U.S. Official: Al Qaeda's No. 2 Killed
This week, natural disasters and national monuments came together to make news. First, Tuesday's earthquake caused cracks in the Washington Monument, something Pat Robertson interpreted as a sign that Jesus is coming. Then, worries about Hurricane Irene caused the postponement of today's official dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial. The arc of the moral universe is not only long, it's susceptible to high winds. Elsewhere: Steve Jobs stepped down, DSK walked free, and Libyan rebels ransacking Gaddafi's compound found an album filled with photos of Condoleezza Rice, with whom Gaddafi once shared a private dinner, showering the Secretary of State with an estimated $212,000 worth of gifts -- including a diamond ring, a lute, and a locket with Gaddafi's picture inside. File this under: "Creepy Yet Oddly Endearing Obsessions of Murderous Dictators." Finally, to my fellow New Yorkers: please stay safe.
I am part of a generation that stands on the shoulders of giants from the modern civil rights movement. And now my generation is called to no less of an urgent state of affairs. The dream of our democracy -- advanced and protected by heroes past and present -- is still not yet achieved.
Lke Dr. King, we have not yet arrived in the Promised Land. Yes, there's a black man in the White House. Barack Obama is there as President of the United States. But one man doesn't erase the persistence of racism in America and its grim consequences.
Martin Luther King was neither a president nor a war hero, but a humble preacher forced to live as an outsider in his own community. Yet, with his charismatic voice, visionary leadership, and indefatigable spirit, he symbolized what I believe is most central to our national character: hope.
The opening of the Martin Luther King, Jr. monument couldn't come at a more opportune time. Hopefully it will refocus our attention on the principles he stood for, inspiring all Americans to tap into the better angels he was guided by.
Today, when the term "civil rights" appears to be an old-fashioned concept and the ideology of post-racialism penetrates the minds of many Americans, it is only proper to pause and recognize moments in history that remind us not only of how far we have come, but of how the fight for equality still continues.
As unnerving as it is for parents who find themselves in Hurricane Irene's path, it can be terrifying for kids. Here are some tips for helping anxious children get through the storm.
In past years, I've honored this day by taking part in a march, or giving a speech, or writing an essay. But this year I'm asking myself, "Equal to whom? Equal to what?"
After three days in D.C.'s Central Cell Block, I'll go to this weekend's big celebrations for the opening of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial on the Washington Mall with even more respect for MLK's calm power.
I witnessed the spectacular transformation of my father, Joseph Heller, as he started to become a celebrity and a charmless believer in his own schtick.
"What you talkin' bout, Willard?" Absent a profanity, I don't know a better reaction to Romney's declaration 
that "corporations are people".
It's been almost half a century since Dr. King spoke of transforming the "dark yesterdays" of our heritage into "bright tomorrows." Yet, can we say that African-Americans' tomorrow will be better than today?
For many of us, O Brother was part of a musical education. It helped extend an important Twentieth Century musical legacy into the Twenty-First Century.
There are two ways to read the much-anticipated words Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke issued this morning in Jackson Hole, Wy., and both of them are bad.
In nine short years we will mark a full century since women won the right to vote. This next decade will be crucial not only for the future of women but for the future of America. I know we can and will do more because we have to. We are the solution.
I understand many of my Republican colleagues in Washington are feeling pressure from within their party not to compromise. We need our friends across the aisle to stand with the American people in these difficult times -- not just with their party.
How many women never spoke up or out about sexual assault? How many women were afraid to press charges? Let the DSK dismissal be our call to rise. Let so many of us speak out that it's a landslide and it turns the tide and the method of justice.
I spoke with Wall Street whistleblower Harry Markopolos, whose dogged investigation led to the downfall of Bernie Madoff.
Nuclear has a future in our country's energy mix, but we must ensure that our domestic plants are designed to both endure the threats we can foresee and respond to scenarios we never imagined, like this week's East Coast earthquake.
There may be no group of people in the world more out of touch with reality than super-rich CEOs of major U.S. companies railing against Warren Buffett's suggestion that the rich should pay higher taxes.
This year's speech does not pull a rabbit out of the policy hat. Instead, it suggests that Bernanke has taken another step toward recognizing the extent of the structural headwinds facing the U.S. economy.
As we honor Dr. King's legacy in our nation's capital, the audacious belief that every family should be able to afford simple necessities like enough to eat is at risk in Washington, D.C. and across the country. The poor are getting poorer.
Because history is written by the winners and she was the French Revolution's greatest victim, much of the information handed down about her lies somewhere between gross exaggeration and outright lies.
What decent citizens and reformers like Howard Schultz need to do is to use their power to get Congress to end its addiction, by pushing for reforms that would make it possible for government to act sanely and independently of special interest funders.
It's a perfect day. Blue skies dotted with cotton clouds and gentle breezes carry the unmistakable scent of the ocean. If I closed my eyes, I'd think I was in Martha's Vineyard. Instead, I see sunlight glinting off the barbed wire everywhere.
