Jeanne Theoharis is professor of political science at CUNY’s Brooklyn College, one who takes the responsibility of her profession towards her students, and to the society she lives in, very seriously. When she discovered that one of her former students, Syed Farad Hashmi, was being treated unjustly by the U.S. judicial system, she spoke out, and she continues to do so.

As a young man, James Carroll had an epiphany deep in the diggings of an archeological excavation under Old Jerusalem. He had become a Catholic priest. In his activities there and in Bethlehem, he had failed to grow close to any sense of wonder over his physical closeness to events related to the life and death of Jesus. He had witnessed squabbling between and amongst clerics, often over petty issues. He was becoming less illuminated, more disenchanted every day. He acquired an elderly Dominican priest, who was also a renowned scholar and archeologist, as a guide. At first the man frustrated Carroll even more with his banter:

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner dropped the dime on Congressional Republicans, announcing that they assured President Obama that they would vote to raise the debt limit later this year.

Paul Krugman wrote yesterday that Republicans want to repeal the Great Society and the New Deal, but the way they talk, it sounds to me like they want to go much further. Listen carefully to what former Cheney aide and professional wingnut Mary Matalin said on the latest “Left, Right & Center” (audio ca. 4:15).

Shopping for insurance and medical treatment: fun for all ages.

Political autobiographies and memoirs have become just another item on the campaign must-do list, like direct mail, kissing babies and rubber chicken dinners with suckers-who-would-be-donors. The lives they depict are, of course, highly redacted. So even if there was something about a bear in the past it’s unlikely to make it into an American politician’s book.

Did I miss the open, public debate about whether we want the FBI–much less local police departments or “et cetera” using drones to spy on Americans’ activities?

Last week, the US Department of State released an Inspector General’s report on the US Embassy in Malta, headed up by Ambassador Douglas Kmiec. Kmiec is an outspoken Republican (head of the Office of Legal Counsel under Reagan) and a conservative Roman Catholic, who bucked both the GOP and many in his church to support Obama in his presidential race against John McCain.

Today’s news from Fukushima: TEPCO and the government have produced a roadmap for the next 6-9 months, ending with all reactors in cold shutdown and all spent fuel pools under full control. Phase 1 (three months) consists of achieving a “steady reduction” of radiation. In Phase 2 (three-six months), the plan calls for first getting radiation releases under control and then substantially curbed. At the end of Phase 2, there is a decision point for the government. At that point (between November and January) evacuation orders will be reviewed. Evacuees will either be allowed to return to their homes to live or not.

April showers… Happy Morning!

Here are the talk show listings. Come by for Book Salon, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. Movie Night Monday is The Lazaruz Effect. And Susie Madrak and Eve Gittelson are Virtually Speaking.