Quotes in Press

US-Funded News Can Now Reach Americans

RIA Novosti 07/15/13 By Maria Young In the last two weeks, US government-funded news broadcaster Voice of America has received more than a dozen requests for news stories it has produced for foreign audiences to be made available to listeners in the United States, something that hadn’t been allowed since […]

Is President Obama Dangerous for Africa?

FCN 07/05/13 By Jehron Muhammad (FinalCall.com) – President Obama’s trip to Africa maybe more wolf in sheep’s clothing. His trip is scheduled to include West, South and East Africa, and the nations of Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. The trip may be too little too late. “To some in Africa,” […]

Abe Lincoln Impersonator to Teach Kids About the Budget

THE HILL 06/18/13 By Judy Kurtz Don’t be surprised if you happen to spot Abraham Lincoln walking the halls of the Capitol on Tuesday. A former staffer for Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) will be donning Honest Abe’s signature top hat and beard to teach school kids about the 16th president […]

Pinching Pennies, the Lincoln Way

ROLL CALL 06/17/13 By Warren Rojas We’d be willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that most lawmakers remain blissfully ignorant of the nightmarish haggling that goes into composing a nonbinding congressional budget blueprint. Here’s hoping local schoolchildren can stomach the same with a little help from a guy in a […]

Lobbying World

THE HILL 06/05/13 By Hill Staff Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker public interest firm, has hired Michael Shank as a lobbyist to focus on foreign policy issues, including climate change, global poverty, and U.S. military and nuclear weapons policy. Shank most recently worked as Rep. Mike Honda’s (D-Calif.) […]

On The Move: Foreign Policy

CQ 05/13/13 After working for Democratic Rep. Michael M. Honda of California for four years, Michael Shank is now director of foreign policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the lobbying arm for U.S. Quakers. Honda, a Democrat, is a leader in the Congressional Progressive Caucus and opposes many […]

Vegetarians Find Options Wanting at Capitol Complex

ROLL CALL 03/15/13 By Emily Cahn For busy staffers on Capitol Hill, whose hectic days are often scheduled down to the minute, grabbing lunch often means a trip to the cafeterias scattered around the Capitol complex. Although there are multiple dining spots on the campus’s House and Senate sides, offering […]

Rand Paul’s Filibuster Gives Civil Liberties A Rare Washington Moment

BUZZFEED 03/06/13 By Rosie Gray WASHINGTON — Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s hours-long, multi-senator filibuster of John Brennan’s CIA director nomination has accomplished a rare feat: questions about targeted killing and the drone program have vaulted from the fringes to the forefront of Washington conversation, and it’s lasted nearly an entire […]

How Mayor Vincent Gray Is Failing DC Students

DIANE RAVITCH 02/18/13 By Diane Ravitch During Michelle Rhee’s book tour, the nation will hear a lot of claims about the dramatic changes she imposed on the D.C. schools, which qualifies her to export her ideas to the rest of the nation. What should other states and cities seek to […]

‘Amish Mafia,’ a Real Exercise in Pop Culture Exploitation

WASHINGTON POST 01/04/13 By Lisa Miller The week before Christmas, 3 million people watched the Discovery Channel’s new reality show, “Amish Mafia,” making it the second-most-viewed cable show that night, after the trashy hit “Moonshiners.” This is surprising for two reasons: First, it reveals Americans’ enduring fetish with all things […]