03:0710 hours ago

'Little By Little,' We Work For A Better, More Humane World

These, unquestionably, can feel like dark times, writes Ophelia Dahl, but don't lose heart. I’ve seen how one bright idea sparks many more.

In this Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019 photo, a member of the U.S. Coast Guard arranges donated canned goods at a pop-up food pantry at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., that was set up by several Coast Guard-related advocacy groups. (Susan Haigh/AP)

The Shutdown Is Causing A Man-Made Hunger Crisis

Jan 21, 2019

The NYT Photographed The Women Of The 116th Congress — And The Result Is Inspiring

Jan 18, 2019

I Told Stories For A Living. Now I Help Prisoners Tell Their Own

Jan 18, 2019

Support the news

Gillette's Viral Ad Has A Fatal Flaw: It's Preachy Instead Of Persuasive

Pelosi's Power Play: Taking Away Trump’s TV Privileges

The Shutdown Is Causing A Man-Made Hunger Crisis

1 In 10 College Students In Mass. Are Homeless. More Are Hungry. It's Past Time We Recognize Their Reality

The NYT Photographed The Women Of The 116th Congress — And The Result Is Inspiring

Walking (Toby) In A Winter Wonderland

In Case You Missed It

When Loneliness Is An Emergency

Dec 28, 2018

The Pain Isn't In Your Head. And Other Truths Of The Female Experience

Jan 8, 2019

Our Most-Read Pieces Of 2018

Dec 31, 2018

Finding The 'Sunrise Moment' In A Day Of Parenting

Jan 16, 2019

Politics

Jan 17, 2019

What Good Is Republicans' Rebuke Of Steve King If They Remain Silent On Trump?

Steve King’s thoughts on white supremacy are the latest in a series of bigoted and incendiary comments that spout from him like sewage from a broken pipe.

Pelosi's Power Play: Taking Away Trump’s TV Privileges

Jan 16, 2019

The GOP Tax Bill Got One Thing Right: Ending The Charitable Deduction

Jan 16, 2019

Attorney General nominee William Barr departs after a meeting with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019 in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP)

William Barr Is A Stellar Candidate For AG — Except When It Comes To Issues Involving Trump

Jan 15, 2019

As The Shutdown Drags On, Trump Sputters, Rants And Mangles All Logic

Jan 14, 2019

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More From Cog

Gillette's Viral Ad Has A Fatal Flaw: It's Preachy Instead Of Persuasive

It is a beautiful ad, writes Joanna Weiss. But the weak spot in the otherwise important message is also one of the keys to our current political divide.

Jan 17, 2019

Walking (Toby) In A Winter Wonderland

Every morning, Toby has an appointment with nature, which means his owner, Anita Diamant, does too.

Jan 15, 2019

Who Wants A Likable President Anyway?

As Elizabeth Warren’s exploratory bid for president kicks into high gear, a familiar -- if frustrating -- topic keeps coming up: Is she likable enough to go the distance?

02:32Jan 11, 2019

'Don’t Be Awkward' And Other Advice For Politicians On Instagram

Social media presents elected officials with new opportunities to engage with audiences but, also, new opportunities to embarrass themselves.

Jan 11, 2019

Is Your Wardrobe Hurting The Planet?

Nearly three-fifths of all clothing ends up in incinerators or landfills within a year of being produced.

Jan 10, 2019

Democrats Shouldn’t Rule Out Candidates Because Of Race Or Gender — That Includes White Men

Obsessing over identity politics rather than the content of character is playing with political fire, writes Rich Barlow.

Jan 10, 2019

The Walls Are Closing In — Around Trump

The speech the president read off a teleprompter did nothing to bolster the case that there is a security crisis at the border. If anything, writes Steve Almond, it merely...

Jan 9, 2019

Get Your Kid A Flu Shot. There's No Excuse Not To

Most years, a shot can reduce your chances of flu by 50 to 70 percent.

Jan 8, 2019

The Essential Risk Of Good Literature

Literature offers an antidote to the excesses of collective myths and the deadness of demanded compliance, writes Janna Malamud Smith.

Jan 7, 2019

The Green New Deal Is Radical — And Necessary

The Green New Deal will be important because it sets the baseline against which other climate measures will be judged, writes Fred Hewett.

Jan 7, 2019

Why Bernie Shouldn’t Be Blamed For His Bros

According to new reports, Bernie Sanders’s 2016 campaign was sexist. What a shock.

Jan 4, 2019

Hate Crimes Are Multiplying In Massachusetts But We Can't Blame Trump

We must grapple with our own personal biases, unconscious or otherwise, write Lauren Sampson and Iván Espinoza-Madrigal.

Jan 4, 2019

Mitt Romney Was For Donald Trump Before He Was Against Him

Romney's op-ed bashing Trump reeks of political opportunism, writes Eileen McNamara.

Jan 3, 2019

Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren talks with reporters outside her home in Cambridge after announcing that she is setting up an exploratory committee for a run for the presidency in 2020. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

How Elizabeth Warren Could Expand The Democratic Party — And Win

Warren is running on wealth redistribution. That's good for American democracy, writes Miles Howard.

Jan 3, 2019

America's Last Best Chance To Act On Climate

Are environmental voters ready to flex their political muscles? It's now or never, writes Nathaniel Stinnett.

Jan 2, 2019

The Lessons Of 2018 (Clearly, We Still Have A Lot To Learn)

This year was like a treadmill, writes Joanna Weiss, but fortunately, there’s always room for progress.

Dec 31, 2018

The Most Powerful Philanthropy You've Never Heard Of: Paying Strangers' Bail

The bail system, designed to motivate people to show up at their court hearings, favors those who can buy their freedom -- and ultimately, shorter sentences and no prison time,...

Dec 27, 2018

At Christmas, We Find Magic In The Ordinary

Martha Ackmann can't recall gifts from Christmases past, but she does remember the 'open houses' her usually modest family hosted, and their fleeting extravagance.

Dec 25, 2018

Finding The Sacred In A Non-Christian Christmas

I’m awed by Handel’s "Messiah," the smell of spruce, and my mother’s sour cream coffee cake on Christmas Day.

Dec 24, 2018

The Death Of A Girl At The Border: Even More Preventable, And Tragic, Than We Knew

Delays in recognizing the severity of her illness, and in transporting her to appropriate care, cost Jakelin Caal Maquin her life, writes C. Nicholas Cuneo.

Dec 21, 2018

Fresh Air

'Little By Little,' We Work For A Better, More Humane World

The Shutdown Is Causing A Man-Made Hunger Crisis

The NYT Photographed The Women Of The 116th Congress — And The Result Is Inspiring

I Told Stories For A Living. Now I Help Prisoners Tell Their Own

Gillette's Viral Ad Has A Fatal Flaw: It's Preachy Instead Of Persuasive

Pelosi's Power Play: Taking Away Trump’s TV Privileges

The Shutdown Is Causing A Man-Made Hunger Crisis

1 In 10 College Students In Mass. Are Homeless. More Are Hungry. It's Past Time We Recognize Their Reality

The NYT Photographed The Women Of The 116th Congress — And The Result Is Inspiring

Walking (Toby) In A Winter Wonderland

When Loneliness Is An Emergency

The Pain Isn't In Your Head. And Other Truths Of The Female Experience

Our Most-Read Pieces Of 2018

Finding The 'Sunrise Moment' In A Day Of Parenting

What Good Is Republicans' Rebuke Of Steve King If They Remain Silent On Trump?

Pelosi's Power Play: Taking Away Trump’s TV Privileges

The GOP Tax Bill Got One Thing Right: Ending The Charitable Deduction

William Barr Is A Stellar Candidate For AG — Except When It Comes To Issues Involving Trump

As The Shutdown Drags On, Trump Sputters, Rants And Mangles All Logic

Gillette's Viral Ad Has A Fatal Flaw: It's Preachy Instead Of Persuasive

Walking (Toby) In A Winter Wonderland

Who Wants A Likable President Anyway?

'Don’t Be Awkward' And Other Advice For Politicians On Instagram

Is Your Wardrobe Hurting The Planet?

Democrats Shouldn’t Rule Out Candidates Because Of Race Or Gender — That Includes White Men

The Walls Are Closing In — Around Trump

Get Your Kid A Flu Shot. There's No Excuse Not To

The Essential Risk Of Good Literature

The Green New Deal Is Radical — And Necessary

Why Bernie Shouldn’t Be Blamed For His Bros

Hate Crimes Are Multiplying In Massachusetts But We Can't Blame Trump

Mitt Romney Was For Donald Trump Before He Was Against Him

How Elizabeth Warren Could Expand The Democratic Party — And Win

America's Last Best Chance To Act On Climate

The Lessons Of 2018 (Clearly, We Still Have A Lot To Learn)

The Most Powerful Philanthropy You've Never Heard Of: Paying Strangers' Bail

At Christmas, We Find Magic In The Ordinary

Finding The Sacred In A Non-Christian Christmas

The Death Of A Girl At The Border: Even More Preventable, And Tragic, Than We Knew