Tag - washington-update

 
Menu
Search
 
April 19, 2024
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

WASHINGTON UPDATE

COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Jan 12, 2006
Democrats taking aim at House control
WASHINGTON -- The American political landscape continues to be dominated by U.S. President George W. Bush. He had his ups and downs in 2005, and while he has gained about seven points in the various polls since he hit bottom in late November, his approval ratings remain in the low 40s, according to various polls.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Dec 25, 2005
Political 'capital' like dust in the wind
WASHINGTON -- What a year! When 2005 began, there was so much hope and optimism in Washington, even among us Democrats.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Sep 25, 2005
Storm surge of deficit spending forecast
WASHINGTON -- When things go wrong, they all go wrong for U.S. President George W. Bush. We have watched his approval ratings sag through the summer as his policies in Iraq and elsewhere have begun to unravel. Then came Hurricane Katrina nearly four weeks ago, and it appears that the bottom has fallen out of the administration.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Jul 9, 2005
Brace for more bipartisan battles in wake of Supreme Court justice's retirement
WASHINGTON -- The July 1 announcement by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor that she is retiring marks the end of a distinguished 24-year career, and the beginning of a crucial struggle by President George W. Bush to find a replacement.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Jun 25, 2005
No easy fix for reapportionment wrongs
WASHINGTON -- Among the issues that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will take to a special referendum election next fall is that of reapportionment. Specifically, the Gubernator wants to change the way California draws its district lines for representation in the state legislature and in the Congress. He wants to take the task of drawing districts out of the hands of the politicians who are elected by the very districting they create and give it to judges. The present system is just too cozy, Schwarzenegger believes, as it results in noncompetitive congressional seats that become Democratic or Republican when the districts are created and don't change until the next redistricting.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
May 7, 2005
Bush finds social security plan a hard sell
WASHINGTON -- One hundred days into his second term, President George W. Bush seems a bit adrift. He has dipped below the 50-percent level in approval ratings (47 percent). His "60 stops in 60 days" campaign to promote his program to reform Social Security has boomeranged, with fewer people supporting his changes now than before. His nominee for United Nations ambassador is dangling in suspended animation in what was supposed to be a friendly Senate committee. Things are not going well for the president.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Jan 6, 2005
Lessons from last year's landmark U.S. election
WASHINGTON -- The last election that we just endured is still being quantified and dissected. From the seemingly endless forums and reviews that have flowed since Nov. 2, we are learning a bit about how our elections are run and won.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Dec 23, 2004
President had a better year than most
WASHINGTON -- As this supercharged political year of 2004 comes to a close, it seems appropriate to take a look at where Americans stand, and what they decided and changed in the past year.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Dec 6, 2004
Battle looms over Supreme Court justices
WASHINGTON -- The recently announced illness of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist confirms the prospect of turnover soon at the court. Rehnquist turned 80 last month and seems to have a serious, debilitating cancer. He continues to be absent from the court.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Nov 18, 2004
Bush-Kerry presidential contest was one for the textbooks
WASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush's re-election victory was a masterpiece of political strategy and execution by the Bush campaign team. There has been a feeling of relief throughout the nation that:
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Oct 21, 2004
Candidates focus on battleground states
WASHINGTON -- Regardless of what you thought of the idea before the debates came off, chances are you will have to admit that the 2004 U.S. presidential debates provided a rare and welcome opportunity to get a better understanding of the two candidates, U.S. President George W. Bush and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Sep 25, 2004
Senate control up for grabs on election day
WASHINGTON -- The meandering pattern of the presidential race has captured the attention of most Americans. But there are other important stakes that will be decided on Nov. 2, including 33 seats in the U.S. Senate and all 435 members of the House of Representatives.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Sep 6, 2004
Presidential race promises to be a thriller
WASHINGTON -- In polling completed just as the Republican National Convention convened, the two candidates continued to run neck and neck. The result was a slight gain for President George W. Bush and a disappointment for his challenger, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry. (Kerry had gotten a bit of a bounce from the Democratic convention and was leading in early August.)
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Aug 8, 2004
Happy Democrats suffer some nostalgia
WASHINGTON -- A lot of Democrats arrived home from the 44th national convention of their party happy that the performance of their new nominee exceeded their expectations and that the entire presentation was positive and error-free.
EDITORIALS / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Jul 30, 2004
Taking care of business
The extraordinary Diet session that opens Friday should be an occasion to review the outcome of the July 11 Upper House election. This is true especially for the Liberal Democratic Party, which failed to win its targeted number of seats. Yet neither the LDP nor the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi appears to be taking the setback seriously.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Jul 7, 2004
Bush's financial edge fades as Kerry's coffers grow fat
WASHINGTON -- Throw away all of those crying towels that have been held in reserve to sop the tears of Democrats whining about the financial superiority of the Great Bush Money Machine. John Kerry just beat the record for fundraising by a presidential challenger, and he has a month to go to keep piling up the money. The Massachusetts senator raised at least $34 million in June, bringing his total to more than $180 million.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Jun 26, 2004
Internet revolutionizing American politics
WASHINGTON -- The campaign of 2004 is different from any that came before. The reason is the Internet. For the first time, we have Meetup, MoveOn, Right March, Bloggers, E-Voting and political Spam. Good, bad or indifferent, the Internet is proving to be a major player in the prosecution of the presidential campaign of 2004.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Jun 7, 2004
Frustrating times for left and right alike
WASHINGTON -- It is frustrating being a fan of one of the two main contenders for U.S. president. I find the level of disgruntlement at an all-time high among both Republicans and Democrats.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
May 30, 2004
Bush could use a streak of good news
WASHINGTON -- It has not been a good two months for President George W. Bush. In mid-March, the president's men took the rubber band off their enormous roll of cash and went to work with media designed to present a softer, gentler, yet strong president while painting their prospective opponent, Sen. John Kerry, as wobbling into the left corner whence he could not possibly escape to become a meaningful challenger.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Apr 25, 2004
Bush ads make little dent against Kerry
WASHINGTON -- The continuing reports of tumult and casualties from Iraq and contentious hearings by the Presidential Commission to Investigate September 11th have sucked the oxygen out of the media pipes this month.
No link to Nankai Trough quake seen after temblor in Shikoku
Satoshi Harada from the Meteorological Agency explains about the magnitude 6.6 earthquake during a news conference early Thursday.
Thousands evacuated as Indonesia volcano erupts
Indonesia's Mount Ruang spews hot lava and smoke as seen from Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on Wednesday.
Why hasn't Japan moved to prop up the weak yen?
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Snake on a train: Discovery of serpent delays Tokyo-Nagoya shinkansen
A Tokaido shinkansen. It is unclear whether the snake was venomous or how it ended up on the train, and there was no injury or panic among passengers.
Sex differences could be key to the successful treatment of long COVID
A new study has found that women with long COVID had significantly lower levels of testosterone compared to those who had recovered from their infection.
'House of the Owl' brings Hollywood values to Japanese TV
In the new Disney+ series “House of the Owl,” Min Tanaka (left) plays a powerful political fixer, or “kuromaku,” who has a troubled relationship with his adult children, particularly his idealistic son, played by Mackenyu.
Benefits and risks: AUKUS looks to take gamble on Japan
U.S. President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British leader Rishi Sunak deliver remarks on the AUKUS partnership, after a trilateral meeting, at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego in March last year.
Kyoto’s demon night parade lives to haunt another day
In a Kyoto long past, the "hyakki yagyō" (100 demon night parade) haunted a sleepy corner of Kyoto. Now, one enterprising monster enthusiast has won a small batttle to keep the march alive.
U.S. deploys midrange missile system in Indo-Pacific for first time
A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Launcher arrives as part of the capability’s first deployment into theater on Northern Luzon, Philippines, April 8.
Unpacking the chaotic by-election in a scandal-hit Tokyo district
People listen to a campaign speech in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Tuesday.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on
By Lance Henderstein

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Students ‘study abroad’ on island of Suo Oshima
Students ‘study abroad’ on island of Suo Oshima

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER