March 8, 2018 – Staff BUDAPEST BEACON: (Sister publication to NewsLanc.). “If you don’t have a free and pluralistic press that is conveying messages on different sides of issues and which is actively critical of the government and its policies, then democracy starts to be meaningless. If people are just fed a steady diet of […]
BUDAPEST BEACON: “We are no longer bastions of the rule of law,” says Hungarian judge
by Benjamin Novak Originally published March 1, 2018 by our sister publication Budapest Beacon Last week, the Budapest Beacon published the first of a series of articles dealing with Hungary’s judiciary as it is experienced from the inside. The purpose of this series to provide insight into how those working in the judiciary see the […]
What we are taught about resisting rumors and gossip
You shall not go around as a gossipmonger —Leviticus Evil gossip kills three: the one who says it, the one who listens, and the subject of the gossip —Talmud Twenty-five years ago I received a phone call from a member of the synagogue ley leadership shortly after I began to spend weekends in Manhattan and […]
BUDAPEST BEACON: Gábor Székely: They should not pretend there are independent judges here
By Benjamin Novak, originally published at the Budapest Beacon Feb. 19, 2018, reprinted here by permission. “They should not pretend there are independent judges here.” – Gábor Székely, former judge. A while ago, we interviewed current and former judges on the workings of Hungary’s judiciary. Former judge Gábor Székely was one of the people we […]
Winter does not deter a regional syringe exchange
Another example of the work of one of the Lancaster, Harrisburg, York and Reading syringe / harm reduction exchanges we fund and support. Their contacts with those most in need of health care and counseling not only deter the spread of HIV./ AIDS and other diseases but also is the point of initial contact so as to be […]
REF shares a letter describing the perspective of a certified genius
It is a long read but well worthwhile to encounter how the world appears when one is a genius. The correspondence commenced when I reached out to an acquaintance with whom I had not been in touch for two decades. The following were part of a pleasant exchange. The postscript came with permission to publish.. […]
Indigenous People of Russia
By Slava Tsukerman In the former Soviet Union, every citizen had an internal passport. Among the entries in this passport, under the number 5, was an entry called “nationality”, which meant, not the citizenship, but the ethnic identity, such as “Russian”, “Ukrainian”, “Georgian”, and “Jewish”. Using the Soviet slang, this information was commonly called “fifth […]
Moscow Restaurateur Fights Police Corruption
By Slava Tsukerman One of the top Moscow restaurateurs refused police demands for bribe. That looks like a seemingly minor event. But in the contemporary Russia it became one of the biggest sensations of January, 2018. Sergei Mironov is the owner of restaurant chain “Meat & Fish”and the head of the restaurant business consultant agency […]
LETTER: “Mikey, what’s the most important thing in the world?”
Dear friends, When I was really young my mom would ask me “Mikey, what’s the most important thing in the world?” The answer I gave and the one she was hoping for was ‘Love”. At that age I pronounced it Yuv. I’m sure it was cute. My mom, Pianist Frances Veri, and I will be […]
Philly looking to become first American city to create safe spaces for drug users to inject drug
Tom Beck SOUTH PHILADELPHIA REVIEW: Moving forward, the City will actively encourage organizations like community nonprofits or medical organizations to operate and fund one or more CUES. This past Wednesday, the city of Philadelphia announced plans to encourage organizations to develop Comprehensive User Engagement Sites, in which opiate addicts would be provided a safe space […]
Eight Things That Do (or Don’t) Happen When We Legalize Marijuana
by psmith, DRUG WAR CHRONICLE: The great social experiment that is marijuana legalization is now five years old, with six states already allowing legal marijuana sales, two more where legal sales will begin within months, and yet another that, along with the District of Columbia, has legalized personal possession and cultivation of the herb. […]
General Hospital shamefully negligent in preventing spread of disease especially during flu epidemic
By Robert Field The article “Is General Hospital lax in preventing spread of disease? ” appeared on June 4, 2017. Yesterday I once again visited Lancaster General Hospital for a blood test. The prior article started: “When visiting hospitals in Philadelphia and New York, we encountered hand sanitizing gel dispensers almost everywhere and make use […]
Tsukerman on Russian Streets
By Slava Tsukerman Right after my article about the poor condition of Russian roads, one of the most popular Russian bloggers, Ilia Varlamov, published an article suggesting that city streets in Russia are as dangerous as the roads. Varlamov opens his article with the latest Russian car accidents statistics: On January 17, 32 people were […]
Tsukerman on Russian Roads
By Slava Tsukerman All Russians know that quality of roads is a problem of their country. Among the most popular quotes of Russian classics there is this observation by Karamzin, the first Russian popular writer of 19th century: “There are two troubles In this country: fools and roads.” Napoleon wrote: “In Russia there are no […]