relationship with Allison Gollust, CNN’s chief marketing officer. But Kilar would not.
The WarnerMedia chief faced questions from Don Lemon, Alisyn Camerota, Brian Stelter, Jim Sciutto, Bill Weir, Richard Quest, John Avlon and Victor Blackwell, as well as longtime producer Jim Murphy, many of them pressing him for more information about whether the parent company felt Zucker was given a harsher punishment than was necessary; about whether WarnerMedia was negotiating with Chris Cuomo, fired by Zucker last year, over severance; and whether the looming merger of...
- 2/7/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
President Donald Trump has pinned the Willie Horton-esque ad he tweeted on Halloween to the top of his Twitter page. (See it below.)
TV news outlets spent last night and this morning comparing the video to one used so effectively in 1988 by George H.W. Bush’s camp to kneecap Dem presidential candidate Michael Dukakis. But in ’88, Bush himself tried to distance himself from the ad made by a pro-Bush Pac and on which, coincidentally, former Fox News chief Roger Ailes was an adviser.
“Roger Ailes has died, but he was the mastermind behind Willy Horton and his acolytes are in the White House, and here we are again,” said Alisyn Camerota, former Fox News Channel host, now on CNN, this morning.
CNN political analyst John Avlon reminded her that former Rnc chair and George H.W. Bush adviser Lee Atwater had apologized for the race-baiting Willie Horton ad...
TV news outlets spent last night and this morning comparing the video to one used so effectively in 1988 by George H.W. Bush’s camp to kneecap Dem presidential candidate Michael Dukakis. But in ’88, Bush himself tried to distance himself from the ad made by a pro-Bush Pac and on which, coincidentally, former Fox News chief Roger Ailes was an adviser.
“Roger Ailes has died, but he was the mastermind behind Willy Horton and his acolytes are in the White House, and here we are again,” said Alisyn Camerota, former Fox News Channel host, now on CNN, this morning.
CNN political analyst John Avlon reminded her that former Rnc chair and George H.W. Bush adviser Lee Atwater had apologized for the race-baiting Willie Horton ad...
- 11/1/2018
- by Lisa de Moraes
- Deadline Film + TV
The set of CNN’s “New Day” did not take kindly to Rep. Maxine Waters’ recent rallying cry to supporters, urging them refuse service to members of Donald Trump’s cabinet when they’re out in public, warning that “mob rule” would not be good for anyone and only played into the president’s hands.
“If we get to a place as a country where it is open season on anyone if they serve in an administration in public, when mob rule starts being advocated by elected officials. That is bad for everybody,” said CNN’s newest contributor John Avlon, who also warned that heckling and public shaming would create a “veneer of moral equivalence” which would only help Republicans in the midterms.
Also Read: Watch Judith Light, Shannon Watts Speak at TheWrap's Power Women Breakfast NYC on Facebook Live (Video)
Also on hand was Brian Karem, the White House...
“If we get to a place as a country where it is open season on anyone if they serve in an administration in public, when mob rule starts being advocated by elected officials. That is bad for everybody,” said CNN’s newest contributor John Avlon, who also warned that heckling and public shaming would create a “veneer of moral equivalence” which would only help Republicans in the midterms.
Also Read: Watch Judith Light, Shannon Watts Speak at TheWrap's Power Women Breakfast NYC on Facebook Live (Video)
Also on hand was Brian Karem, the White House...
- 6/25/2018
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
John Avlon has joined CNN full time as senior political analyst. He will have a daily presence on CNN’s morning program New Day; he also will serve as fill in-anchor on CNN/U.S. programming. Avlon will be based in New York and will start his new role on June 25.
Avlon had been Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Beast since 2013, succeeding site founder Tina Brown. He first joined The Daily Beast as a columnist one month after its launch, in November of 2008, also serving as political editor, executive editor, and managing director.
In a statement Avlon said he “loved leading The Daily Beast newsroom” but, after five years, “It’s time for a new challenge,” calling this “the best time to be a journalist,” and CNN’s “facts first” journalism “more important than ever before.”
The Daily Beast announced Avlon’s replacement: Noah Shachtman, former Executive Editor, effective immediately.
Avlon...
Avlon had been Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Beast since 2013, succeeding site founder Tina Brown. He first joined The Daily Beast as a columnist one month after its launch, in November of 2008, also serving as political editor, executive editor, and managing director.
In a statement Avlon said he “loved leading The Daily Beast newsroom” but, after five years, “It’s time for a new challenge,” calling this “the best time to be a journalist,” and CNN’s “facts first” journalism “more important than ever before.”
The Daily Beast announced Avlon’s replacement: Noah Shachtman, former Executive Editor, effective immediately.
Avlon...
- 5/24/2018
- by Lisa de Moraes
- Deadline Film + TV
Daily Beast reporter Lizzie Crocker resigned from the company this weekend after allegations of plagiarism against her were confirmed by the publication, TheWrap has learned. “Plagiarism is unacceptable,” Daily Beast Editor-in-Chief John Avlon told TheWrap in a statement. “Lizzie Crocker has offered to resign and her resignation was accepted.” “Though this was a difficult decision, we take plagiarism seriously, and will not allow the hard-earned trust we’ve built with our millions of loyal readers to be compromised,” he added. Also Read: Monica Crowley Backs Out of Donald Trump's Administration After Plagiarism Accusations Crocker worked with the company since 2011, according to her LinkedIn profile. She...
- 1/15/2018
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
Daily Beast editor-in-chief John Avlon had a colorful way to describe his pessimism about whether President Trump can handle international complications like a responsible diplomat.
- 7/6/2017
- by Ken Meyer
- Mediaite - TV
This week on Real Time with Bill Maher, Eva Longoria joins tax-reform campaigner Grover Norquist on the panel and Bill interviews foreign affairs expert Richard Haass and journalist John Avlon. With the Trump presidency off to a controversial and somewhat chaotic start, there is plenty for Maher and his guests to talk about. Yesterday Maher tweeted: “This is, pure and simple, #GovtByBrainfart. I wld need 6 hours on tomorrow night’s show to cover all the madness that went on this week.” Richard Haas is president of the Council on Foreign Relations and will weigh in on the week’s developments. With the Mexican...read more...
- 1/27/2017
- by James Wray
- Monsters and Critics
In another sign of rapid turnover among its executive ranks, The Daily Beast is losing Chief Executive Officcer Rhona Murphy. Murphy announced she was stepping down in an internal memo obtained by TheWrap. The CEO said she plans to return to her native Ireland to live full-time. Her replacement was not immediately announced, although Daily Beast editor-in-chief John Avlon and chief digital officer Mike Dyer are expected to take the reins and add the new titles of managing directors of the website. Also read: Daily Beast: Michael Wolff Report of $100 Million Loss ‘Wildly Inaccurate’ (Exclusive) Murphy also revealed she had...
- 6/5/2014
- by James Crugnale
- The Wrap
The Daily Beast has hired former Wired editor Noah Shachtman as executive editor, TheWrap has learned. Shachtman will start Feb. 1. Acting interim executive editor John Avlon has been promoted to editor in chief, filling the role vacated by Tina Brown shortly after the site split from Newsweek in August 2013, according to an internal memo. Also read: Peter Beinart Leaving Daily Beast for Atlantic and Haaretz, Ending Open Zion (Updated) Shachtman most recently ran Foreign Policy’s newsroom as executive editor, but earned his digital stripes as co-founder and editor of Wired’s “Danger Room” blog, which focuses on national security.
- 1/17/2014
- by L.A. Ross
- The Wrap
Peter Beinart is leaving Daily Beast for Atlantic Media and Haaretz — meaning Open Zion, the blog he founded that runs on the Daily Beast but is funded by the New American Foundation will close at the end of the year. “Peter Beinart has been a valuable voice at The Daily Beast since our launch in the fall of 2008, penning memorable pieces like The Rise of the New, New Left, which spurred debate across the web this past September,” said John Avlon, executive editor for the Daily Beast. Also read: Daily Beast Will Continue Post-Tina Brown, Embrace Digital (Exclusive) Avlon added that.
- 11/4/2013
- by Sara Morrison
- The Wrap
The Daily Beast has parted ways with its Washington bureau chief Howard Kurtz, after a column by Kurtz on openly gay NBA player Jason Collins was pulled due to errors. Daily Beast editor-in-chief Tina Brown tweeted the news Thursday, writing, "@thedailybeast & @HowardKurtz have parted company...we wish him well." Brown elaborated in a statement obtained by TheWrap. Also read: Christian Group Calls for Espn Writer's Suspension After Jason Collins Anti-Gay Remarks "The Daily Beast and Howard Kurtz have parted company," Brown wrote. "Under the direction of our newly named political director John Avlon we...
- 5/2/2013
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
A day after Howard Kurtz wrote a widely criticized story about NBA star Jason Collins, The Daily Beast has retracted the story and dismissed the Washington bureau chief. "The Daily Beast and Howard Kurtz have parted company," said Tina Brown, the Beast's editor in chief, in a statement obtained by THR, adding that new political director John Avlon would assume Kurtz's duties. In its retraction of the Collins story, the Beast notes that Kurtz committed several errors, saying the NBA player "didn’t come clean" about being engaged to a woman. In Collins' essay for Sports Illustrated, which drew international
read more...
read more...
- 5/2/2013
- by Chris Krewson
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Real Time with Bill Maher" continues its 11th season Friday, April 26 (10:00-11:00 p.m. live Et/tape-delayed Pt), exclusively on HBO. A new edition of .Vice. debuts at 11:00 p.m., followed by a replay of Real Time at 11:30 p.m. This week: Talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel is the mid-show interview guest. The roundtable guests are columnist John Avlon, playwright Anna Deavere Smith and political analyst Robert Traynham. Maher has been favorite of subscribers since his first special on the network in 1989, starring in nine solo specials, including the hour-long presentations .Bill Maher.But I.m Not Wrong,. .The Decider. and .I.m Swiss. (both nominated for an Emmy® in the Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special category), .Victory Begins at Home,. .Be...
- 4/24/2013
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
"If you end up covering campaigns from New York or Washington, D.C., you get one narrative. It's a pretty one, but it's not the whole picture." That's what CNN contributor John Avlon tells us when describing how the national news media generally covers a presidential election. "The election is going to be decided in the swing states, so we'd better to get out there actually talk to them," says Avlon. "Narratives that ripple in D.C. don’t necessarily matter in these little districts. So we need to get out of the spin cycle and stop ignoring the real process voters undergo during an election season."...
- 10/3/2012
- by Andrew Kirell
- Mediaite - TV
Welcome to The CoF Weekend Preview where we take a look at what’s going on this weekend in entertainment. Check back Monday for The City Strip. Don’t forget to check out the The City of Films Fall & Holiday Movie Guide to see what else is coming out over the next few weeks and months.
Moneyball – IMDb – Rt (94%)
With names like Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sokin on your script, you don’t have too much work to do to make a great movie I assume. Bennett Miller (Capote) has a hit on his hand by the sounds of it, but will non-sports fans flock to the theater to see this one?
Abduction – IMDb – Rt (6%)
I was following this movie for a few days on Rotten Tomatoes where I swear it had a 0% rating; I was so excited to share that. Then some attention whores came by and “liked” the movie.
Moneyball – IMDb – Rt (94%)
With names like Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sokin on your script, you don’t have too much work to do to make a great movie I assume. Bennett Miller (Capote) has a hit on his hand by the sounds of it, but will non-sports fans flock to the theater to see this one?
Abduction – IMDb – Rt (6%)
I was following this movie for a few days on Rotten Tomatoes where I swear it had a 0% rating; I was so excited to share that. Then some attention whores came by and “liked” the movie.
- 9/23/2011
- by Graham
- City of Films
This Friday night Bill Maher hosts John Avlon, Jane Harman, Michael Moore, Tom Morello and Ron Suskind. HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" continures in its ninth season, and airs September 23 at 10:00-11:00 p.m. live Et/tape-delayed Pt, exclusively on HBO, with an instant replay at 11:00 p.m. following the live presentation. Allowing Maher to offer his unique perspective on contemporary issues, the show includes an opening monologue, roundtable discussions with panelists, and interviews with in-studio and satellite guests. The roundtable guests this week are columnist John Avlon, former Cal. Rep. Jane Harman and documentary filmmaker Michael Moore; musician Tom Morello and journalist Ron Suskind are interview guests. A favorite of subscribers since his first special on the network...
- 9/22/2011
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
Everett Ernie Pyle
The National Society of Newspaper Columnists has weighed in on the question of what it considers the finest example of its craft. And the short answer? No, Virginia.
In an online poll, the society’s members voted Ernie Pyle’s “The Death of Captain Warskow ” the best column ever published in an American newspaper, placing the 1944 story ahead of Francis Pharcellus Church’s classic 1897 editorial-page proclamation, “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus.” The announcement about the...
The National Society of Newspaper Columnists has weighed in on the question of what it considers the finest example of its craft. And the short answer? No, Virginia.
In an online poll, the society’s members voted Ernie Pyle’s “The Death of Captain Warskow ” the best column ever published in an American newspaper, placing the 1944 story ahead of Francis Pharcellus Church’s classic 1897 editorial-page proclamation, “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus.” The announcement about the...
- 6/25/2011
- by Charles Passy
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Who won Monday night's Gop debate? Michele Bachmann was the breakout star, Mitt Romney the most polished-and Herman Cain got lapped. Daily Beast contributors Howard Kurtz, Mark McKinnon, Michelle Goldberg, Michael Tomasky, John Avlon, and more weigh in. Plus, watch eight video highlights from the debate.
At Last, Some Gop ContendersBy Matt Latimer
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Gop's Bin Laden Jitters
For the first time this troubled season, the Republican candidates looked like plausible White House contenders. Matt Latimer grades the New Hampshire debate, from Bachmann's entry to Newt's return to the Paul Ryan debacle and Santorum's Leno gaffe.
This evening commenced with a warning from CNN moderator John King. Tonight's forum, he vowed, "would be different than any presidential debate you've ever seen." Uh-oh. I hate it when journalists say things like that-it always means there will be lame gimmicks, such as having random voters we...
At Last, Some Gop ContendersBy Matt Latimer
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Gop's Bin Laden Jitters
For the first time this troubled season, the Republican candidates looked like plausible White House contenders. Matt Latimer grades the New Hampshire debate, from Bachmann's entry to Newt's return to the Paul Ryan debacle and Santorum's Leno gaffe.
This evening commenced with a warning from CNN moderator John King. Tonight's forum, he vowed, "would be different than any presidential debate you've ever seen." Uh-oh. I hate it when journalists say things like that-it always means there will be lame gimmicks, such as having random voters we...
- 6/14/2011
- by The Daily Beast
- The Daily Beast
New York parents are slamming the civil-rights giant for its role in a turf battle that could put 7,000 eager students out of classrooms. John Avlon on why the group is on the wrong side of history this time.
It was an inspiring sight: a protest rally 3,000 strong in the heart of Harlem. Students, parents, and teachers wielding signs and slogans, all standing up for their right to pursue a quality public-school education.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Obama's War on Schools
But the target of their anger was unexpected: the NAACP.
In a role reversal, the esteemed civil-rights organization-which helped secure equal access to education a half-century ago in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education-is now decidedly on the wrong side of history.
This past Friday, the New York chapter of the NAACP filed a lawsuit with the United Federation of Teachers to stop the expansion of 19 charter...
It was an inspiring sight: a protest rally 3,000 strong in the heart of Harlem. Students, parents, and teachers wielding signs and slogans, all standing up for their right to pursue a quality public-school education.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Obama's War on Schools
But the target of their anger was unexpected: the NAACP.
In a role reversal, the esteemed civil-rights organization-which helped secure equal access to education a half-century ago in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education-is now decidedly on the wrong side of history.
This past Friday, the New York chapter of the NAACP filed a lawsuit with the United Federation of Teachers to stop the expansion of 19 charter...
- 5/27/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
The 2012 candidate brags about economic discipline, but he loaded Minnesota with debt, says his Gop predecessor, and presided over a massive tax increase. John Avlon on T-Paw's dishonest talking points.
Tim Pawlenty unveiled his presidential campaign Monday with a message centered on fiscal discipline and being the self-styled truth-teller in the 2012 race.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Why Obama's Still Untouchable in 2012
It was only a matter of hours before his state's previous Republican governor, Arne Carlson, unveiled a barrage of fiscal data arguing that Pawlenty wasn't telling the truth about his fiscal conservative credentials. Instead, Carlson alleged that Pawlenty had presided over a $2.5 billion increase in property taxes, used one-time payments to balance the budget, and handed his successor an unprecedented $5 billion deficit.
Perhaps most infuriating to Carlson was that Pawlenty had essentially undone his efforts to return Minnesota to a triple-a bond rating in the 1990s, presiding...
Tim Pawlenty unveiled his presidential campaign Monday with a message centered on fiscal discipline and being the self-styled truth-teller in the 2012 race.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Why Obama's Still Untouchable in 2012
It was only a matter of hours before his state's previous Republican governor, Arne Carlson, unveiled a barrage of fiscal data arguing that Pawlenty wasn't telling the truth about his fiscal conservative credentials. Instead, Carlson alleged that Pawlenty had presided over a $2.5 billion increase in property taxes, used one-time payments to balance the budget, and handed his successor an unprecedented $5 billion deficit.
Perhaps most infuriating to Carlson was that Pawlenty had essentially undone his efforts to return Minnesota to a triple-a bond rating in the 1990s, presiding...
- 5/25/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
Succumbing to a bit of End Times enthusiasm? Our doomsday fever is utterly predictable, given the economic downturn and aging boomers-and on Sunday morning, Harold Camping will be revealed as just another con man leading the fearful. Plus, your guide to the end of the world and Bryan Curtis on the man who spent his savings to tell New York about the Rapture.
Doomsday cults have a lousy track record. You'd think that alone would make it more difficult to dupe new recruits.
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Gop's Bin Laden Jitters
But devotees of the Family Radio network have been taking to the streets and subways of New York, handing out fliers talking about the "awesome news" that the end of the world is coming. Billboards making similar predictions about the Rapture have been lining American highways for months. D-day, for the uninitiated, is scheduled for Saturday,...
Doomsday cults have a lousy track record. You'd think that alone would make it more difficult to dupe new recruits.
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Gop's Bin Laden Jitters
But devotees of the Family Radio network have been taking to the streets and subways of New York, handing out fliers talking about the "awesome news" that the end of the world is coming. Billboards making similar predictions about the Rapture have been lining American highways for months. D-day, for the uninitiated, is scheduled for Saturday,...
- 5/21/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
A small but devout group of people believes May 21 (yes, Saturday) will be the beginning of the end of the world. Confused? Fear not, David A. Graham answers your pressing questions.
Plus, John Avlon on the doomsday unhinged, Bryan Curtis on the man who spent his savings to tell New York about the Rapture, and Left Behind author Tim Lahaye on the Rapture.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Five Signs the Dems are Doomed
So the world is ending on Saturday?
Well, not quite. Believers say that what's actually going to happen is the Judgment Day, when the chosen who will be saved are taken away. For everyone else, it's really just the beginning of a new phase. It'll be followed by a time of tumult. You may also hear Saturday referred to as Doomsday or the Rapture; not to worry, it's all the same thing.
Photos: Rapture Across...
Plus, John Avlon on the doomsday unhinged, Bryan Curtis on the man who spent his savings to tell New York about the Rapture, and Left Behind author Tim Lahaye on the Rapture.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Five Signs the Dems are Doomed
So the world is ending on Saturday?
Well, not quite. Believers say that what's actually going to happen is the Judgment Day, when the chosen who will be saved are taken away. For everyone else, it's really just the beginning of a new phase. It'll be followed by a time of tumult. You may also hear Saturday referred to as Doomsday or the Rapture; not to worry, it's all the same thing.
Photos: Rapture Across...
- 5/20/2011
- by David A. Graham
- The Daily Beast
Less than a year after a cadre of Republican firebrands swept into statehouses from Ohio to Florida to Wisconsin, voters are turning on them. John Avlon on what this means for 2012.
The cycle of over-reach and backlash is in over-drive these days-with significant implications for the 2012 presidential election. In pivotal swing-states where voters narrowly elected Republican governors in 2010-like Florida and Ohio (with 47 electoral votes between them)-evidence of buyer's remorse is piling up fast.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Trump to McCain: 'You're Hired!'
The latest sign: on Tuesday, Alvin Brown became the first Democrat elected mayor of Jacksonville-Florida's largest city-in 20 years.
Just seven months ago, Republicans swept the Sunshine State with Tea Party-backed candidate Rick Scott winning the governor's office with a 1.2 percent margin of victory.
But instead of consolidating support by reaching out and winning over the reasonable edge of the opposition, as popular past...
The cycle of over-reach and backlash is in over-drive these days-with significant implications for the 2012 presidential election. In pivotal swing-states where voters narrowly elected Republican governors in 2010-like Florida and Ohio (with 47 electoral votes between them)-evidence of buyer's remorse is piling up fast.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Trump to McCain: 'You're Hired!'
The latest sign: on Tuesday, Alvin Brown became the first Democrat elected mayor of Jacksonville-Florida's largest city-in 20 years.
Just seven months ago, Republicans swept the Sunshine State with Tea Party-backed candidate Rick Scott winning the governor's office with a 1.2 percent margin of victory.
But instead of consolidating support by reaching out and winning over the reasonable edge of the opposition, as popular past...
- 5/20/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
Though some believe judgment day is coming May 21, Tim Lahaye, the prominent evangelical Christian minister and co-author of apocalyptic fiction bestseller Left Behind, begs to differ. He talks with Marlow Stern about the Rapture, Barack Obama's socialist agenda, converting gays with Jesus, and why the "end times" are upon us.
Plus, your guide to the end of the world, John Avlon on the doomsday unhinged, and Bryan Curtis on the man who spent his savings to tell New York about the Rapture.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Gun-Running Sting Blows Up: House Hearings on Atf's Fast and Furious
On May 21, 2011, judgment day will be upon us. Five months later, the world will come to an end. The coded "proofs" are everywhere: Floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, and pestilence. Plus, it's exactly 7,000 years from the time of Noah's flood to the date of the Rapture. At least, this is the theory of Harold Camping,...
Plus, your guide to the end of the world, John Avlon on the doomsday unhinged, and Bryan Curtis on the man who spent his savings to tell New York about the Rapture.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Gun-Running Sting Blows Up: House Hearings on Atf's Fast and Furious
On May 21, 2011, judgment day will be upon us. Five months later, the world will come to an end. The coded "proofs" are everywhere: Floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, and pestilence. Plus, it's exactly 7,000 years from the time of Noah's flood to the date of the Rapture. At least, this is the theory of Harold Camping,...
- 5/20/2011
- by Marlow Stern
- The Daily Beast
The man who spent his life savings to tell New York the end was near. Plus, your guide to the end of the world, John Avlon on the doomsday unhinged, and Left Behind author Tim Lahaye on the Rapture.
Twelve days before Judgment Day, Robert Fitzpatrick saw a sign. And thank goodness, because he'd paid top dollar for it. Fitzpatrick, a 60-year-old retired engineer, boarded the Staten Island Ferry on the afternoon of May 9. When he reached Manhattan, he walked to a subway station and picked up the Metro, a free newspaper. There it was on page four-one of the spooky, apocalyptic ads Fitzgerald has placed all over town. "Global Earthquake: The Greatest Ever!" the ad read. Below that, in large letters: "Judgment Day: May 21, 2011."
Related story on The Daily Beast: A Reality Check for the Doomsday Unhinged
In the last month, Fitzpatrick has done for the Rapture what Dr.
Twelve days before Judgment Day, Robert Fitzpatrick saw a sign. And thank goodness, because he'd paid top dollar for it. Fitzpatrick, a 60-year-old retired engineer, boarded the Staten Island Ferry on the afternoon of May 9. When he reached Manhattan, he walked to a subway station and picked up the Metro, a free newspaper. There it was on page four-one of the spooky, apocalyptic ads Fitzgerald has placed all over town. "Global Earthquake: The Greatest Ever!" the ad read. Below that, in large letters: "Judgment Day: May 21, 2011."
Related story on The Daily Beast: A Reality Check for the Doomsday Unhinged
In the last month, Fitzpatrick has done for the Rapture what Dr.
- 5/19/2011
- by Bryan Curtis
- The Daily Beast
Ratings for Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and other hyperpartisans are declining as listeners seek honest talk from hosts like Michael Smerconish over angry rants. A more civil conversation will add value to our political debate, writes John Avlon.
There's new evidence to suggest a demand for something different than hyper-partisanship in the world of talk radio and political media.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Rush Limbaugh's TV Nemesis
It's not just the sunset of the Glenn Beck Show on Fox or the dispatch of Keith Olbermann from MSNBC to CurrentTV. It's the shuttering of a pioneering conservative radio station and data showing the demographic decline of Rush Limbaugh.
In contrast, growing numbers of listeners are tuning in to independent voices who can be honest brokers in debates and don't just angrily parrot talking points.
In February, I wrote a column asking whether right wing talk radio was dying...
There's new evidence to suggest a demand for something different than hyper-partisanship in the world of talk radio and political media.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Rush Limbaugh's TV Nemesis
It's not just the sunset of the Glenn Beck Show on Fox or the dispatch of Keith Olbermann from MSNBC to CurrentTV. It's the shuttering of a pioneering conservative radio station and data showing the demographic decline of Rush Limbaugh.
In contrast, growing numbers of listeners are tuning in to independent voices who can be honest brokers in debates and don't just angrily parrot talking points.
In February, I wrote a column asking whether right wing talk radio was dying...
- 5/13/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
Those at the front lines of bin Laden's attacks-the first responders whose ranks suffered so dramatically-tell John Avlon that more than joy or euphoria, his killing provides contentment.
Plus, full coverage of bin Laden's death.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Florida's Quran-Burning Pastor
"Celebration at Ground Zero" -there's a phrase I never thought I'd hear. But that's what happened in the hours after the death of Osama bin Laden was announced by President Obama late Sunday night. The memorial site, still under construction, was surrounded by spontaneous celebrations along Church and Liberty Streets in lower Manhattan.
Photos: Ground Zero Reactions
Those streets have witnessed American history from George Washington's inaugural procession to the destruction of the World Trade Center. This is the beginning of a new chapter and it is fitting and proper that our focus return to the hallowed ground where the war began 10 years ago.
The War...
Plus, full coverage of bin Laden's death.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Florida's Quran-Burning Pastor
"Celebration at Ground Zero" -there's a phrase I never thought I'd hear. But that's what happened in the hours after the death of Osama bin Laden was announced by President Obama late Sunday night. The memorial site, still under construction, was surrounded by spontaneous celebrations along Church and Liberty Streets in lower Manhattan.
Photos: Ground Zero Reactions
Those streets have witnessed American history from George Washington's inaugural procession to the destruction of the World Trade Center. This is the beginning of a new chapter and it is fitting and proper that our focus return to the hallowed ground where the war began 10 years ago.
The War...
- 5/2/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
Obama has released his birth certificate as birthers long demanded, but instead of standing down, right wing extremists, Donald Trump, and even mainstream Republicans are attacking the president and dredging up new conspiracy theories. It's all too predictable-and shameful, writes John Avlon.
Conspiracy entrepreneurs are, by definition, shameless.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Democrats' Negotiator in Chief
Nonetheless, it was impressive to see so many professional polarizers be forced to face facts-namely that the president was indeed born in the United States-and still find a way to weasel out of accountability.
There was no "sorry" or "my bad" or "apologies for dragging your name and our nation through the mud by encouraging unhinged birther conspiracy theories."
Instead, Donald Trump declared "I'm very proud of myself, because I've accomplished something that no one else has been able to accomplish"-and, just in case anybody missed the self-congratulation, " I really did a great job.
Conspiracy entrepreneurs are, by definition, shameless.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Democrats' Negotiator in Chief
Nonetheless, it was impressive to see so many professional polarizers be forced to face facts-namely that the president was indeed born in the United States-and still find a way to weasel out of accountability.
There was no "sorry" or "my bad" or "apologies for dragging your name and our nation through the mud by encouraging unhinged birther conspiracy theories."
Instead, Donald Trump declared "I'm very proud of myself, because I've accomplished something that no one else has been able to accomplish"-and, just in case anybody missed the self-congratulation, " I really did a great job.
- 4/28/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
As cult favorite Ron Paul announces his presidential ambitions today, conservatives are ignoring another libertarian who can actually win. John Avlon on the right's secret weapon.
It looks like Ron Paul is running for president again-and libertarians everywhere have reason to cheer.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Trump to McCain: 'You're Hired!'
After the big government conservatism of the George W. Bush era, their ideas seem finally ascendant-and now they have two standard-bearers competing for the Republican nomination in 2012. While the Paul family-recently dubbed "the libertarian Kennedys" by Politico-suck up the media oxygen, there is a comparatively little known but more electorally accomplished libertarian running for president-former two-term New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson.
It's a political high-water mark for a movement that is simultaneously watching the new film version of its ubertext, Atlas Shrugged, tank at the box office. After all, Tea Party rallies were infused with crowd-pleasing libertarian rhetoric.
It looks like Ron Paul is running for president again-and libertarians everywhere have reason to cheer.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Trump to McCain: 'You're Hired!'
After the big government conservatism of the George W. Bush era, their ideas seem finally ascendant-and now they have two standard-bearers competing for the Republican nomination in 2012. While the Paul family-recently dubbed "the libertarian Kennedys" by Politico-suck up the media oxygen, there is a comparatively little known but more electorally accomplished libertarian running for president-former two-term New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson.
It's a political high-water mark for a movement that is simultaneously watching the new film version of its ubertext, Atlas Shrugged, tank at the box office. After all, Tea Party rallies were infused with crowd-pleasing libertarian rhetoric.
- 4/26/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
Despite not campaigning or building a team, the former Arkansas governor's got the most intense support in all the Gop 2012 field. Now he's stirring from his long winter's nap-but his cushy gigs may prove too tough to give up, says John Avlon.
Can a man leading most Gop presidential polls turn a 2012 run down in favor of a weekend TV show, a mortgage, and motivational speeches?
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Gop's Bin Laden Jitters
That's the question confronting Mike Huckabee, the one-time minister turned three-term Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential candidate turned Fox News host.
While other prospective candidates have been hard at work building their campaign machine, Huckabee has been biding his time, a reluctant candidate who keeps surging in the polls.
Despite his easygoing-some might say indifferent-approach to the campaign ahead, Gallup polls show that Huckabee enjoys the most intense support in all the Gop field.
Can a man leading most Gop presidential polls turn a 2012 run down in favor of a weekend TV show, a mortgage, and motivational speeches?
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Gop's Bin Laden Jitters
That's the question confronting Mike Huckabee, the one-time minister turned three-term Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential candidate turned Fox News host.
While other prospective candidates have been hard at work building their campaign machine, Huckabee has been biding his time, a reluctant candidate who keeps surging in the polls.
Despite his easygoing-some might say indifferent-approach to the campaign ahead, Gallup polls show that Huckabee enjoys the most intense support in all the Gop field.
- 4/21/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
Obama and Republicans agree: The tax code is broken. Let's start fixing it with a new top rate that applies to actual millionaires instead of middle-class working families.
Tax Day is nobody's idea of a good time. But get ready for a year of heated tax debates ahead.
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Gop's Bin Laden Jitters
In his deficit speech last week, President Obama made clear that he intends to continue his fight to raise the top rate back up to 39.6 percent for any family making over $250,000 a year-arguing this would, in effect, be a millionaires tax. "I don't need another tax cut," the president said. "Warren Buffett doesn't need another tax cut."
Obama was right to start a discussion about the growing wealth disparity in America. The New York Times reported last week that the average CEO salary is now $9.6 million. As a point of contrast,...
Tax Day is nobody's idea of a good time. But get ready for a year of heated tax debates ahead.
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Gop's Bin Laden Jitters
In his deficit speech last week, President Obama made clear that he intends to continue his fight to raise the top rate back up to 39.6 percent for any family making over $250,000 a year-arguing this would, in effect, be a millionaires tax. "I don't need another tax cut," the president said. "Warren Buffett doesn't need another tax cut."
Obama was right to start a discussion about the growing wealth disparity in America. The New York Times reported last week that the average CEO salary is now $9.6 million. As a point of contrast,...
- 4/18/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
In an address that offered a vigorous defense of liberal values and traditional entitlement programs, President Obama laid out his vision for a plan that would cut $4 trillion from the deficit over the next 12 years. Howard Kurtz, Eleanor Clift, John Avlon, Grover Norquist and more Daily Beast contributors weigh in.
How China Could Help Obama Win the Budget BattleBy Peter Beinart
Related story on The Daily Beast: Should We Hit Gaddafi Next?
The most innovative part of Obama's speech was how he used China. Americans know that China is doing well, in some ways better than us. They're afraid, and a little envious and Obama played into that: "Go to China and you'll see businesses opening research labs and solar facilities." He went on to talk about the new investments being made by governments like South Korea and Brazil. The message was clear: These countries that are sneaking up on...
How China Could Help Obama Win the Budget BattleBy Peter Beinart
Related story on The Daily Beast: Should We Hit Gaddafi Next?
The most innovative part of Obama's speech was how he used China. Americans know that China is doing well, in some ways better than us. They're afraid, and a little envious and Obama played into that: "Go to China and you'll see businesses opening research labs and solar facilities." He went on to talk about the new investments being made by governments like South Korea and Brazil. The message was clear: These countries that are sneaking up on...
- 4/13/2011
- by The Daily Beast
- The Daily Beast
Donald Trump has left his views behind to stir up conspiratorial craziness among Republican primary voters. John Avlon on why he should have run as a CEO instead of a tabloid joke.
There is a place for a CEO presidential candidate in 2012. So far, Donald Trump isn't filling it.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Trump to McCain: 'You're Hired!'
Instead of focusing on his executive abilities and job-creating experience, The Donald has been busy going the full Birther.
It's hard to tell whether he's freelancing or just very badly advised, but one thing is clear-Donald Trump is trying to apply New York City tabloid rules to a prospective national presidential campaign. This ain't going to end well.
Relentless self-promotion and shock-jock soundbites might get you headlines, but it won't get you taken seriously. That helps when you want to be trusted with your finger on the button.
There is a place for a CEO presidential candidate in 2012. So far, Donald Trump isn't filling it.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Trump to McCain: 'You're Hired!'
Instead of focusing on his executive abilities and job-creating experience, The Donald has been busy going the full Birther.
It's hard to tell whether he's freelancing or just very badly advised, but one thing is clear-Donald Trump is trying to apply New York City tabloid rules to a prospective national presidential campaign. This ain't going to end well.
Relentless self-promotion and shock-jock soundbites might get you headlines, but it won't get you taken seriously. That helps when you want to be trusted with your finger on the button.
- 3/30/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
As Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty flirt with 2012 presidential runs, their home state's Gop is increasingly radicalized. John Avlon on how the swing state became wingnut territory.
Minnesota is a swing state, and its pendulum has swung heavily-from the liberal era of Humphrey and Mondale, past center-right figures like Norm Coleman, and right on to Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann, now both exploring runs for the Gop presidential nomination in 2012.
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Israel-Palestine Vote Igniting the Mideast
"An embarrassment of riches for Minnesota," is how Republican State Party Chairman Tony Sutton describes this prospect.
But plain embarrassment is likely to become the dominant emotion when the rightward gallop of the Minnesota Gop starts to come under national scrutiny.
The Minnesota Republican Party has undergone a "Bachmannization" in recent years, lurching to the right on social issues, with the prerequisite purging of centrists and elevation of ideological absolutists.
Minnesota is a swing state, and its pendulum has swung heavily-from the liberal era of Humphrey and Mondale, past center-right figures like Norm Coleman, and right on to Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann, now both exploring runs for the Gop presidential nomination in 2012.
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Israel-Palestine Vote Igniting the Mideast
"An embarrassment of riches for Minnesota," is how Republican State Party Chairman Tony Sutton describes this prospect.
But plain embarrassment is likely to become the dominant emotion when the rightward gallop of the Minnesota Gop starts to come under national scrutiny.
The Minnesota Republican Party has undergone a "Bachmannization" in recent years, lurching to the right on social issues, with the prerequisite purging of centrists and elevation of ideological absolutists.
- 3/26/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
Sarah Palin has gone from the most divisive figure in politics to the most polarizing within the Gop. John Avlon on the polls that show her path to the nomination keeps getting steeper.
Call off the coronation-the media's caught on to the slow motion implosion of Sarah Palin's popularity, and with it her prospective presidential campaign.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Palin Kills It in Gun Country
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll found that Palin's approval ratings among Republicans had declined by double digits since October, while her "strongly unfavorable" rating reached 17 percent among the Gop and 28 percent among Republican-leaning independents. This shift in the conservative populist tide provoked a series of memorable (and frankly enviable) headlines like "The Incredible Shrinking Sarah Palin" from Politico and other outlets.
But the real story is the continued erosion of support for Sarah Palin. By the end of her...
Call off the coronation-the media's caught on to the slow motion implosion of Sarah Palin's popularity, and with it her prospective presidential campaign.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Palin Kills It in Gun Country
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll found that Palin's approval ratings among Republicans had declined by double digits since October, while her "strongly unfavorable" rating reached 17 percent among the Gop and 28 percent among Republican-leaning independents. This shift in the conservative populist tide provoked a series of memorable (and frankly enviable) headlines like "The Incredible Shrinking Sarah Palin" from Politico and other outlets.
But the real story is the continued erosion of support for Sarah Palin. By the end of her...
- 3/17/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
A satellite in the contested Abyei region caught images of a village being burned down last week. John Avlon on how the new technology will force the world to pay attention, even though they may not care.
Three villages have been burned to the ground in the last two weeks.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Clooney's Call to Action
More than a hundred individuals have been murdered.
And 20,000 people are now refugees.
All in the oil-rich region of Abyei, along the still-contested border between North and South Sudan. Evidence of this violence has been released on SatSentinel, a privately funded, publically accessible satellite envisioned by George Clooney and executed through the Enough Project, DigitalGlobe, and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.
"Our images show that these villages were intentionally burned," John Prendergast of the Enough Project said. "There wasn't a lot of burned vegetative cover between huts. They went from house to house.
Three villages have been burned to the ground in the last two weeks.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Clooney's Call to Action
More than a hundred individuals have been murdered.
And 20,000 people are now refugees.
All in the oil-rich region of Abyei, along the still-contested border between North and South Sudan. Evidence of this violence has been released on SatSentinel, a privately funded, publically accessible satellite envisioned by George Clooney and executed through the Enough Project, DigitalGlobe, and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.
"Our images show that these villages were intentionally burned," John Prendergast of the Enough Project said. "There wasn't a lot of burned vegetative cover between huts. They went from house to house.
- 3/12/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
Update: Wisconsin Senate Republicans voted to strip state workers of their collective bargaining rights on Wednesday. The Democratic senators' presence was not required after the Gop separated the measure from a spending package so that it no longer required a quorum. The final vote was 18-1, with Republican Dale Schultz casting the only vote against the bill. The move could come back to bite Republicans: Polling showed citizens of Wisconsin, by a two-to-one majority, were expecting a compromise.
Last week, John Avlon reported on how Walker's "nuclear option."
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Left's New Powerhouse
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has an un-played ace up his sleeve in the budget fights that have made Madison the focus of a national struggle between fiscal conservatives and public sector unions.
A little-noticed provision in the Wisconsin State Constitution-Article 8, Section 8-allows non-fiscal bills to be passed by a simple majority of state legislators,...
Last week, John Avlon reported on how Walker's "nuclear option."
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Left's New Powerhouse
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has an un-played ace up his sleeve in the budget fights that have made Madison the focus of a national struggle between fiscal conservatives and public sector unions.
A little-noticed provision in the Wisconsin State Constitution-Article 8, Section 8-allows non-fiscal bills to be passed by a simple majority of state legislators,...
- 3/2/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
On Thursday, the Wisconsin House agreed to vote on the union bill, though senators remain missing. But liberals' rage at "dictator" Gov. Scott Walker's fight is spreading to other states, including Indiana. John Avlon on how the battle is obscuring the real issue-public-sector unions' impact on the budget crisis. Plus, see The Daily Beast's rundown on the next 15 states going to war with the unions.
The Wisconsin protests are proving that the era of unhinged politics is not over. If anything, the hyperpartisan hysteria seems to be catching, with Democratic lawmakers in Indiana running for the hills while a new round of union protests swamps the statehouse in Ohio.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Why Obama Won't Touch Gun Control
Gallery: States About to Go Boom
It's an unwelcome recurrence of politics being treated as apocalypse. Neither side is innocent, but on matters of both style and substance,...
The Wisconsin protests are proving that the era of unhinged politics is not over. If anything, the hyperpartisan hysteria seems to be catching, with Democratic lawmakers in Indiana running for the hills while a new round of union protests swamps the statehouse in Ohio.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Why Obama Won't Touch Gun Control
Gallery: States About to Go Boom
It's an unwelcome recurrence of politics being treated as apocalypse. Neither side is innocent, but on matters of both style and substance,...
- 2/24/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh are losing fans in a key market. John Avlon on why listeners and station managers are sick of anti-Obama tirades-and who bucks the trend.
Here's another sign that the tide might be turning against the Wingnuts-Glenn Beck's TV ratings are down 50 percent and major market radio stations are dropping him.
Related story on The Daily Beast: This Week's Must-Read Journalism
That's not all-a look at radio ratings shows that hyper-partisan talk has been declining or flat-lining between ‘09 and ‘10, despite the intensity of the election year. There's a demand for something different-smart, un-predictable, non-partisan news is gaining market share because it stands out from the pack. And leading industry analysts say there is a market for more independent voices.
"There are a lot of program directors whose radio ‘spider-sense' is tingling," says Randall Bloomquist, a long-time radio executive and president of Talk Frontier Media.
Here's another sign that the tide might be turning against the Wingnuts-Glenn Beck's TV ratings are down 50 percent and major market radio stations are dropping him.
Related story on The Daily Beast: This Week's Must-Read Journalism
That's not all-a look at radio ratings shows that hyper-partisan talk has been declining or flat-lining between ‘09 and ‘10, despite the intensity of the election year. There's a demand for something different-smart, un-predictable, non-partisan news is gaining market share because it stands out from the pack. And leading industry analysts say there is a market for more independent voices.
"There are a lot of program directors whose radio ‘spider-sense' is tingling," says Randall Bloomquist, a long-time radio executive and president of Talk Frontier Media.
- 2/9/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
Before telling Fox News that Obama's State of the Union contained a "Wtf" moment (watch below), her SarahPAC reported a wave of small donations after the November election. Shushannah Walshe on the Fec disclosure-and why Michele Bachmann never cashed Palin's check.
During the normally sleepy post-election period, SarahPAC, Sarah Palin's political action committee, raised more than $275,000 from Nov. 23 to Dec. 31, 2010, according to its latest Federal Election Commission report released Wednesday. That brings her total to $3.5 million for the year.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Palin Kills It in Gun Country
She has $1.3 million available cash on hand, and almost all of the money came from individual donors, in amounts less than $200, highlighting her populist appeal even during a non-election cycle. Only eight of the more than 600 donations were for $1,000 or more. In the same period, the Pac spent nearly $230,000. In comparison, potential 2012 rival Mitt Romney hauled in $5.1 million last year.
During the normally sleepy post-election period, SarahPAC, Sarah Palin's political action committee, raised more than $275,000 from Nov. 23 to Dec. 31, 2010, according to its latest Federal Election Commission report released Wednesday. That brings her total to $3.5 million for the year.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Palin Kills It in Gun Country
She has $1.3 million available cash on hand, and almost all of the money came from individual donors, in amounts less than $200, highlighting her populist appeal even during a non-election cycle. Only eight of the more than 600 donations were for $1,000 or more. In the same period, the Pac spent nearly $230,000. In comparison, potential 2012 rival Mitt Romney hauled in $5.1 million last year.
- 1/27/2011
- by Shushannah Walshe
- The Daily Beast
Obama reached for the center, as Congress' "prom night" seating chart led to a civil, if subdued, reception. Will it help the Dems? Did Paul Ryan break through? Tunku Varadarajan, Peter Beinart, Eleanor Clift, Meghan McCain, and other Daily Beast contributors weigh in. Plus, watch video of the speech and read full transcript.
A Triumphantly Unmemorable AddressBy Tunku Varadarajan
Related story on The Daily Beast: Nice Rhetoric, but Need Real Results
Obama's speech shows he is a man newly aware of his limitations. Tunku Varadarajan on why that's a good thing.
More >>
Obama Tries Out Bill Clinton's MessageBy Peter Beinart
Facing a Republican majority, the president had to drop his campaign-era themes for this State of the Union and pick up Clinton's-talking about "winning the future" to underscore his energy and youth. And it worked.
More >>
A Grownup Speech to Please Folks at Home, Not PunditsBy Howard Kurtz
President Obama...
A Triumphantly Unmemorable AddressBy Tunku Varadarajan
Related story on The Daily Beast: Nice Rhetoric, but Need Real Results
Obama's speech shows he is a man newly aware of his limitations. Tunku Varadarajan on why that's a good thing.
More >>
Obama Tries Out Bill Clinton's MessageBy Peter Beinart
Facing a Republican majority, the president had to drop his campaign-era themes for this State of the Union and pick up Clinton's-talking about "winning the future" to underscore his energy and youth. And it worked.
More >>
A Grownup Speech to Please Folks at Home, Not PunditsBy Howard Kurtz
President Obama...
- 1/26/2011
- by The Daily Beast
- The Daily Beast
In early excerpts of his State of the Union released to the press, President Obama calls for a ban on earmarks and proposes a five-year freeze on federal discretionary spending-with an exception for security. "This freeze will require painful cuts," he warns.
Tonight, the clichés come as thick and fast as the policy proposals, and the press tends to forget about the substance overnight. Howard Kurtz on how to navigate tonight's coverage. Plus, chat live with The Daily Beast's Howard Kurtz during the State of the Union address.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Will Carney's Voice Carry?
It is, by all accounts, a turning point.
No, it's more than a turning point. It's a defining moment.
And as such, the stakes could not be higher.
After all, if things don't go well, it could be a missed opportunity.
All of the machinery is rolling into place to cast...
Tonight, the clichés come as thick and fast as the policy proposals, and the press tends to forget about the substance overnight. Howard Kurtz on how to navigate tonight's coverage. Plus, chat live with The Daily Beast's Howard Kurtz during the State of the Union address.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Will Carney's Voice Carry?
It is, by all accounts, a turning point.
No, it's more than a turning point. It's a defining moment.
And as such, the stakes could not be higher.
After all, if things don't go well, it could be a missed opportunity.
All of the machinery is rolling into place to cast...
- 1/25/2011
- by Howard Kurtz
- The Daily Beast
Gun control advocates are demanding a crackdown, but sellers say the system works. Eve Conant and Molly Kelly-Yahner visit an Az gun store to find out how easy it is to get armed.
As funerals of the victims of the Tucson massacre were underway nearby, it was business as usual at a Tucson gun shop, its walls covered with hunting trophies and "long guns," its glass cases packed with handguns; Glocks, Smith & Wessons, and Springfield Armory brands the most popular. Customers milled about and were greeted by friendly clerks, mostly avid hunters and firearms connoisseurs. Pundits and lawmakers may be talking about a gun culture gone mad. But in this store, the sellers see themselves as nothing more than guys trying to run a responsible and legal business in a tough economy-one based firmly on our constitutional rights. Passions are running hot. To those who desperately want to see stricter gun control,...
As funerals of the victims of the Tucson massacre were underway nearby, it was business as usual at a Tucson gun shop, its walls covered with hunting trophies and "long guns," its glass cases packed with handguns; Glocks, Smith & Wessons, and Springfield Armory brands the most popular. Customers milled about and were greeted by friendly clerks, mostly avid hunters and firearms connoisseurs. Pundits and lawmakers may be talking about a gun culture gone mad. But in this store, the sellers see themselves as nothing more than guys trying to run a responsible and legal business in a tough economy-one based firmly on our constitutional rights. Passions are running hot. To those who desperately want to see stricter gun control,...
- 1/16/2011
- by Eve Conant & Molly Kelly-Yahner
- The Daily Beast
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