opinion

Eric Holder to Herb Kohl: 'Yes, senator, Guantanamo will be closed'

An editorial

U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., asked the right question. President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for attorney general gave the right answer. In response to a specific inquiry from Kohl about reports that Obama intends to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Eric Holder offered a specific response: "Yes, senator, Guantanamo will be closed." read story

Harold Meyerson: Bill essential to force proper use of TARP funds

Harold Meyerson

As Barack Obama looks back to Franklin Roosevelt's first inaugural address -- the only other such address that came smack in the middle of an economic meltdown -- I hope he pays special heed to Roosevelt's words on America's bankers, who then as now had plunged the nation into an economic abyss. read story

Martin Neil Baily and Charles L. Schultze: Why banks aren't lending bailout cash

Martin Neil Baily and Charles L. Schultze

Last week, a five-member congressional oversight panel harshly criticized how the U.S. Treasury has so far spent the first $350 billion of the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The bulk of that money has been used to inject capital into a wide range of potentially viable but ailing banks, giving the government an ownership share in return for these funds. read story

Anna Husarska: Patriot Act blacklists too many legitimate refugees

Anna Husarska

For several years, many genuine refugees and asylum-seekers have been blacklisted by the USA Patriot Act's overly broad definition of a "terrorist organization," a domestic determination with global consequences. read story

Amy Goodman: Nothing to fear except no health care

Amy Goodman

Fifty million Americans are without health insurance, and 25 million are "underinsured." Millions being laid off will soon be added to those rolls. Medical bills cause more than half of personal bankruptcies in the U.S. Desperate for care, the under- and uninsured flock to emergency rooms, often dealing with problems that could have been prevented. read story

Henry I. Miller: Voluntary certification would improve safety of food supplements

Henry I. Miller

Many Americans are at risk from the combinations of prescription pills, over-the-counter drugs, dietary supplements and foods they consume. According to a recent academic study, more than half of adults aged 57 to 85 use five or more prescription or nonprescription drugs, and about 4 percent take them in combinations that could cause dangerous interactions. read story