Rights and Democracy
Going After the Opioid Profiteers
Travis Bornstein never told his friends about his son Tyler’s drug problem. He was too embarrassed. Then, on September 28, 2014, Tyler’s body was found in a vacant lot in Akron, Ohio. The 23-year-old had become addicted to opioid pain killers after several...
A Movement for ‘Sanctuary Campuses’ Takes Shape
With spring midterms on the horizon, this time of year is often stressful enough for college students. Yet for some students this year, the stress goes far beyond the normal pressures of tests and quizzes. For many immigrant students and their families, it's now an...
The President Is Fooling Himself. Is He Fooling Us, Too?
Some people who attain high public office grow in their position of trust. Some, however, just bloat. Bloat has been on spectacular display in the first months of Donald Trump's presidential tenure. He had a disastrous start, choosing a cabinet and staff mostly made...
Trump’s Claims Are All Wet
Getting the Brush-off on Health
The Republicans just introduced a new plan to "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act, or ACA — aka Obamacare. The rollout came after many members of Congress caught an earful from constituents trying to stop them. Although I’ve voted for people in both parties...
A Double Deuce to Working Families (and Math)
The political theater that passes for serious policy debate is about to run into an unfortunate reality as Donald Trump’s budget plan comes face to face with its arch-nemesis: arithmetic. It's impossible to cut taxes, increase spending, and balance the budget. That’s...
The Press Is Essential, Whether Presidents Like It or Not
The U.S. has a robust, free, and fair media. No wonder that makes Donald Trump angry. Trump has such notoriously thin skin that some have taken to calling him Trumplethinskin. His staff says he watches TV and reads the news obsessively, looking for praise for himself....
It’s Only My Health
I'm one of the 27 percent of Americans with a pre-existing medical condition. Pre-existing conditions range from life-threatening illnesses like cancer or multiple sclerosis to chronic conditions like diabetes or cerebral palsy. They can also include life events like...
My Novel (Accidentally) Predicted Trump
It’s terrifying when your dystopian nightmares begin to come true. Donald Trump is consolidating a circle of extremist advisers. Hardline restrictions on immigration are going up, regulations on Wall Street are tumbling down, and ordinary Americans can no longer agree...
The Best Education Our Money Can Buy
Most of us know folks who owe everything they have in life to education. That explains, I suspect, why we nod in agreement whenever we hear somebody describe education as the ultimate antidote to inequality. Education certainly can serve as a brake on our widening...
