Portside

The New York Times and The Guardian (London) published major editorial statements on New Year's Day, reviewing the evidence that Edward Snowden's whistleblowing on NSA spying has largely been vindicated. They call for the creation of conditions that will allow Snowden to return home with dignity.

The outlook for Mayor de Blasio’s signature initiative just got a whole lot brighter.

We should anticipate more progress toward rational drug policies in 2014. Here are three key developments.

Media Moments That Didn't Smell Right

Machinists, firefighters, Teamsters and other union members crowded into Meeting Hall B of the IAM's Seattle offices Thursday afternoon, just 13 hours before voting was scheduled to begin. They waved signs urging "Vote No," "Stop the War on Workers" and "Don't Sell Your Soul!"

In a bleak year filled with bad news, people from Edward Snowden to Elizabeth Warren were brave enough to shake up the establishment. "Fighting the power," as people used to say, is no easy task. Victories are hard to come by and can quickly slide away because the power establishment of money, lobbying, lawyers, PR machines and out-and-out corruption are like Neil Young's rust: they never sleep.

Obamacare was conceived at the Heritage Foundation, and birthed in Massachusetts by Mitt Romney. Obama took Romneycare, a program designed to keep the private insurance industry intact, and improved some of its provisions. In deciding what course, the question for the new administration, which successfully ran a campaign with a large plank to make major changes to the health care delivery system, try to go around the existing insurance industry or through it?

The university presidents denouncing boycotts have largely been silent regarding Israel's abuses of Palestinian academics and Palestinian human rights in general. Those presidents may oppose our principled stance, they should at least have the decency to acknowledge those abuses. The recent passing of Nelson Mandela has reminded us of a time when people bravely stood up to apartheid by initiating boycotts and other proactive measures to isolate the South African regime.