The Baines Report
Photo: Devin Stewart, Senior Fellow at Carnegie Council, featuring Prof. Mari Miura and Seiko Noda (fifth and sixth from the left) Since 2013, “womenomics” has been a buzzword in Japan’s recent policies to simultaneously stimulate the national economy and incorporate more women into the labor force. The Gender Equality Bureau Cabinet Office initially set out lofty […]
Photo: Barbie Savior Edward Said’s criticism of exoticized and patronizing Western views of the East that he claims drive historical “Orientalist” study is echoed in the way that Western development approaches the “developing world,” especially Africa. The millennial trend of “voluntourism” encapsulates this neo-imperialist approach. The term “voluntourism” has emerged as the practice of high school […]
Photo: Elkanah Tisdale, 1812 in the Boston Gazette Not many would argue with the premise that our electoral system has become increasingly politicized in the past decades. It is now almost an old trope to say that our legislatures have become mired in partisan vitriol, stymieing most, if not all, attempts at cooperation and good governance, […]
Photo: Rock, Paper, Scissors The Higher Court is a weekly podcast from the 85th Legislature’s ultimate authority – the court of public opinion. Hosted by Estevan Delgado and Cynthia Van Maanen, produced by Jen Rice. All listeners are urged to run for office immediately. The Baines Report will be sharing the Higher Court’s episodes as soon […]
Photo: Molly Adler The session covering the Texas House Agenda for the next legislative session at the Texas Tribune Festival went relatively smoothly considering that many of the six politicians on stage had diametrically opposing viewpoints. It was mostly the same political infighting one would expect at any level of government. The panel was comprised […]
Photo: PEXELS As I headed into the Texas Union for the first session of the 2016 Texas Tribune Festival I experienced simultaneous feelings of anticipation and dread. My feet dragged slower and slower as I walked into the Santa Rita Room for the session on “Fixing Foster Care.” Foster care, adoption, and how children interact […]
Photo: Houston Chronicle Two of Texas’ prominent female politicians crossed the aisle to promote discourse about the impact of state policy on women. Wendy Davis, a Democrat and member of the Texas Senate, renowned for her 11-hour filibuster against restrictive abortion regulations, shared that the adversity that she faced shaped her into the person she […]
Photo: Cynthia Van Maanen Thanks to their growing influence all over the country, Latino voters will be more important in the 2016 general election than ever before, especially in states like Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas. The Texas Tribune Festival panel, “Latinos and the Presidential Election,” presented an opportunity to discuss the Latino […]
Photo From: Bahai.org Following the attacks in San Bernardino, Paris, and Brussels, many western nations have exhibited growing support for surveillance in neighborhoods with large Muslim populations. The struggle between privacy and security continues to intensify as terrorist attacks become more frequent across the globe. Many argue that as a protection against domestic terrorism, governments […]
Before he was whisked away from our interview to moderate a conflict resolution exercise, I had a conversation with Ambassador Thomas Pickering. As a diplomat, he has served in a host of countries as well as in the United Nations. Even though he has technically retired from his career as an ambassador, he is still […]