In this 2017 file photo, a San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency officer directs traffic in San Francisco. (Jeff Chiu/AP)

Aug 23, 2019

The Fuel Economy Standards Fiasco Is Classic Trump

Trump’s emission power play is in tatters, writes Jim Borghesani. In the new cabal of car makers and state officials, Trump is the odd man out.

President Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House Wednesday. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Your Religion Doesn't Dictate Your Political Party In America

Aug 22, 2019

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Curbing Hate Online — And The Violence It Incites In The Real World

Aug 22, 2019

A Dayton Police detective wears his sidearm in a holster on Aug. 6 in Dayton. (John Minchillo/AP)

Massachusetts’ ‘Red Flag’ Gun Law Needs An Update

04:19Aug 21, 2019

Support the news

'They' Is Here To Stay. Get Over It

Your Religion Doesn't Dictate Your Political Party In America

Massachusetts’ ‘Red Flag’ Gun Law Needs An Update

The Catholic Church I Imagined Never Existed

This Is The Only Jeffrey Epstein Conspiracy Theory That Holds Water

The Fuel Economy Standards Fiasco Is Classic Trump

In Case You Missed It

Lizzo performs "Truth Hurts" at the BET Awards on Sunday, June 23, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Turn It Up And Be Mad: Why Angry Songs Make Us Feel Good

Aug 2, 2019

President Donald Trump, accompanied by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, left, gestures as he speaks about an infrastructure meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif. and other Democratic leaders during a meeting to support America's farmers and ranchers in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Thursday, May 23, 2019, in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Is America Heading For Another Civil War?

Jul 30, 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

Early afternoon bumper-to-bumper traffic on 93 in Milton (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Boston Should Make It More Expensive To Drive

Jul 15, 2019

On Air Commentaries

I’ve become unwittingly privy to my neighbors' daily doings, writes Deborah Sosin. (Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash)

Our Neighbors Are More Than The People Next Door

02:52Jun 19, 2019

Writer Will Dowd went looking for another voice, when a visual disorder made it impossible for him to read. (Unsplash/Jason Rosewell)

Finding My New Voice

02:40May 8, 2019

The White House is seen at dusk, Friday March 22, 2019, in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

I'm Only 12, But I'm Paying Attention To The 2020 Presidential Race

02:08Jun 26, 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

Politics

Aug 21, 2019

18 Years On, What We Should Learn From The War In Afghanistan

Voters should press 2020 presidential candidates to tell us when they would fight and when they’d stand down, writes Rich Barlow.

In this Jan. 31, 2019, file photo, hundreds of people overflow onto the sidewalk in a line snaking around the block outside a U.S. immigration office with numerous courtrooms in San Francisco. Santa Clara and San Francisco have filed suit against the Trump administration over its new controversial "public charge" rule that restricts legal immigration. This lawsuit is the first after the Department of Homeland Security's announcement Monday, Aug. 12, 2019, that it would deny green cards to migrants who use Medicaid, food stamps, housing vouchers or other forms of public assistance. (Eric Risberg/AP)

Trump's New Public Charge Rule Hurts My Clients

Aug 19, 2019

In this May 24, 2014 file photo, students stand next to a bouquet of flowers during a vigil held to honor the victims a mass killing at University of California, Santa Barbara. The shooter, Elliot Rodger, was said to have had hostility towards women. (Jae C. Hong/AP)

America Has A Patriarchy Problem

Aug 15, 2019

In this file photo, a peregrine falcon flies over San Francisco on Monday, April 23, 2012. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)

What’s The Cost Of Destroying A Species?

Aug 15, 2019

Annie Farmer, left, and Courtney Wild, right, accusers of Jeffery Epstein, stand outside the courthouse in New York, Monday, July 15, 2019. (Seth Wenig/AP)

This Is The Only Jeffrey Epstein Conspiracy Theory That Holds Water

Aug 14, 2019

Support the news

More From Cog

The facade of St. Michael Archangel Catholic Church in Houston, Texas is illuminated at night on April 11, 2019. (Wong Maye-E/AP)

The Catholic Church I Imagined Never Existed

I’ve asked my mother why anyone remains a part of the Catholic church, with all that we now know, writes Sasha Watson. "Because we are Catholic," she tells me.

Aug 20, 2019

This March 28, 2017, file photo, provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry shows Jeffrey Epstein. (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP)

The Brutality Of ‘Suicide Watch’

Jails don’t need more suicide-resistant smocks, video cameras and stripped-down cells, writes Reena Kapoor, they need more mental health professionals who can provide compassionate, high-quality care.

Aug 16, 2019

The Mountains Are Calling — And You Should Go

The backcountry is full of people seeking a sense of belonging that can be so evasive in modern life, writes Miles Howard.

Aug 16, 2019

In this May 7, 2015, file photo, people look at the Statue of Liberty from a ferry boat in Jersey City, N.J. (Mel Evans/AP)

Emma Lazarus Doesn’t Need An Editor — The ‘New Colossus’ Is Exactly Right

This spirit of generosity to the stranger, and mercy to the helpless, is not only the core of Christian theology, but the central tenet of our republic, writes Steve Almond.

Aug 14, 2019

Protesters gather in Ludvika, Sweden in May 2018 to voice their opposition to the Nordic Resistance Movement, a neo-Nazi political group. (Courtesy)

How One City In Sweden Fought Back Against White Supremacy

A couple of years ago, the city of Ludvika, Sweden was under siege by neo-Nazis. Writer and activist Julie Lindahl explains how the citizens of the city fought back, and...

Aug 13, 2019

Nancy, who came to Boston for shelter and services after becoming homeless in November, pulls her belongings in a suitcase outside St. Francis House in July. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Hope For The Homeless And Sick

Hospitals can help the chronically homeless -- high users of emergency departments -- find housing, write Dr. Alister Martin and David Velasquez.

Aug 12, 2019

On “Methadone Mile,” a one-mile stretch of Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, it is not uncommon to witness people using drugs. Here, we’ve digitally blurred this person’s face to prevent identification. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

We Can't Arrest Our Way Out Of The Opioid Crisis, And It's Cruel To Try

It's not hard to see the parallels between "Operation Clean Sweep" and well-documented human rights abuses happening elsewhere, writes Miles Howard.

Aug 9, 2019

Author Toni Morrison in 2005. (Guillermo Arias/AP)

How Toni Morrison Might Say Goodbye

Morrison’s various depictions of death had occupied my thoughts even before the news of her departure, writes Jabari Asim.

Aug 9, 2019

In this April 10, 2013 file photo, craftsman Veetek Witkowski holds a newly assembled AR-15 rifle at the Stag Arms company in New Britain, Conn. (Charles Krupa/AP)

Does Boston Show The Way Out Of Our Gun Madness?

A data-driven approach to gun violence, targeting crime-fighting tactics rather than weapons, could save lives while doing an end-run around fanatics, writes Rich Barlow.

Aug 8, 2019

Adam Friedman, 19, a youth organizer with the Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence, holds a sign saying "Disarm Hate" during a rally against racism, and in favor of gun laws on Aug. 6 in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Terror Is Not A Mental Disorder

It’s easy to blame the horrors of a mass shooting on some kind of cognitive aberration, writes Thom Dunn. But racism and terrorism are not predicated on mental illness.

Aug 7, 2019

Gloria Garces kneels in front of crosses at a makeshift memorial near the scene of a mass shooting at a shopping complex Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019, in El Paso, Texas. (AP/John Locher)

Another Mass Shooting. What More Is There To Say?

You’ve heard it all. I’ve written it all, says Anita Diamant. So what’s a human to do?

Aug 6, 2019

Rene Aguilar and Jackie Flores pray at a makeshift memorial for the victims of Saturday's mass shooting at a shopping complex in El Paso, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019. (Andres Leighton/AP)

1 Political Party Has Ideas About How To Stop Mass Shootings. Will Democrats Meet The Moment?

President Trump and Vice President Pence immediately offered prayers for the dead and injured, writes Jim Borghesani. Neither offered any ideas to help stem such mass shootings.

Aug 6, 2019

Children of a youth sports community participate in a vigil for the victims of Saturday's mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019. (Andres Leighton/AP)

Let's Stop Pretending These Mass Shootings Are A Coincidence

The president didn’t invent racial demagoguery or white supremacy, writes Steve Almond. He has simply triggered the deadly leap from ideation to action.

Aug 5, 2019

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., talk during in the first of two Democratic presidential primary debates hosted by CNN Tuesday, July 30, 2019, in the Fox Theatre in Detroit. (Paul Sancya/AP)

Forget Medicare For All. Obamacare For All Is The Only Way Forward

To be single-payer or not to be single-payer: That is the question, writes Rich Barlow.

Aug 5, 2019

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, answers questions after the second of two Democratic presidential primary debates hosted by CNN Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019, in the Fox Theatre in Detroit. (Paul Sancya/AP)

Rejecting The Age Of The Sick Burn

The Democratic hopefuls should take every opportunity to reject the rancor that the president exhaustingly exploits, writes Steve Almond.

Aug 2, 2019

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., listens as Andrew Yang speaks during the second of two Democratic presidential primary debates hosted by CNN Wednesday, July 31, 2019, in the Fox Theatre in Detroit. (Paul Sancya/AP)

The Value Of Fringe Candidates

As we await the inevitable shrinking of the field, writes Joanna Weiss, let’s raise a glass to Andrew Yang, Marianne Williamson, and that rarest of campaign artifacts: the unvarnished truth.

Aug 1, 2019

William Gaines, publisher of MAD magazine in 1970. Location unknown. (AP)

Farewell To Mad Magazine

Reading Mad magazine shaped my worldview, writes Jim Sullivan. It taught me about irreverence and satire.

Aug 1, 2019

From left, Marianne Williamson, Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock take the stage for the first of two Democratic presidential primary debates hosted by CNN Tuesday, July 30, 2019, in the Fox Theatre in Detroit. (Carlos Osorio/AP)

The Democratic Debates Aren’t Helpful. Here’s How To Make Them Better

What if debates were focused on a single topic? And moderated not by generalist anchors, but by deeply-knowledgeable beat reporters who could ask questions that get to both nuance and...

Jul 31, 2019

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talks during the international counterterrorism conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, July 19, 2019. (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

Gender Equality As A National Security Policy

National security is a field that has long been dominated by men. There's an effort underway to change that, writes Rich Barlow.

Jul 29, 2019

In this 2017 file photo, a person works on a laptop in North Andover, Mass. Telecommuting has become synonymous with convenience, flexible schedules and, yes, pajamas. You don’t have to commute, spend money on transportation or dress up. But despite the appeal and laid-back reputation, there are challenges. (Elise Amendola/AP)

Gov. Baker's Telecommuting Push Is Regressive

As a remote worker myself, writes Miles Howard, it’s tough to overstate how regressive Charlie Baker’s approach looks.

Jul 26, 2019

Hidden Brain

The Fuel Economy Standards Fiasco Is Classic Trump

Your Religion Doesn't Dictate Your Political Party In America

Curbing Hate Online — And The Violence It Incites In The Real World

Massachusetts’ ‘Red Flag’ Gun Law Needs An Update

'They' Is Here To Stay. Get Over It

Your Religion Doesn't Dictate Your Political Party In America

Massachusetts’ ‘Red Flag’ Gun Law Needs An Update

The Catholic Church I Imagined Never Existed

This Is The Only Jeffrey Epstein Conspiracy Theory That Holds Water

The Fuel Economy Standards Fiasco Is Classic Trump

Turn It Up And Be Mad: Why Angry Songs Make Us Feel Good

Is America Heading For Another Civil War?

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

Boston Should Make It More Expensive To Drive

Our Neighbors Are More Than The People Next Door

Finding My New Voice

I'm Only 12, But I'm Paying Attention To The 2020 Presidential Race

'They' Is Here To Stay. Get Over It

18 Years On, What We Should Learn From The War In Afghanistan

Trump's New Public Charge Rule Hurts My Clients

America Has A Patriarchy Problem

What’s The Cost Of Destroying A Species?

This Is The Only Jeffrey Epstein Conspiracy Theory That Holds Water

The Catholic Church I Imagined Never Existed

The Brutality Of ‘Suicide Watch’

The Mountains Are Calling — And You Should Go

Emma Lazarus Doesn’t Need An Editor — The ‘New Colossus’ Is Exactly Right

How One City In Sweden Fought Back Against White Supremacy

Hope For The Homeless And Sick

We Can't Arrest Our Way Out Of The Opioid Crisis, And It's Cruel To Try

How Toni Morrison Might Say Goodbye

Does Boston Show The Way Out Of Our Gun Madness?

Terror Is Not A Mental Disorder

Another Mass Shooting. What More Is There To Say?

1 Political Party Has Ideas About How To Stop Mass Shootings. Will Democrats Meet The Moment?

Let's Stop Pretending These Mass Shootings Are A Coincidence

Forget Medicare For All. Obamacare For All Is The Only Way Forward

Rejecting The Age Of The Sick Burn

The Value Of Fringe Candidates

Farewell To Mad Magazine

The Democratic Debates Aren’t Helpful. Here’s How To Make Them Better

Gender Equality As A National Security Policy

Gov. Baker's Telecommuting Push Is Regressive