Justin Ponkow
[Opinion] The Steubenville Rape Case: Sympathy For Rape, High School Sports and “Promising Futures”
The recent media reaction to the guilty verdicts given in the Steubenville rape case shows just how much further we need to go in our narratives of rape and sexual violence. Read more
[Opinion] Hugo Chávez: His Place, His Time, His Impact
TWV looks back on the legacy Hugo Chavez, who died yesterday at the age of 58 Read more
[Opinion] Israel Declares Massive Action on Gaza Strip with Operation Pillar of Cloud
Starting seemingly out-of-the-blue with a precise attack on the vehicle carrying a senior Hamas military leader, Operation Pillar of Cloud (aka Pillar of Defense) was announced to world via Twitter starting the largest offensive by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip since 2008. Read more
A Victory for Mumia Abu-Jamal; Death Penalty Revoked
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision has all but completely revoked the death penalty for Mumia Abu-Jamal. The prosecutors in this case are now faced with an interesting choice. Read more
[Opinion] Obama’s Jobs Speech; A Breakdown
An analysis of Obama’s jobs speech delivered last week. What points were made? Into whose hands was he playing into more? Read more
In Surveillance and Dismissing Lawsuits; Obama Using Bush Playbook
Despite campaigning on change and criticizing Bush-era policy, Obama has taken up the playbook in the “war on terror”. From illegal surveillance to throwing out entire court cases, the Obama administration has done it all. Read more
A New Report Casts Light On A Secret NYPD/CIA Unit In New York
After the events of September 11th 2001, a secret NYPD unit was formed with CIA training, in order to increase surveillance in “ethnic communities”. What were the actions of this unit? And what are the legal issues with its existence? Read more
Wall Street Regulators Under Investigation For Destroying Countless Documents
The Securities and Exchange Commission, who is supposed to prevent fraud and abuse on Wall Street, is caught up in a scandal for destroying documents related to 1000s of cases. Read more
[Opinion] Analyzing The Riots In Britain & Why The Unrest Is Not Surprising
Time and again, even in the last few decades, people have erupted into social outrage. What do these actions come as a surprise? And why will they continue to happen? TWV takes a closer look at the riots oversees and offer a perspective that differs from CNN and Fox News. Read more
Obama Administration Revives and Expands Bush-Era “Radicalization” Watchdog Program
A recent announcement illustrated a plan by the Obama administration to get every federal department involved in keeping tabs on and preventing people from becoming “radicalized”. What does this mean for security and privacy? Read more
