Foreign Policy
Washington punk rockers rally for Pussy Riot More than 40 local punk-rock and arts community activists braved the sweltering Washington heat on Friday afternoon to demonstrate outside the Russian embassy in support of Russian punk collective Pussy Riot, whose members were arrested and jailed in February after performing a punk-rock prayer in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ of the Russian Orthodox Church lambasting President Vladimir Putin…
Palestinians deny U.S. aid threat The Palestine Liberation Organization has denied recent reports that the White House issued a notice threatening to cut all aid to the Palestinian Authority if it launches a renewed drive for recognition at the United Nations…
Brooklyn native held in Bolivia inspires new House human-rights bill House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Human Rights chairman Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) plans to introduce legislation Friday that bans foreign government officials responsible for violating the due-process rights of imprisoned U.S. citizens abroad from traveling in the United States…
Could the next U.S. free trade agreement be with Tunisia? House Rules Committee chairman David Dreier (R-CA) announced last week during a visit to Tunis that he intends to head an initiative to propose a free trade agreement between the United States and Tunisia, which experienced a popular uprising in 2010 and held democratic elections in October…
Open Zion
The End of Bibi the Peacemaker If there ever was a watershed moment that revealed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s flip-flop on the two-state solution, it’s most certainly his announcement Thursday that Likud would unite with Yisrael Beiteinu to form a right-wing super-party ahead of the Knesset elections in January.
The Gambit
The Young Entrepreneurs Three years ago, Leslie Jacobs initiated 504ward, an organization “dedicated to retaining young talent in New Orleans.” For Jacobs, the issue is personal. “What prompted me to start 504ward was watching what was happening with my daughters,” Jacobs says. “They felt they’d never come back, but they did, and some of their friends moved here as well. I hired a consultant group, we did six to nine months of planning, and that’s how it started.”In the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the federal floods, New Orleans became a magnet for educated young adults looking to make a difference. Many came as volunteers, but those who stayed created a network that has attracted an influx of young adult professionals.
Tablet Magazine
Jazz Messengers A handful of Jewish entrepreneurs are reinventing the jazz scene in New Orleans, a city with a tiny and aging Jewish population but a strong musical tradition in which different cultures have long mixed…
The Forward
The Big Easy’s Big Jewish Comeback Laura Taishoff never intended to stay in New Orleans beyond her year with Avodah, the national Jewish service corps. “I decided to stay because I felt really comfortable here,” the Katonah, N.Y., native said. “I felt like I was developing here Jewishly more than I ever had anywhere else…
The Times-Picayune
Lakeview sees flood of young homeowners, new businesses since Hurricane Katrina nearly wiped the slate clear Six years ago, Hurricane Katrina ravaged Lakeview. Floodwaters from the Aug. 29, 2005, storm breached the 17th Street Canal, leaving water standing as high as 10 feet throughout the neighborhood. The storm destroyed more than 9,000 homes and a way of life that began in 1835 when yachters, boaters and coastal traders developed the resort of New Lake End, now called West End. Lakeview was among the neighborhoods most damaged by Katrina. But today, the community stands out for the economic rebirth it is experiencing even as a national recession has stymied growth around the country…
Commerce Secretary says Gulf oil spill is having wide-ranging impact U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke said the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is having a wide-ranging negative impact on the seafood and tourism industries, and that President Barack Obama is demanding that all federal agencies redouble their efforts to address the spill….
Jindal says oil spill should be combated like a war Gov. Bobby Jindal and Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser called on the federal government Friday to treat the oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico as a war. “We saw a lot of the boom rendered ineffective, and a lot of it was washed ashore and broken apart,” said Jindal…
Despite the national recession, New Orleans is attracting a wave of workers pursuing entrepreneurial jobs Katie Del Guercio never planned on permanently settling in New Orleans after graduating from college five years ago, but during a gap year of travel she decided otherwise. “I landed here as a volunteer and I felt that this was the community I could really make my mark in,” said Del Guercio…
