Brookings Institution
Senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and senior writer at the National Journal; author of Gay Marriage and Denial: My 25 Years without a Soul (Kindle)
PROFILE
Jonathan Rauch
Guest
FROM Jonathan Rauch
To the Point
Can Gay Marriage Co-Exist with Religious Freedom? The US Supreme Court has made same-sex marriage the law of the land, but discrimination against gays and lesbians is still alive and well. That’s the next target of the movement for equal rights. But what about the right of religion?
Which Way, L.A.?
Is America Suddenly Turning Blue? Measures to legalize recreational marijuana passed Tuesday in two states. For the first time in any election, voters in Washington State, Maine and Maryland approved same-sex marriage. In Minnesota, a constitutional ban was turned down. We look at the pace of change in some of America's traditional cultural norms.
To the Point
Is America Suddenly Turning Blue? In Colorado and Washington states, it's not just medical marijuana any more. Recreational pot was legalized by the voters on Tuesday. In Washington State, Maine and Maryland on Tuesday, voters approved same-sex marriage -- the first time that's ever happened in any US election.
Which Way, L.A.?
Same-Sex Marriage, Gender and the Prop 8 Ruling Same-sex marriage has become a national issue since federal Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Proposition 8 , in which California voters banned a practice that had only been legal for a few months. One aspect of Walker's ruling that has been overlooked is the role played by the women's movement.
To the Point
Same-Sex Marriage, Tradition and the Status of Women If women are equal under the law, then a ban on same-sex marriage is legalized discrimination . That was part of last week's ruling against Proposition 8 in California. Federal Judge Vaughn Walker relied more on the women's movement than he did on gay rights. Are his arguments likely to fly in the US Supreme Court?
Which Way, L.A.?
Local Politics with National Impact Twelve months after the US chose Barack Obama as the first black president, there is widespread disillusionment with politics in general. In two states that helped him win the Electoral College, Republicans are all fired up and Democrats don't care the way they did when Obama was on the ballot.
To the Point
Local Politics with National Impact Twelve months after the US chose Barack Obama as the first black president, there is widespread disillusionment with politics in general. In two states that helped him win the Electoral College, Republicans are all fired up and Democrats don't care the way they did when Obama was on the ballot.
Which Way, L.A.?
Same-Sex Marriage: The Law, Religion and Politics Only four states have legalized same-sex marriage, and it's pending in just a handful of others. Forty states limit marriage to a man and a woman. But public opinion supports civil unions for gays and lesbians, and voters aged 18 to 45 are favorably inclined toward homosexual rights.
To the Point
Same-Sex Marriage: The Law, Religion and Politics Only four states have legalized same-sex marriage, and it's pending in just a handful of others. Forty states limit marriage to a man and a woman. But public opinion supports civil unions for gays and lesbians, and voters aged 18 to 45 are favorably inclined toward homosexual rights.
To the Point
Detainees and the 2008 Presidential Race For years to come, it's likely the US will be hunting and capturing jihadists all over the world. Some will be too dangerous to release, but impossible to try as ordinary criminals. President Bush and the current Congress are unlikely to workout a legal framework for dealing with them, which will leave that task to the next administration.
Recommended
The 805
One year later, the threat of more mudslides still exists One year ago, torrential rain pelted the hillside community of Montecito, which was scorched a month earlier by the Thomas Fire. It unleashed a flow of mud and boulders the size of cars and killed 23 people.
The Mixer
A California soaking, but will it stick? Some parts of Southern California got more than five inches of rain this week, in a series of storm systems that hit the area one after the other.