Juan Williams: Democracy hangs in the balance in the midterms
I don’t get it. Turn on the TV news, open a paper, and the stories are all about the midterm polls, debates and the political horse race between Republicans and Democrats. Am I missing something? How is it possible for any reporter to pretend this is just another election when 71 percent of voters in a recent New York Times poll said democracy is at risk? Here is another mystery to me. Voters say inflation, not the threat to democracy, is their first concern. How can anyone close their eyes to the big picture — a threat to our nati
Read MoreIs the US headed toward a housing crash? Experts say it's not 2008.
Sharply rising mortgage rates, a steep decline in home sales and a record price slowdown have raised concerns that the housing market could crash. The mortgage rate reached over 7 percent this week, the first time in almost two decades that rates climbed that high. U.S. home prices saw a record slowdown in August, falling by 2.6 percent, and new home sales fell 11 percent in September, according to data released by the Census Bureau on Wednesday. But experts argue these market trends are a symptom of a correction afte
Read MoreBiden congratulates Lula on victory over Trump-backed Bolsonaro in Brazil
President Biden on Sunday congratulated Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for his victory in Brazil's presidential election, beating incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, who was backed by former President Donald Trump. Bolsonaro, like Trump, has sowed doubt about the integrity of his country’s election system. Biden called Brazil’s election “free, fair, and credible” in his statement Sunday. “I look forward to working together to continue the cooperation between our two countries in the months and years ahead,” Biden said of Lula. With nearly 100 percent of votes coun
Read MoreLula defeats Bolsonaro to again become Brazil's president
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s electoral authority said Sunday that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the leftist Worker’s Party defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro to become the country’s next president. With 98.8% of the votes tallied in the runoff vote, da Silva had 50.8% and Bolsonaro 49.2%, and the election authority said da Silva’s victory was a mathematical certainty. Da Silva — the country’s former president from 2003-2010 — has promised to restore the country’s more prosperous past, yet faces faces headwinds in a polarized society. It is a stunning return to power
Read MoreSupreme Court to weigh future of affirmative action in college admissions
The future of affirmative action in higher education hangs in the balance as the Supreme Court on Monday hears arguments over race-conscious admissions policies at two prestigious universities. Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) will be defending their use of race — as one of many admissions criteria — to attain the educational benefits of a diverse student body. Their conservative-backed challengers, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), contend that the schools' approach violates constitutional protections and federal law and want the court to
Read More