Feb 14, 2020

More Americans Are Eating Plant-Based Diets. This Might Help End Animal Prisons

Legislation proposed by Sen. Cory Booker would put a moratorium on building new concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, and prohibit the expansion of the largest ones.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Attorney General William Barr before Trump signed an executive order creating a commission to study law enforcement and justice at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Convention Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, in Chicago. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)

This President Won't Be Deterred

Feb 13, 2020

This June 2019 photo features the mural, "Breathe Life," by the artist Problak Gibbs at 808 Tremont Street in Roxbury. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Is Boston's Booming Economy Making Our City Better Or Destroying It? The Truth Lies Somewhere In Between

Feb 13, 2020

Attorney General William Barr, right, next to FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich, speaks during a news conference, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020, at the Justice Department in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Barr’s Justice Department Is Ignoring The Lessons Of History

Feb 13, 2020

Support the news

Lockdown Drills Are Bad For Children. They Also Create A False Sense Of Security

Don't Lose Hope. Be A Fanatical Optimist Instead

This President Won't Be Deterred

More Americans Are Eating Plant-Based Diets. This Might Help End Animal Prisons

Is Boston's Booming Economy Making Our City Better Or Destroying It? The Truth Lies Somewhere In Between

Barr’s Justice Department Is Ignoring The Lessons Of History

In Case You Missed It

Highlights from the year that was on Cognoscenti: asthma Peak Week, the case for co-housing, the ongoing impeachment inquiry, a visit to Auschwitz and the college admissions scandal.

Cognoscenti's Top 21 Stories In 2019

Dec 20, 2019

The White House is seen before sunrise, in Washington, Saturday, March 23, 2019. (Cliff Owen/AP)

Don't Lose Hope. Be A Fanatical Optimist Instead

Feb 5, 2020

Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leave after visiting Canada House in London, Tuesday Jan. 7, 2020, after their recent stay in Canada. (Frank Augstein/AP)

Meghan Markle Has Upended The Royals’ Idea Of Work

Jan 10, 2020

Why I Said Nothing When My Med School Professor Made Racist Remarks

Jan 22, 2020

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

A voter collects her ballot at Broad Street Elementary School in Nashua, N.H. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Feb 11, 2020

I Voted In The N.H. Primary. Forget Excitement, 'I Just Want To Stop Being Nauseated'

KJ Dell'Antonia was an undecided voter until yesterday. She cast her ballot this morning in her small New Hampshire town. Here's what she saw.

This July, 2018 photo provided by the Alaska Division of Forestry shows dead or damaged spruce trees with needles that have turned brown because they were infested by spruce bark beetles in south-central Alaska. (Alaska Division of Forestry via AP)

Planting A Trillion Trees Is A Worthwhile Undertaking. And Not Remotely Enough

Feb 11, 2020

A woman listens intently to presidential candidate Bernie Sanders during a speech given at St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH on February 7, 2020. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

The Paralyzingly High Stakes Of The N.H. Primary

Feb 10, 2020

In this Dec. 21, 2019, file photo, a supporter holds up a sign for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., during a rally in Venice, Calif. (Kelvin Kuo/AP)

The Danger Of 'Bernie Or Bust'

Feb 10, 2020

In this Jan. 26, 2020, file photo, people cheer as democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at a campaign rally in Sioux City, Iowa. (John Locher/AP)

A Progressive Activists’ Guide To 2020

Feb 7, 2020

Support the news

More From Cog

In this file photo of Jan. 14, 2013, police Chief Scott Robertson talks with 4th grade students as they huddle in closet a during a lockdown drill at the St. Bernard School in New Washington, Ohio, a month after the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Conn. (Craig Ruttle/AP)

Lockdown Drills Are Bad For Children. They Also Create A False Sense Of Security

By prioritizing lockdown drills above all else, writes Nancy Rappaport, schools are abdicating their responsibility to take other actions -- like investing in mental health services for students -- that...

Feb 12, 2020

The U.S. Capitol building, center, and part of the Washington Monument, right, on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Julio Cortez/AP)

The States Must Protect Our Rights If Washington Won't

The work to defend our democracy must start with voting rights, writes Carol Rose. And the states must continue to offer safe harbor for civil rights and civil liberties.

Feb 6, 2020

Boston Red Sox's Mookie Betts is doused after their victory over the New York Yankees in a baseball game at Fenway Park, Friday, July 26, 2019, in Boston. (Elise Amendola/AP)

The Red Sox Just Traded Away Our Best Player. And You Don't Have To Stand For It

The Red Sox know they can trade Mookie Betts with absolute impunity, writes Peter May. It’s the MLB equivalent of saying you could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and get...

Feb 6, 2020

Activists with Movimiento Cosecha rallied and began a hunger strike Monday, Feb. 3, 2020. They’re protesting what they say is the Legislature’s inaction on the Work and Family Mobility Act, which would grant access to driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants. (Shannon Dooling/WBUR)

Why Issuing Driver's Licenses To Undocumented Immigrants Makes Everyone Safer

The Work and Family Mobility Act is not about where you stand on immigration, writes Mayor Marty Walsh. It’s a public safety bill.

Feb 5, 2020

Why You Should Never Stop Reading To Your Kids

The magic of being read to does not disappear just because it’s no longer a practical necessity, writes Sharon Brody.

02:48Feb 5, 2020

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., tears her copy of President Donald Trump's s State of the Union address after he delivered it to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. Vice President Mike Pence is at left. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Nancy Pelosi Ripping Up Trump's Speech Wasn't Subtle. That Was The Point

The state of our union is apparently a reality show. As Democrats eye debates and proxy conversations with President Trump, writes Joanna Weiss, they’ll need more than just facts to...

Feb 5, 2020

Caucus participants at Central Campus High School raise their hands to be counted, Feb, 3, 2020. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

You Had One Job, Iowa

Which state should go first? Not Iowa.

Feb 4, 2020

Chairwoman Alice Paul, second from left, and officers of the National Woman's Party hold a banner with a Susan B. Anthony quote in front of the NWP headquarters in Washington, D.C., June 1920. The suffragettes are ready for the G.O.P. convention to seek support for the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. (AP Photo)

A Girls’ Weekend In Seneca Falls, The Birthplace Of The Women’s Suffrage Movement

The ability to vote was their dream, their work, and their legacy, but never their right, writes Anne Gardner of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.

Feb 4, 2020

Belgium's Marieke Vervoort arrives for a press conference at the aquatic centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016. (Leo Correa/AP)

How Our Assisted Dying Laws Exclude Some People Who Suffer The Most

If we want more patients with degenerative, hopeless diseases to have access to an aided death, we must rethink our approach to assisted dying, writes Antia Hannig.

Feb 4, 2020

Shoppers at RAYGUN in Des Moines peruse the selection of printed t-shirts and other items with various quips about the Iowa caucus. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

For The Love Of Iowa

I grew up in Iowa, writes Janet Banks. Grassroots democracy is in my DNA.

Feb 3, 2020

Why The End Of January Is The Perfect Time To Pick A New Year's Resolution

Making promises from a place of happiness, even hypothetical, hoped-for joy, is a fool’s game, writes Holly Lebowitz Rossi.

Jan 31, 2020

President Donald Trump speaks during an event with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. (Susan Walsh/AP)

Trump’s Peace Plan Is A Win-Win … For Himself And Netanyahu

The wins here are solely in the interests of two men who have consistently demonstrated their willingness to put power and personal wealth above the greater good, writes Julie Wittes...

Jan 30, 2020

A group of elementary school students from Paige Academy in Roxbury visit the Shaw Memorial at the Boston Common to learn about the 54th Regiment. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Boston Is Losing Its Children — What’s At Stake, And What Has Already Been Lost

The Boston Foundation’s report is a reminder that the epidemic displacement of families that we've seen in cities like San Francisco and Seattle has been quietly happening right here in...

Jan 29, 2020

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell walks outside the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington during a break in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Jan. 24, 2020. (Julio Cortez/AP)

A Cover-Up In Real Time

Aside from a few sober-sounding bromides mouthed by various “moderates,” GOP senators remain united in their desire to bury the truth, writes Steve Almond.

Jan 28, 2020

In this image from video, Alan Dershowitz, an attorney for President Donald Trump, speaks during the impeachment trial against Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. (Senate Television via AP)

Alan Dershowitz Used To Be An Icon For Civil Libertarians. What Happened?

Dershowitz seems eager to parse his representation of the president, writes retired federal judge Nancy Gertner. Does he think that by walking this fine line he can salvage his reputation?...

Jan 28, 2020

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a media conference after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. (Francisco Seco/AP)

Mary Louise Kelly Made One Mistake: Trusting Mike Pompeo To Begin With

The secretary of state went on an expletive-laden tirade against the host of NPR's All Things Considered, and then called her a liar when she reported it.

Jan 27, 2020

Inmate cells at Barnstable County Correctional Facility. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

The Telephone Is A Lifeline For Prison Families. And Calls Are Outrageously Expensive

Maintaining strong family ties during incarceration is proven to reduce rates of recidivism. But in Massachusetts, incarcerated people and their families spend $24 million a year to talk on the...

Jan 27, 2020

In this Jan. 15, 2020, photo, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. In the dawn of what may be her toughest reelection fight, veteran Collins has parachuted into familiar terrain -- the pressure-packed middle of an issue, this time the impeachment of President Donald Trump. (Susan Walsh/AP)

Susan Collins, Mythological Moderate

The senior senator from Maine this week sent a note to the chief justice about the Democrats' incivility. It's a good thing she is laser-focused on what really matters here,...

Jan 24, 2020

Singer/songwriter Lizzo performs on stage at The Anthem on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019, in Washington, D.C. (Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP)

At The Grammys, Everything Old Is New Again. And I Am Here For It

I’ve discovered an unexpected partner in my battle with culture relevance, writes Anne Gardner – the 37 teenage girls who I live with at the prep school where I’m the...

Jan 24, 2020

In this image from video, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. (Senate Television via AP)

The Impeachment ‘Trial’ Is The End Of Democracy As We Know It

If Republican senators acquit the president, writes Steve Almond, his behavior will no longer be an abuse of power. It will become standard operating procedure.

Jan 23, 2020

Love at the Movies

More Americans Are Eating Plant-Based Diets. This Might Help End Animal Prisons

This President Won't Be Deterred

Is Boston's Booming Economy Making Our City Better Or Destroying It? The Truth Lies Somewhere In Between

Barr’s Justice Department Is Ignoring The Lessons Of History

Lockdown Drills Are Bad For Children. They Also Create A False Sense Of Security

Don't Lose Hope. Be A Fanatical Optimist Instead

This President Won't Be Deterred

More Americans Are Eating Plant-Based Diets. This Might Help End Animal Prisons

Is Boston's Booming Economy Making Our City Better Or Destroying It? The Truth Lies Somewhere In Between

Barr’s Justice Department Is Ignoring The Lessons Of History

Cognoscenti's Top 21 Stories In 2019

Don't Lose Hope. Be A Fanatical Optimist Instead

Meghan Markle Has Upended The Royals’ Idea Of Work

Why I Said Nothing When My Med School Professor Made Racist Remarks

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'

I Voted In The N.H. Primary. Forget Excitement, 'I Just Want To Stop Being Nauseated'

Planting A Trillion Trees Is A Worthwhile Undertaking. And Not Remotely Enough

The Paralyzingly High Stakes Of The N.H. Primary

The Danger Of 'Bernie Or Bust'

A Progressive Activists’ Guide To 2020

Lockdown Drills Are Bad For Children. They Also Create A False Sense Of Security

The States Must Protect Our Rights If Washington Won't

The Red Sox Just Traded Away Our Best Player. And You Don't Have To Stand For It

Why Issuing Driver's Licenses To Undocumented Immigrants Makes Everyone Safer

Why You Should Never Stop Reading To Your Kids

Nancy Pelosi Ripping Up Trump's Speech Wasn't Subtle. That Was The Point

You Had One Job, Iowa

A Girls’ Weekend In Seneca Falls, The Birthplace Of The Women’s Suffrage Movement

How Our Assisted Dying Laws Exclude Some People Who Suffer The Most

For The Love Of Iowa

Why The End Of January Is The Perfect Time To Pick A New Year's Resolution

Trump’s Peace Plan Is A Win-Win … For Himself And Netanyahu

Boston Is Losing Its Children — What’s At Stake, And What Has Already Been Lost

A Cover-Up In Real Time

Alan Dershowitz Used To Be An Icon For Civil Libertarians. What Happened?

Mary Louise Kelly Made One Mistake: Trusting Mike Pompeo To Begin With

The Telephone Is A Lifeline For Prison Families. And Calls Are Outrageously Expensive

Susan Collins, Mythological Moderate

At The Grammys, Everything Old Is New Again. And I Am Here For It

The Impeachment ‘Trial’ Is The End Of Democracy As We Know It