http://www.miamiherald.com/news/opinion/index.html http://media.miamiherald.com/images/logos/rss_sitelogo.gif http://www.miamiherald.com/news/opinion/index.html 140 25 News, sports and entertainment from MiamiHerald.com en-us Copyright 2008 MiamiHerald.com Opinion 60 Mon, 12 May 2008 17:58:55 EDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive's PubSys miamifeedback@miamiherald.com http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/inbox/story/527033.html http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/inbox/story/527033.html Mon, 12 May 2008 03:01 EDT Unlike his brother, Fidel, new Cuban President Raúl Castro has demonstrated an understanding of some of the sources of popular discontent. In a matter of weeks, Raúl Castro has moved to raise wages and eliminate salary caps, give Cubans some home property rights and allow the purchase of mobile phones, computers and DVD players. The Cuban government is also likely to remove longstanding restrictions on foreign travel by Cubans. http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/inbox/story/527185.html http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/inbox/story/527185.html Mon, 12 May 2008 03:01 EDT Federal legislation that would be of significant benefit to South Floridians and their marine environment may, at long last, be inching its way through Congress. House (HR 2342) and Senate (S 950) bills call for creation of an Integrated Ocean Observation System (IOOS). The bill is an omnibus proposal supported by, among others, Florida Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson. http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/inbox/story/527034.html http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/inbox/story/527034.html Sun, 11 May 2008 03:01 EDT It is strange but perhaps not unexpected that as oil prices soar to record highs alternative fuel opponents have been beating the drums. They have to beat them pretty hard to drown out the cries of pain at gas pumps around the world. At today's prices, foreign oil producers are extracting a tax of more than $1,600 a year from every American man, woman and child. http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/529586.html http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/529586.html Mon, 12 May 2008 03:01 EDT For several years, this Editorial Board has advocated replacing two sections of the Tamiami Trail in Everglades National Park with up to 11 miles of a skyway bridge to increase sheet flow, particularly to the Northeast Shark River Slough area. Most recently we urged the U.S. Corps of Engineers to rethink its latest plan to build a single mile-long bridge, make some road modifications and raise the water level in a canal north of the Trail to increase flow. http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/529585.html http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/529585.html Mon, 12 May 2008 03:01 EDT The decision by a jury in Brazil last week to acquit an Amazon rancher who was found guilty in an earlier trial of ordering the murder of American nun Dorothy Stang represents a stunning reversal of justice. The 2005 murder of Sister Dorothy, an environmental activist, has been seen as a test of Brazil's judicial system and its willingness to confront the culture of impunity that surrounds powerful landholders in rural areas. Brazil's public is outraged. It should be. http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/527367.html http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/527367.html Sun, 11 May 2008 03:01 EDT LAWMAKERS GO HOME Whenever the Legislature convenes a new session, there is anticipation about what will be accomplished. Just as predictably when the session ends, there is disappointment about what was left undone. The 2008 Legislature was no different. Lawmakers faced the daunting task of setting state priorities amid a sinking economy, a $5 billion revenue shortfall and a bruising housing market. Not surprisingly, lawmakers left Tallahassee last week with a decidedly mixed record -- May 9. http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/529593.html http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/529593.html Mon, 12 May 2008 03:01 EDT Attorney General Michael Mukasey is wrong when he says we do not need a federal media shield law. Mukasey recently argued in an Op-Ed column that there is no need for Congress to provide a qualified, evidentiary privilege for journalists. As evidence, he cited a few of the many important news stories that, even in the absence of a shield law, were brought to light because of sources who provided information to journalists under a promise of confidentiality. Pending media shield legislation would... http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/529594.html http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/529594.html Mon, 12 May 2008 03:01 EDT Faced with advertising declines, the news media are scratching for alternative revenue sources. They want their new money to have the same features industrial countries want in their alternatives to oil: That it be clean and renewable. http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/529595.html http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/529595.html Mon, 12 May 2008 03:01 EDT In April, the U.S. House of Representatives showed leadership in the fight against global poverty by passing the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation of 2008, which would extend lifesaving debt cancellation to more poor nations around the globe. http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/527356.html http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/527356.html Sun, 11 May 2008 03:01 EDT SUNFLOWER, Miss. -- Joaquin Burse wants to go to Harvard and be a laser tech. You might think that's a lofty goal. Truth is, you have no idea how lofty it is. http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/527357.html http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/527357.html Sun, 11 May 2008 03:01 EDT When Israel's independence was proclaimed in Tel Aviv on May 14, 1948, as leaders of the nascent state sang Hatikva (Hope), few could have imagined the vibrant state that exists today. http://www.miamiherald.com/456/story/529589.html http://www.miamiherald.com/456/story/529589.html Mon, 12 May 2008 03:01 EDT How is it, that drivers and pedestrians think nothing of throwing their trash on a pristine lawn? They fling trash and fast food from their car windows. I have seen discarded beds and other furniture, too. http://www.miamiherald.com/456/story/529590.html http://www.miamiherald.com/456/story/529590.html Mon, 12 May 2008 03:01 EDT On behalf of the Florida Commission on Human Relations, I extend our support to South Floridians after the recent acts of hate inflicted upon Jewish communities during the week of Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day. http://www.miamiherald.com/456/story/529591.html http://www.miamiherald.com/456/story/529591.html Mon, 12 May 2008 03:01 EDT In his May 3 Other Views column, Want to be an author? Start tumbling, Joel Stein speaks disparagingly of blogs, tumblers and twitters, the latter being Web notes of 140 characters or less. I came away agreeing with him that a twitter would be useless.