John J. Miller

 "Jeremy Tate remembers when he tried to inspire his high-school students with talk of great things. 'I wanted them to understand the importance of their education.' Then a girl spoke up: 'Why would it matter if it’s not on the SAT?' Her question has haunted him ever since--and it also roused him to found the Classic Learning Test (CLT), a company that seeks to challenge the duopoly of the ACT and the SAT, the pair of tests that dominate the world of college-entrance exams and increasingly dictate the content of America’s school curricula. Two years ago, only about 1,000 students took the CLT, and few college admissions officers even knew what it was. Last year, more than 10,000 took it, and more than 100 schools accepted it on applications. Tate hopes for 35,000 test-takers this school year, and possibly 100,000 within three years." (National Review) The author reports on how the CLT was started as an "alternative for parents and teachers whose vision of learning differs sharply from what goes on in most of America's classrooms" and how the continued success of it "may even persuade some schools to return to more traditional content."

 "In December [2015], Science hailed CRISPR as its 'breakthrough of the year,' announcing that it promises to do everything from wiping out diseases to creating super crops. 'In short,' said Science, 'it's only slightly hyperbolic to say that if scientists can dream of a genetic manipulation, CRISPR can now make it happen.' Yet these dreams could turn to nightmares if they involve the genetic manipulation of people. 'That's an obvious application of the technology,' says Baltimore. It raises the specter of Dr. Frankenstein's wild experiments and the eugenic goal of designer babies. In an article on CRISPR last year, MIT Technology Review wrote of labs in which 'man rebuilds creation to suit himself' and warned of 'a path toward a dystopia of superpeople.' From these accounts, it would seem that Aldous Huxley's creepy totalitarian vision in Brave New World looms as never before." (National Review) This article discusses the possible dangers of the revolutionary gene-editing CRISPR technique.

"The politics of immigration have undergone a stunning sea change. The strong economy has played a key role in this transformation, but perhaps equally important are a series of political developments making it almost unimaginable that immigration levels will suffer even modest reductions in the foreseeable future without a serious economic downturn." (REASON) This author profiles the "pro-immigration lobby" and discusses how immigration policy has determined recent elections.

"On March 20 [1998], more than one million naturalized U.S. citizens became eligible for official Mexican nationality, as did the even more numerous U.S.-born children of Mexican immigrants. The rise of dual nationality poses a significant challenge to the old idea that American citizenship is exclusive." (NATIONAL REVIEW) The author compares Mexico's dual nationality law with those of other countries and suggests that Congress should try to discourage the practice.

"The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was meant both to protect existing Indian burial sites from disinternment and to help tribes reclaim the remains of ancestors stored in museums. The difference between an archaeologist and a grave robber is often in the eye of the beholder. NAGPRA was supposed to create a set of rules to resolve conflicts between scientists who study dead Indians, and living Indians hoping to honor tribal customs." (REASON) This article explores the legal dispute over Kennewick Man--a 10,000-year-old, possibly Caucasian skeleton--that Indian tribes want to rebury and scientists want to study.