America’s Hollow Paradises

America’s Hollow Paradises

Think back to your favorite vacation. Wouldn’t it be delightful if that trip never ended? Imagine moving to that fantastic destination town, finding a job and a house, and living the dream. Even if you had to wait tables or stock store shelves, who needs a desk job...
We Still Need Black History Month

We Still Need Black History Month

Carter G. Woodson was born in Virginia, 10 years after the fall of the Confederacy. Working as a sharecropper and a miner, he rarely had time to attend school until the age of 20. But he sure made up for lost time. Woodson would devote the rest of his life to...
Let’s End Torture in U.S. Prisons

Let’s End Torture in U.S. Prisons

Solitary confinement is exactly what it sounds like. A prisoner is kept in a small cell — usually 6 feet by 10 — alone, for 23 hours a day. For one hour a day, he or she may be taken into a small cage outside, with the opportunity to walk in circles before being taken...
It’s Not All in Your Head

It’s Not All in Your Head

We often hear about public health crises related to poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking. But what about chronic stress? Canadian physician Gabor Maté studies the mind-body connection. He argues that chronic stress plays a big role in the development of disease....
The Sanders Sensation

The Sanders Sensation

When I crossed paths with a Democratic campaign consultant in Austin last March, I suggested he come to the local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers hall to hear Bernie Sanders speak. The Vermont senator, I added, was pondering a presidential run. “You...