Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Today’s “Must Read” Stories

The debate over torture

AHA won't be considering petition to boycott Israel, unless it's introduced at the Business Meeting

Does the new 'Exodus' movie whitewash the Bible?

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Dick Cheney’s David Frost Moment by Mark Byrnes “I'm more concerned with bad guys who got out and released than I am with a few that, in fact, were innocent.”--Dick Cheney on Meet the Press

How Two Historians Responded to Racism in Mississippi by James W Loewen One wrote a textbook passing along the racist myths of Reconstruction. The other wrote a textbook challenging them.

The Joyless Recoveries in the UK and the USA by Iwan Morgan Voters who are divided on issues from Obamacare to the battle against the Islamic State agree that the failure of Republicans and Democrats to work together is damaging the nation.

The Surprising Reason Why Racial Inequality Is so Great in the United States. by Graziella Bertocchi and Arcangelo Dimico The data show that slavery's a big cause.

How the NCSS Sold Out Social Studies and History by Alan Singer Instead of challenging Common Core, the NCSS begs to be included. Instead of presenting multiple perspectives, it sells advertising in the form of lessons to its corporate and foundation sponsors.

This Is What Hanukkah Is All About. Hint: It Was a Near-Death Experience. by David Carr Though Hanukkah now is a Jewish counterpart to the Christian holiday of Christmas, it commemorates Judaism’s bare survival of an attempt to obliterate it by a Hellenistic king.

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Does the new 'Exodus' movie whitewash the Bible? The new biblical epic from director Ridley Scott, "Exodus: Gods and Kings," has a race problem.

Paul Revere-Era Time Capsule Uncovered at The State House The 219-year-old capsule— a green box believed to contain Revere-era items— was concealed by Governor Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and William Scollay when the building was constructed in 1795.

Brazil faces the truth about its military dictatorship National Security Archive hails efforts by investigators, victim's families to uncover truth.

Gun Used to Shoot George Wallace Being Auctioned The auction company gave a presale estimated value of between $15,000 and $30,000.

US, France Sign Accord for Holocaust Survivors The accord will compensate thousands of Holocaust survivors and their families who were deported to concentration camps by France's state rail company during Nazi occupation.

Hitler Appears in Thai Video to Promote 'Values' The short propaganda film commissioned by Thailand's military rulers was supposed to promote the "12 core values" every Thai student must now learn.

Louisiana plantation tours skittish on slavery history “There are places that don’t want to talk about it,” said Aaron Sheehan-Dean, a history professor at LSU.

Digging Up Ads From WWII—When They Pushed Products No One Could Buy During World War II, companies stayed in the public eye by advertising products—often with the government's help—that weren't available to civilians.

How the KKK Helped Create the Solid GOP South Researchers present evidence that the Klan, in the 1960s, effectively moved working-class Southern whites into the Republican column.

North Carolina Newspapers Mostly Silent As ALEC And Koch Brothers Rewrite History North Carolina newspapers have largely missed the connection between a Koch-funded education non-profit organization contracted to help shape new statewide history curriculum materials.

Historians in the News

What follows is a streamlined list of stories.  To see the full list:  Go Here!

AHA won't be considering petitions to boycott Israel, unless they're introduced at the Business Meeting The petition missed the deadline set for the upcoming annual meeting of the American Historical Association. Someone at the Business Meeting of the AHA could still put the issue on the agenda.

The Council on Foreign Relations Honors Kissinger Critic The Council on Foreign Relations named Gary J. Bass’s The Blood Telegram the best book on international relations of 2014.

Architectural historian discovers Chartres Cathedral has started faking it Rosemarie Haag Bletter discovers blue faux marbre, high above gilded column capitals and bosses.

Rick Perlstein hits back at a critic of his book on Reagan The three-time NYT bestselling author takes on Slate’s Jacob Weisberg.

Harvard’s Jill Lepore is surprised to find herself the author of a book on Wonder Woman. Then she discovered Wonder Woman offered fresh insights to feminism.

Gil Marks, Historian of Jewish Food and Culture, Dies at 62 Mr. Marks wrote five books that chronicled kosher menus through the centuries and examined the role of food in the establishment and growth of cultural traditions.

AHA Council Issues Letter of Concern Regarding the New York Board of Regents Proposed Modifications to Exams AHA is concerned about loosening of requirements for social studies.

Historians are joining with scientists in a breakthrough approach Historians haven't traditionally welcomed scientists into their corner of research, but they should -- and now we're doing it.

Congresswoman: Says D.C. is Closer than Ever to Getting National Women’s History Museum Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton says a key step has been to establish a commission.

Michael Mizell-Nelson, historian of the po-boy and streetcar, dies at 49 Michael Mizell-Nelson was a historian so steeped in New Orleans culture that he spent 12 years researching the origin and name of po-boy sandwiches.