Recent content from John Rash
Post-convention campaign pivots to news narrative
Events already transpiring, and ones that may yet dominate the news narrative, will determine the shape of the presidential race.
Voting issues roil U.S., Belarus
Perceptions of suppression are met emotionally everywhere because voting is about more than just politics; it's about identity, too.
Still much on the line for online conventions
The outcome is predetermined, and the pandemic will change the optics. But voters will likely still be viewers anyway.
TikTok dispute quickens the 'technology Cold War'
President Donald Trump's executive orders regarding TikTok and WeChat reflect a deepening rift between the U.S. and China.
Hamilton, and 'Hamilton,' reexamined anew
The musical's movie debut on Disney Plus reminds us that history is dynamic, not static, so "who tells your story" changes in context with what's happening today, too.
Amid tension at the top, U.S.-Canada ties are tight
50th anniversary of Canadian consulate in Minneapolis reflects a relationship that, like the Mississippi, "is deep, is profound and it flows."
More Burr than Hamilton in Bolton's 'The Room Where It Happened'
The new book is unflattering to both Bolton and Trump.
Peril, and promise, in 'Minneapolis moment'
"What Minneapolis will be remembered for is its response," said Brookings expert Amy Liu, reflecting thoughts of other civic leaders.
Attack on news media is an attack on democracy
In Minneapolis and across the country, many journalists have been brazenly targeted by some in law enforcement.
Twitter, Trump and the search for truth collide
After the social media site fact-checks him, the president signs an executive order that targets social media, but his tweets may ultimately become the target, too.
MSP International Film Festival, and world, redefined
A virtual version of the 39th annual world cinema event comes amid changes and challenges to globalization itself.
World Press Freedom Day, Pulitzer Prizes project journalism's vitality
U.N.'s World Press Freedom Day's theme of "Journalism without Fear or Favour" is reflected in an array of award-winning work.
Rash Report: Quarantine of truth taints China's governance model
Reporters Without Borders' recently released World Press Freedom Index ranks the nation 177th out of 180 countries as Beijing tries to tout its governance structure.
Rash Report: A pointed report on the Trump administration and the media
President's "most effective ploy has been to destroy the credibility of the press," according to an analysis from the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Rash Report: History holds lessons on presidents amid crises
Historians, former diplomats weigh in on a Carnegie Endowment for Peace panel examining presidential leadership in a time of crisis.
Rash Report: A pandemic and 'infodemic' imperil the world
Disinformation and misinformation make the coronavirus response even more difficult.
Rash Report: 'The Hunt' and the search for meaningful films
The lineup for the now-postponed Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival offered an antidote to cinematic cynicism.
Rash Report: Biden won on sum of relationships, not ads
Endorsements from former rivals — and also from Rep. James Clyburn — were worth more than unlimited campaign spending.
Rash Report: More heat than enlightenment in fiery debate
Complex, concurrent crises spanning the globe loom for the next president, but were mostly unmentioned in Wednesday's debate.
Middle ground recedes in politics, media and even relationships
Rash Report: New Pew Research Center polls show a nation riven with divisions.
Rash Report: Oscar nods show how Hollywood's plot is shifting
The nine nominated films contending for Best Picture reflect enduring content controversies and an ever-evolving media model.
Rash Report: Power of conscience, conviction revealed in 'A Hidden Life'
A new film from director Terrence Malick shows how an Austrian man, firm in his faith, forsakes swearing allegiance to Hitler.
Rash Report: 'Afghanistan Papers' show the power of the press
Washington Post's publication of "A Secret History of the War" exposes lies spanning 18 years across three presidential administrations.
Rash Report: Competing visions for British voters, and viewers
Arrows Awards, which honor the best of British advertising, reflect the U.K.'s cultural and political split.
Rash Report: Rediscover the resolve that felled the Berlin Wall
Enduring Western unity and purpose toppled the wall and won the Cold War. It's needed again to meet today's transatlantic challenges.
Rash Report: A deep State Department, not a 'deep state'
Belying characterizations, the character of top envoys and officers has been apparent during the impeachment inquiry.
Rash Report: The world fails to save Syria's citizens
U.S. betrayal of Kurdish allies is just the latest sad chapter in this tragedy, as searing Syrian documentary, "For Sama," shows.
Rash Report: A film about Roy Cohn, but also about Donald Trump
New documentary 'Where's My Roy Cohn?' shows the notorious attorney's considerable influence on the future U.S. president.
The enduring impact of Anne Frank's diary
Auschwitz survivor Eva Schloss, Anne's stepsister, will speak at the U's Northrop Auditorium on Oct. 27.
Rash Report: Election leaves Israel hanging in the balance (again)
Coalition talks will tackle a political split, but long-term questions await answers.
Rash Report: 'Official Secrets' and the open issue of the Iraq war
Katharine Gun and Martin Bright discuss a new movie that examines how the run-up to the war ran roughshod over the truth.
Rash Report: 'Cool War,' warming planet are key to geopolitics
Two experts envision Sino-American relations and the climate crisis as profound present and future foreign-policy dynamics.
Rash Report: Dissent seen despite rise of autocratic age
In Hong Kong, Moscow and elsewhere, a citizen-led counternarrative, though not yet a counterrevolution, to repressive regimes.
Rash Report: Debates focused on the wrong kind of conflict
CNN should have focused more on foreign policy and had candidates answer more profound questions about war and diplomacy.
Rash Report: Moonshot showed America at its best
Political and social strife was omnipresent 50 years ago, too, but the country did not let it eclipse its mission and achievement.
Rash Report: Women's sports soar in 'Maiden' and World Cup
New documentary on the first female crew in a round-the-world race and soccer team's win give context to ongoing fight for equality.
Rash Report: The geopolitics of the G-20 — and the D-20 — agendas
The formal agenda at the summit of world leaders in Osaka and the top topics at the Democratic candidate debates in Miami were revealing.
Rash Report: 'Peace,' remembrance of the Korean War
In Korea, a lifetime's uneasy truce hasn't erased hopes for a true end to hostilities or reduced the importance of America's role.
Rash Report: Far-right's rise risks eroding European unity
The twice-a-decade, 28-nation European Parliament elections, which will be concluded on Sunday, will be a bellwether for populism's popularity across the Continent.
Rash Report: Even from a co-founder, Facebook faces calls for reform
"Christchurch Call" amplifies global concern over antisocial abuse of social media.
Rash Report: J.R.R. Tolkien's life was as compelling as his work
A new movie and a museum exhibit displaying his creative process reveal the human behind "The Hobbit."
The Rash Report: Did you hear the one about the Ukrainian election?
A comic actor will soon take on the country's serious challenges.
Rash Report: Candidates contend amid an ever-evolving media landscape
Joe Biden and 19 other Democrats try to break through in what "will be a battle for attention."
'A cycle of fear' imperils press freedom worldwide
Pulitzer Prizes, clarity of Mueller report are antidotes to Reporters Without Borders' chilling annual analysis.
Rash Report: India's election a vote of confidence in democracy
World's largest democracy can be a global beacon amid a time of increasing authoritarianism.
Rash Report: Documentary on 'disrupter' Molly Ivins fits film fest's theme
The 38th annual Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival will screen more than 250 films from 77 countries during its April 4-20 run.
Rash Report: 'World Happiness Report' reveals much about true wealth
Annual U.N. study of people polled in 156 countries suggests that while it can help, money doesn't (always) buy happiness.
Rash Report: The humanitarian example of Razia Sultana, an 'International Woman of Courage'
The world needs to match the State Department honoree's intrepid advocacy on behalf of Rohingya refugees.
Rash Report: Oscars should focus its lens on film, not just movie stars
Filmmaking, and the movies themselves, should be the stars of a show that's been shadowed with controversy.
Rash Report: 40 years on, Iran's Islamic Revolution still roils
A juxtaposition of the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and an Iran-focused Mideast security conference in Warsaw.
Rash Report: Can Klobuchar connect with voters' 'true north?'
Minnesota senator's expected presidential bid comes amid a polarized, turbulent political environment.
Rash Report: Those who 'shall not grow old' should be remembered
A new documentary from director Peter Jackson uses old footage and voices to renew interest in the sacrifices of soldiers who fought, and won, the "Great War."
Rash Report: World's woes won't wait for Western paralysis
Political stalemates in Washington, London and elsewhere reflect a crisis in governance at a time of rising global challenges.
Rash Report: 'A world with fewer rules' is among top global risks
Foreign-policy experts cite the erosion of international institutions and the global order itself.
Rash Report: Journalists cover, and are central to, Senate's Saudi rebuke
Jamal Khashoggi's murder spurs Senate to condemn the crown prince and end U.S. military aid for the war in Yemen.
Rash Report: 'Roma' is human, and humane, counternarrative
New film by acclaimed Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón reflects an alternative cultural, commercial approach.
Best of British advertising amid worst of Brexit times
"Arrows Awards" reel, which begins its annual Walker Art Center run, may better reflect British society.
Rash Report: 'Front Runner' Gary Hart stumbled at new era's starting line
New movie recalls the 1988 sex scandal that engulfed the favorite to be the Democratic presidential nominee.
Rash Report: Bob Woodward on Watergate's, and today's, political-media eras
President Trump, the journalist said, might be best remembered for his 'policy casino.'
Rash Report: World watches Saudi, U.S. response to Khashoggi crisis
Even if Trump doesn't act, Congress can reassert U.S. foreign-policy independence by limiting arms sales to the kingdom.
Rash Report: More than arms sales at stake in Khashoggi case
American values and U.S. leadership are needed to counter the rise of a global "authoritarian alliance."
Rash Report: Enormous partisan divide on media endangers democracy
New Pew poll reflects deep divisions on support for the watchdog role of the press, perceived fairness, trust and other key issues.
Rash Report: A split vote on two new documentaries about democracy
"Fahrenheit 11/9," "Time for Ilhan" leave moviegoers with different takes on America's political system.
Rash Report: From Soviet tanks in 1968 to Russian clicks in 2018
Tactics shift, but the foreign policy objectives seem similar to a previous era.
Rash Report: Primary shows Minnesota is a microcosm of broader U.S. trends
Geographic, generational and gender trends, not to mention ideological divides, are apparent in state races.
Rash Report: A Russian (and at times, Soviet) news narrative
Controversy over Trump-Putin summit, attacks on the press and a Republican rebuke of policy "commissars."
Rash Report: Trump's disruption of international order comes with peril
The president is accelerating the waning of a system that's advanced U.S. interests.
Rash Report: Mexican election comes amid frayed North American ties
But relationships between Americans, Mexicans and Canadians transcend politics.
Rash Report: The migration issue is global, and growing
History Center's "Somalis + Minnesota" shows how immigration enriches.
Malian 'Spiderman' becomes real-life French superhero
Remarkable rescue shows the power of viral video and reflects the potency of immigration issue in Europe.
'Amazing' state needs governance to match it
Enduring political paralysis risks marring Minnesota's brand.
Rash Report: Will the U.S. and China get ensnared in 'Thucydides's Trap'?
In a provocative book, Harvard scholar Graham Allison examines if the two countries are "Destined for War."
Rash Report: 'In the Intense Now' of political protest, in 1968 and today
Walker Art Center's "Legacy of '68" film series sparks comparisons to current world turbulence.
Rash Report: Kabul carnage a reminder of an oft-forgotten conflict
Afghan citizens, multinational forces and an international press corps are under relentless siege from violent extremists.
Rash Report: Press freedom — and democracy — imperiled worldwide
2018 World Press Freedom Index warns of press repression amid rising authoritarianism.