Actually, It Is About You

Actually, It Is About You

Unless you’re a politician or a star athlete, the news of the day is rarely about your life. But sometimes, the media is buzzing quite specifically about you. Are you part of that conversation? Nope. That kind of treatment is reserved for people who lack...
Building an Underclass of Workers

Building an Underclass of Workers

You’ve probably heard that America has millions of undocumented immigrants. Maybe one of them lives next door to you. Or there’s one lurking on your roof. Or another lying nearby on the beach. My kids go to school with undocumented immigrants. They play on...
Swerving to the Right

Swerving to the Right

The Supreme Court rulings that made marriage equality a reality for many same-sex couples and struck down an Arizona law that made it harder to register to vote were important civil rights victories. But, they obscure our highest court’s rightward shift....
When Personalized Becomes Predatory

When Personalized Becomes Predatory

What do you think of when you hear the words “internet surveillance”? If you’ve been following the news, you might be thinking about the National Security Agency’s PRISM spying program. Or maybe you’re recalling debates about the age-old battle between security and...
Depending on the Kindness of Strangers

Depending on the Kindness of Strangers

The other shoe finally dropped in Detroit. The once-proud city — variously known as “Motown,” “the Arsenal of Democracy,” and “the City of Champions” — filed for bankruptcy. There’s a local effort to head off the filing, but...