Who should decide on the future of stem cell research? It has been over a year since President Obama lifted the bans that his predecessor placed on federal funding for stem cell research. At the time, scientific researchers praised his decision; the consensus in the scientific community is that embryonic stem cells will play a … Read more
We’ve just posted lots of great online only content as part of our summer issue cycle. It includes: When Science Meets State, an article by John Prince about the future of stem cell research in the United States Is Godless Great?, an article by Sarah Harland-Logan about American secularism and part of our forthcoming Religion … Read more
A New Heyday for American Secularism On April 10, 2009, the Harvard Secular Society took over Harvard’s Memorial Church to present Joss Whedon, the TV producer and director, with the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism. Whedon began his acceptance speech by reminding his audience of “nonbelievers” that President Obama had given them “a … Read more
A British Social Anthropologist Assesses America Dr. Tristram Riley-Smith holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from Cambridge University. He works as a civil servant in London, and is the author of The Cracked Bell, which is reviewed in this issue of the HPR. HPR: Can you briefly explain the background of The Cracked Bell? What … Read more
Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola Babatunde Raji Fashola has been the Governor of Lagos State, Nigeria, since 2007. Previously he was Chief of Staff to his predecessor as Governor and a member of various state councils and boards. HPR: You’ve been described in many news outlets as a unique leader for Nigeria. What do … Read more
Changing the Way America Communicates with the World M.C. Andrews was Special Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Global Communications from 2003 to 2005. Prior to that, Andrews was the Director for Democracy on the National Security Council. She is currently a fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. HPR: … Read more
A Brit Tries to Explain America The Cracked Bell: America and the Afflictions of Liberty, by Tristram Riley-Smith, Skyhorse Publishing, 2010. $26.95, 337 pp. The British civil servant Tristram Riley-Smith selects a peculiar frame through which to explore American religion: Halloween. His ambitious project, an anthropological account of America’s “descent,” begins with a lengthy discussion … Read more
President of the AFL-CIO Richard Trumka HPR: Have recent divisions in the labor community hampered labor’s ability to wield influence in Washington? Richard Trumka: There’s two kinds of unity: there’s unity of name and unity of purpose. Unity of purpose is the most important thing. When it came to electing Barack Obama, we had unity … Read more
Former AFL-CIO and SEIU President John Sweeney John Sweeney was president of the AFL-CIO from 1995 to 2009, and is currently a fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. HPR: When you were president of SEIU Local 32B in New York in the ’70s, you led a strike against the New York Realty Advisory Board and … Read more
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