With the memory of Rwanda still with us, with repeated acknowledgments from the Bush administration and Congress that genocide is taking place and with special sessions of the UN Security Council convened to tackle this problem, with broad public awareness, how is it that genocide continues in Darfur? Is it that no viable political or military options exist? Is the world no more prepared to stop genocide in the 21st century than it was in the 20th?

More than three years after 9/11, our chemical manufacturing and transport facilities remain extremely vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Industry has taken some steps voluntarily to enhance physical security, but a more effective approach should involve reducing or eliminating the risk and impact of terrorism on the American people and the economy. Fortunately, hazard reduction techniques are readily available

The Bush Administration has been accused of taking an anti-environmental approach, not only through changes in law and regulation, but by failing to appeal adverse court rulings and agreeing to generous settlements with industry plaintiffs. This highly experienced panel will discuss the current Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), exploring whether or not ENRD is using creative mechanisms to roll back vital environmental protections “under the radar.”

For low-and middle-income families, the nation's prolonged economic recovery has offered little economic security. On April 8, 2005, the Center for American Progress hosted a panel of experts who explored the state of the labor market for low-income workers and discussed policy options to increase economic security through greater opportunities for upward mobility.

A Brentwood housewife and her DA husband. A Persian store owner. Two police detectives who are also lovers. An African-American television director and his wife. A Mexican locksmith. Two car-jackers. A rookie cop. A middle-aged Korean couple… They all live in Los Angeles. And during the next 36 hours, they will all collide…

The Bush administration rightly stresses that homeland security should be a partnership among federal, state and local governments and the private sector. The court battle between CSX and the District of Columbia over the transportation of hazardous materials through Washington, however, clearly demonstrates the urgent need for a comprehensive national rail security approach.

Senate leaders have threatened to invoke the nuclear option to eliminate longstanding Senate rules that require a supermajority vote to end debate on judicial nominees. Critics of the move warn that should this effort succeed, it could permanently impair the ability of the Senate to fulfill its role in our constitutional system of checks and balances, giving the president virtually unchecked power to appoint whomever he pleases. The Center for American Progress has brought together distinguished scholars and public figures to discuss the role of the filibuster in protecting minority rights and providing an effective counterweight to presidential power.