Opinion

NATO Summit 2018

Vernuccio’s View: US, German Relations Reach Low Point

German-U.S. relations have reached their lowest point since East and West Germany were united. Issues including Berlin’s inadequate contribution to NATO, its Middle Eastern policies, and its growing energy dependence on Russia are the key concerns. NATO American Military News recently […]

by · September 29, 2019 · Opinion, Vernuccio's View
NATO Summit 2018

International Danger Grows

American national security is at greater risk now than during the Cold War. Russia, China, Iran and North Korea as well as terrorist forces present an extraordinary danger to the United States. Russia now has the planet’s largest nuclear arsenal, […]

by · September 22, 2019 · Opinion, Vernuccio's View
Predator drone (US Army photo)

America Lags in New Tech War

Just as industrialization, the advent of flight and nuclear power dramatically changed warfare, cutting-edge technologies are now altering how the world will soon fight. America’s adversaries are making significant headway in this. Science fiction readers may recognize some of the […]

by · September 11, 2019 · Military, Opinion, Vernuccio's View
Con Edison

What You Should Know: Con Ed Must Pay

Con Edison Must Pay You should know that while Con Edison ruins our roads to access their underground cables, they do not pay a franchise fee to the City of New York as other utility companies do. Tax payer money […]

by · September 9, 2019 · Opinion, What You Should Know
ISIS fighters in Iraq.

Vernuccio’s View: Prosecuting ISIS

According to a United Nations investigation, world body researchers are “Making significant progress” gathering evidence to prosecute ISIS for atrocities in Iraq and the Levant. U.N. personnel have been gathering documentary, digital, testimonial and forensic evidence for use in prosecuting […]

by · September 9, 2019 · Military, Opinion, Vernuccio's View
China: A Realistic View

China: A Realistic View

A number of leading political figures have consistently downplayed both the economic and military threat from China. Democratic party presidential front-runner Joe Biden stated earlier this year, referring to China, “What are we worried about?” It was a follow-up to a comment […]

by · September 1, 2019 · Opinion, Vernuccio's View
Vernuccio’s View: Human Trafficking: 21st Century Slavery

Vernuccio’s View: Human Trafficking: 21st Century Slavery

Slavery is not relegated to the past, relegated to historical accounts of 18th Century sailing ships, or tales of the Roman Empire. The U.S. State Department has released its 2019 Report on Human Trafficking, the modern slave trade. The numbers […]

by · August 15, 2019 · Opinion, Vernuccio's View
Vernuccio’s View: World Refugee Numbers Soar

Vernuccio’s View: World Refugee Numbers Soar

The U.S. State Department has issued its latest report on worldwide refugee conditions. At the end of 2017 (the most recent figure available) the estimated refugee population worldwide stood at 25.4 million, with 17.2 million receiving protection or assistance from the […]

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo is greeted by Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Affairs José Valencia Amores and U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador Michael J. Fitzpatrick, in Guayaquil, Ecuador. [State Department photo by Ron Przysucha]

U.S. Forms Commission on Unalienable Rights

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced the formation of a U.S.-led international “Commission on Unalienable Rights.” The commission is designed to bring together human rights experts, philosophers, and activists, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents of varied background and beliefs, who […]

Vernuccio’s View: Pacific Allies Coordinate Defense

Vernuccio’s View: Pacific Allies Coordinate Defense

The threat from China’s dramatic increase in military power and escalating aggressiveness has produced extraordinary concern among Pacific nations. Beijing has shown no signs of relenting, even in the face of a ruling by international authorities such as the World […]

Vernuccio’s View: Tiananmen Square: 30 Years, No Improvement

Vernuccio’s View: Tiananmen Square: 30 Years, No Improvement

Thirty years ago this month, the hopes for freedom of nearly a billion people were dashed.  Their dreams were crushed by a tyrannical governing system that had already taken the lives of a hundred million in their own homeland, as […]

Vernucio’s View: Is Pope Francis too political

Vernucio’s View: Is Pope Francis too political

Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church, is continuing what some perceive to be a departure from the traditions of the institution he leads. Critics maintain that he has used his highly visible position to engage in temporal matters. […]

Then-challenger  Alessandra Biaggi addressing the Ben Franklin Independent Democratic Club in 2018. Credit: Bob Press

Press Clips: ‘Men Need Not Apply’ Alleged

Staff Turnover at Senator Biaggi’s Office By Robert Press State Senator Alessandra Biaggi took office less than six months ago, and has already seen a larger than normal staff turnover. First, it was junior staffers who were replaced in the […]

Too many cars and not enough road as traffic grinds to a halt at Webster Avenue and East Bedford Park Boulevard.--Photo by David Greene

Driver’s License Debate Fails On Principle, Policy & PopularityOPINION:

Legislative Column from Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,C-Canandaigua) A proposal before the Legislature that would allow illegal immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses is meritless, dangerous and an affront to both state and federal laws designed to facilitate […]

by · May 12, 2019 · Op Ed, Opinion
Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena visited the recently bombed St. Sebastian’s Church, Katuwapitiya, Negombo Tuesday morning to inspect damages caused to the church. (Courtesy Government  of Sri Lanka)

Vernuccio’s View: Can a Sri Lanka-style Attack Happen in U.S.?

Can the type of terrorist attack that occurred in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday happen here in the United States? Last October, eleven people were killed and seven were injured at the Tree of Life – Or L’Simcha Congregation in […]

by · April 24, 2019 · Opinion, Vernuccio's View