Nov 12, 2019

Robots May Be Grading Your Kid’s Essays, With Bias

Can a computer grade an essay? Yes, writes Rich Barlow, but not particularly well. And not without algorithmic bias.

While canvasing through a Roslindale neighborhood in September 2019, Alejandra St. Guillen, left, listens to resident Radrigunda Marmanillo, speak about some of the issues in the area. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

What A More Diverse City Council Could Mean For Boston’s Latino Community

Nov 8, 2019

The Gift Of Showing Up

Nov 8, 2019

In this 2018 file photo, Russ Lewis covers his eyes from a gust of wind and a blast of sand as Hurricane Florence approaches Myrtle Beach, S.C. (David Goldman/AP)

Trump Is Abandoning The Paris Agreement. If Only That Were The Worst Of It

Nov 7, 2019

Support the news

The Case For Cohousing: Where Responsibilities Are Shared And Life Is A Little Less Lonely

Why I’m Breaking Up With You, Boston

Robots May Be Grading Your Kid’s Essays, With Bias

The Gift Of Showing Up

Heavy Meddle: Help! My Husband Can't Stand My Parents, And Now It's Affecting Our Marriage

Is America Heading For Another Civil War?

In Case You Missed It

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, pictured in an interview with ITV News. (ITV News screenshot/YouTube)

Meghan Markle Is Not OK, And That’s OK

Oct 23, 2019

Elizabeth Warren at age 22 holding her newborn daughter, Amelia. (Courtesy of the Elizabeth Warren campaign)

‘You Should Have Told Me You Planned To Have Kids’: Your Stories Of Pregnancy Discrimination

Oct 11, 2019

In this Aug. 7, 1974 file photo, Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., center, speaks to reporters after meeting with President Richard Nixon at the White House to discuss Nixon's decision on resigning. He is flanked by Senate Republican Leader Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania, left and House GOP Leader John Rhodes of Arizona, right. The three top Republican leaders in Congress paid a solemn visit to Nixon, bearing the message that he faced near-certain impeachment due to eroding support in his own party. Nixon announced his resignation the next day. (AP)

Senate Republicans Will Determine Trump's Fate. Where Is Our Barry Goldwater?

Oct 21, 2019

The author's daughter, wife and mother pictured in the foreground, looking at a neighbor's home in their cohousing community in central Massachusetts. (Courtesy)

The Case For Cohousing: Where Responsibilities Are Shared And Life Is A Little Less Lonely

Oct 9, 2019

On Air Commentaries

Laura Levis, pictured at Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury, Mass. (Courtesy of Peter DeMarco)

My Wife Died Of An Asthma Attack. If She'd Known About 'Peak Week,' She Might Have Survived

02:39Sep 18, 2019

My 12-year-old, Elsa (pictured), is now using "they" pronouns, writes Jane Roper. So far, people have been very supportive. But many also add, with varying degrees of consternation, that they just have trouble with the fact that "they" is a plural. (Courtesy)

'They' Is Here To Stay. Get Over It

02:22Aug 13, 2019

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin poses for a photo beside the U.S. flag on the moon. (Neil Armstrong/NASA via AP)

The Fleeting Hope And Wonder Of Man On The Moon

02:35Jul 18, 2019

Last Thursday morning, Kanwar Singh, pictured here, was in Boston’s Downtown Crossing, when a woman yelled, "Go back to your country!" (Courtesy)

My Response To The Woman Who Told Me To 'Go Back'

03:40Jul 22, 2019

Politics

Nov 6, 2019

7th Graders Are Baking Cookies Shaped Like Tampons. That's Progress

A group of 7th graders made "tampon" cookies in response to their school principal's refusal to offer free menstruation products. What a cool and eloquent example of girl power, writes Anita Diamant.

Lacey Hunt, a supporter of Democratic presidential candidate entrepreneur Andrew Yang, watches as he speaks during a Democratic presidential debate at a watch party in Atlanta, Thursday, June 27, 2019. (David Goldman/AP)

The Key To Democratic Victory In 2020 Is Progressive Patriotism

Nov 5, 2019

Apartments along Worcester Street in the South End. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

The Case For Rent Control In Massachusetts

Nov 1, 2019

President Trump talks to reporters before boarding Air Force One for a trip to Chicago on Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, in Andrews Air Force Base, Md. (Evan Vucci/AP)

To Check Trump's Lies, Check His Lawyers

Oct 31, 2019

President Trump is introduced during the third inning of Game 5 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

Beware The Pleasures Of Humiliation

Oct 29, 2019

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More From Cog

Pope Francis celebrates a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Monday, Nov. 4, 2019. (Andrew Medichini/AP)

Married Priests In The Amazon Won’t Cure What Ails Catholicism

Allowing already married deacons to be ordained in one underserved region in South America is hardly the revolutionary action needed to counter the crisis of faith facing the church.

Nov 7, 2019

A notification badge on the Messages app on an iPad is shown. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

How Intimate Relationships Can Foster Deadly Cyberbullying

Alexander Urtula died by suicide after receiving thousands of texts from his girlfriend encouraging him to end his life. Child psychiatrists Nancy Rappaport and Meredith Gansner explain the sometimes-hidden peril...

Nov 5, 2019

What’s It Like To Be A Person Of Color In Rural New England? Basically Invisible

We know very little about how racial minorities feel as they increasingly make their homes in places where whiteness is embedded in the local culture, writes Emily Walton.

Nov 4, 2019

The author's grandmother, Ethel, pictured in 1974. She was 55 years old. (Courtesy)

'Just Ethel': What My Grandmother, Who Was Much More Than A Domestic Worker, Taught Me About Black Patriotism

In the face of discriminatory legislation, racist policies and exploitative practices, waving the American flag can feel dishonest. Other times, writes Kellie Carter Jackson, it can also feel like hope....

Oct 30, 2019

Labor trafficking disproportionately affects immigrants, who are vulnerable due to their lack of immigration status and work authorization. (Josue Isai Ramos Figueroa/Unsplash)

Labor Trafficking Is A Crime You Probably Don't Notice

You’ve probably heard of sex trafficking, writes Julie Dahlstrom. Labor trafficking is also a problem in Massachusetts -- if less visible and less understood, even by law enforcement.

Oct 29, 2019

The author, pictured second from right, with students during his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zimbabwe. (Courtesy)

How 'The Karate Kid' Helped Me Bridge A Cultural Divide

As a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Zimbabwe, Ben Berman learned a lesson that's stuck with him for decades: he couldn't really teach his students English, until he first understood...

Oct 28, 2019

House Republicans hold a press conference after Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper arrived to deliver testimony behind closed doors as part of the House impeachment inquiry on Oct. 23, 2019. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

It'll Take More Than Evidence To Convict Donald Trump

Mass movements create the groundswell and the cover that leaders need to take risks or make transformative changes, writes Julie Wittes Schlack. A movement calling for impeachment is what's required...

Oct 25, 2019

This Monday, April 23, 2018, file photo shows part of the display at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, a memorial to honor thousands of people killed in racist lynchings, in Montgomery, Ala. Facing an impeachment inquiry that he and supporters claim is illegal, President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, that the process is a lynching. (Brynn Anderson/AP)

If You Must Think Of Lynching, Think Of This

This is the history that should come to mind when “lynching” is invoked, writes Jabari Asim. If instead, you conceive of a petulant president and bickering partisans, think again.

Oct 24, 2019

In this Sunday, April 22, 2018, file photo, a statue of a chained man is on display at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, a new memorial to honor thousands of people killed in racist lynchings, in Montgomery, Ala. Facing an impeachment inquiry that he and supporters claim is illegal, President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, that the process is a lynching. (Brynn Anderson/AP)

Your Shock And Horror Over Trump's 'Lynching' Comments Aren't Helping

On Tuesday, the president took to Twitter to call the impeachment inquiry a "lynching." John Vercher says we shouldn't be surprised. Surprise distracts.

Oct 23, 2019

President Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting in the White House, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is right of the President. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

The Climate Crisis: Ignored By Trump, Greenwashed by Big Oil

Climate change won't even be on the G7's agenda in June 2020, writes Frederick Hewett, and that's just fine with ExxonMobil and other fossil fuel giants.

Oct 22, 2019

A Kurdish girl looks on as she holds a picture during a protest in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, on Thursday. Oct. 17, 2019. (Giannis Papanikos/AP)

Here's What We Should Do About Syria

Knowledgeable voices are putting this mess in perspective while offering a way forward.

Oct 22, 2019

Anderson Cooper, CNN anchor, walks onstage for a Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by CNN/New York Times at Otterbein University, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019, in Westerville, Ohio. (John Minchillo/AP)

In Defense Of The 'Ellen Question'

Critics called it trivial and a waste of precious debate time. Robert C. Bordone disagrees.

Oct 18, 2019

‘Imagination And Creativity Can Carry You Through’: A Conversation With Newbery Medal Winner Erin Entrada Kelly

Erin Entrada Kelly writes novels for middle grade readers. Her third book, "Hello, Universe" won the 2018 Newbery Medal. She is the Kids' Keynote speaker at this year's Boston Book...

Oct 17, 2019

Vice President Joe Biden is pictured with his son Hunter Biden, left, Aug. 17, 2016. (Visar Kryeziu/AP)

The Far Right Seems To Think Liberals Are A Bigger Threat Than Rampant Corruption. It's Not So

Political disagreements are not the same as potentially impeachable offenses, write Rich Barlow.

Oct 17, 2019

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden gestures toward Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., during a Democratic presidential primary debate at Otterbein University Tuesday in Westerville, Ohio. (John Minchillo/AP)

Hang On, Sen. Warren — Joe Biden Is Going To Mansplain That To You

Biden's most enduring gift on Tuesday night, writes Joanna Weiss, was a spontaneous moment that underscored Warren’s ability to think on her feet and lob a serious clap-back when warranted.

Oct 16, 2019

The Boston Public Library in Boston's Copley Square, pictured in 2015. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Why Literary Festivals Matter

There seems to be a near-universal impulse to hold public celebrations of literary culture -- but why? Boston Book Festival executive director Norah Piehl says it's all about connection.

Oct 16, 2019

Everybody Needs A Health Care Proxy. Even You

It only takes a few minutes, writes Dr. Richard Leiter, and it may allow your loved ones to protect you when you’re most vulnerable.

Oct 15, 2019

President Donald Trump gestures while speaking to the media on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Friday, Oct. 4, 2019, before his departure to nearby Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

Playing The Witch Hunt Card

The president can’t defend the underlying crime, writes Steve Almond, so he’s refusing to show up for trial.

Oct 10, 2019

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks at a town hall meeting Sept. 19 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)

Your Response To The Elizabeth Warren Pregnancy Story Is Important

We should pay attention to the way gender continues to shape the nature of credibility, writes Jack Schneider. And we should take Elizabeth Warren at her word.

Oct 10, 2019

A Kurdish woman participates in a demonstration outside European Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019. Turkey launched a military operation Wednesday against Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria after U.S. forces pulled back from the area, with a series of airstrikes hitting a town on Syria's northern border. (Virginia Mayo/AP)

Trump's Message To The World: America's Words And Values Are Worthless

Beyond the physical danger President Trump's decision creates, there is moral danger, too, writes Congressman Seth Moulton, in betraying our allies and siding with strongmen.

Oct 9, 2019

On Point

Robots May Be Grading Your Kid’s Essays, With Bias

What A More Diverse City Council Could Mean For Boston’s Latino Community

The Gift Of Showing Up

Trump Is Abandoning The Paris Agreement. If Only That Were The Worst Of It

The Case For Cohousing: Where Responsibilities Are Shared And Life Is A Little Less Lonely

Why I’m Breaking Up With You, Boston

Robots May Be Grading Your Kid’s Essays, With Bias

The Gift Of Showing Up

Heavy Meddle: Help! My Husband Can't Stand My Parents, And Now It's Affecting Our Marriage

Is America Heading For Another Civil War?

Meghan Markle Is Not OK, And That’s OK

‘You Should Have Told Me You Planned To Have Kids’: Your Stories Of Pregnancy Discrimination

Senate Republicans Will Determine Trump's Fate. Where Is Our Barry Goldwater?

The Case For Cohousing: Where Responsibilities Are Shared And Life Is A Little Less Lonely

My Wife Died Of An Asthma Attack. If She'd Known About 'Peak Week,' She Might Have Survived

'They' Is Here To Stay. Get Over It

The Fleeting Hope And Wonder Of Man On The Moon

My Response To The Woman Who Told Me To 'Go Back'

7th Graders Are Baking Cookies Shaped Like Tampons. That's Progress

The Key To Democratic Victory In 2020 Is Progressive Patriotism

The Case For Rent Control In Massachusetts

To Check Trump's Lies, Check His Lawyers

Beware The Pleasures Of Humiliation

Married Priests In The Amazon Won’t Cure What Ails Catholicism

How Intimate Relationships Can Foster Deadly Cyberbullying

What’s It Like To Be A Person Of Color In Rural New England? Basically Invisible

'Just Ethel': What My Grandmother, Who Was Much More Than A Domestic Worker, Taught Me About Black Patriotism

Labor Trafficking Is A Crime You Probably Don't Notice

How 'The Karate Kid' Helped Me Bridge A Cultural Divide

It'll Take More Than Evidence To Convict Donald Trump

If You Must Think Of Lynching, Think Of This

Your Shock And Horror Over Trump's 'Lynching' Comments Aren't Helping

The Climate Crisis: Ignored By Trump, Greenwashed by Big Oil

Here's What We Should Do About Syria

In Defense Of The 'Ellen Question'

‘Imagination And Creativity Can Carry You Through’: A Conversation With Newbery Medal Winner Erin Entrada Kelly

The Far Right Seems To Think Liberals Are A Bigger Threat Than Rampant Corruption. It's Not So

Hang On, Sen. Warren — Joe Biden Is Going To Mansplain That To You

Why Literary Festivals Matter

Everybody Needs A Health Care Proxy. Even You

Playing The Witch Hunt Card

Your Response To The Elizabeth Warren Pregnancy Story Is Important

Trump's Message To The World: America's Words And Values Are Worthless