Ruth Morris

June 18, 2019

Sanctions on Iran have squeezed the economy since the 1970s, and since US President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal, they have been ratcheting up. Some Iranians are ready to cut and run but others are waiting out the economic storm.

Politics

Things That Go Boom: Is America's foreign policy for sale?

The World

June 11, 2019

Think tanks with nonprofit status aren't required to say much of anything when it comes to the source of their funding — whether it be billionaires or foreign governments. That can become a problem when such organizations significantly influence foreign policy — such as the Iran nuclear deal — without disclosing to whom they are financially beholden.

Nuclear

Things That Go Boom: In nuclear negotiations, diplomacy can be a slog

The World

May 27, 2019

Diplomacy is often awkward, stymied by translators, late nights and unsecured yurt communication (yes, that really happened). But diplomacy can also stop a war, as years of secret and not-so-secret negotiations between the US and Iran proved when the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was reached in 2015.

Nuclear

'Things That Go Boom:' Nothing good happens after 'nuclear midnight'

The World

May 14, 2019

It's been a year since the US pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal ad some experts warn that the threat of a worldwide meltdown is the worst its been since the darkest, most dangerous days of the Cold War.

Election 2016

How to deflect a 'hijab grab' and other lessons from a Muslim black belt

The World

December 29, 2016

When Rana Abdelhamid was 15, a man tried to rip off her hijab. Now she teaches self-defense classes for Muslim women like her.

Business

Her resort is a refuge from more than just stress

The World

December 11, 2015

Casa Nemo Beach Resort and Spa sits on the island of Pulau Weh in Aceh, Indonesia. While the rest of Aceh has its own version of Sharia law, restricting the behavior of women and gay men, things are a little freer at Casa Nemo. The resort's owner says she wants it to be a refuge, but she's not sure how long it will be able to survive as one.

Justice

A transgender woman in Aceh, Indonesia gathers strength as new anti-gay sex laws roll out

The World

November 02, 2015

New anti-gay laws that just took effect in Indonesia's Aceh province mandate 100 strokes from the cane for people engaging in gay sex.

Conflict

Indonesians got help after the tsunami. Now they want to help Myanmar's Rohingya refugees.

The World

August 17, 2015

People in Aceh, Indonesia, are giving a welcome to Rohingya refugees chased out of Myanmar. But the refugees have their eye on another destination.

Belief

China's atheist Communist government is embracing a very capitalist form of Buddhism

The World

May 14, 2015

Updated

05/15/2015 - 3:00pm

Officially atheist, the Communist Party these days is more tolerant of religion, though it generally demands that people worship in state-controlled settings. And that state control can manifest in weirdly capitalistic ways.

Lifestyle

Same-sex unions? Not quite. In China, a gay man and a lesbian woman often get married ... to each other.

The World

April 02, 2015

The unions, known as cooperative marriages, are seen as a way around intense parental pressure to get hitched and to produce a grandchild. They also seem to be gaining in popularity.

Ruth Morris

Recent Stories

Things That Go Boom: Are sanctions on Iran spurring economic resilience?

Things That Go Boom: Is America's foreign policy for sale?

Things That Go Boom: In nuclear negotiations, diplomacy can be a slog

'Things That Go Boom:' Nothing good happens after 'nuclear midnight'

How to deflect a 'hijab grab' and other lessons from a Muslim black belt

Her resort is a refuge from more than just stress

A transgender woman in Aceh, Indonesia gathers strength as new anti-gay sex laws roll out

Indonesians got help after the tsunami. Now they want to help Myanmar's Rohingya refugees.

China's atheist Communist government is embracing a very capitalist form of Buddhism

Updated

Same-sex unions? Not quite. In China, a gay man and a lesbian woman often get married ... to each other.

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