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Poet Amanda Gorman speaks at the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Jan 22, 2021

Amanda Gorman's Poetry Opened The Door, And 'Let Everyone In'

The 22-year-old poet is the right messenger for this pivotal time in our history, writes January Gill O'Neil.

The Keystone XL pipeline was set to have passed near the White River in South Dakota. President Biden plans to block the controversial pipeline in one of his first acts of office. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

By Killing Keystone XL, Biden Sets The Tone For His Climate Policy

Jan 22, 2021

Pro-Life demonstrators try to block Pro-Choice supporters in front of the Supreme Court during the annual March for Life on the anniversary of the historic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling in Washington, USA on January 27, 2017.
(Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

What Can Be Done To Protect Abortion In America? Plenty

Jan 22, 2021

A boy sits on an abandoned boat on what is left of Lake Atescatempa, which has dried up due to drought and high temperatures, in Atescatempa, 174 km southeast of Guatemala City, on May 5, 2017. - ( Marvin Recino/AFP via Getty Images)

5 Steps Biden Can Take To Protect Climate Migrants

Jan 21, 2021

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In Case You Missed It

Boston City Councillor Kim Janey in Dudley Square on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Nicolaus Czarnecki/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald/Getty Images)

With Mayor Kim Janey, Boston Media Would Have This Rare Chance — A Do-Over

Jan 11, 2021

Norwood Fire Chief George Morrice receives a COVID-19 vaccine from registered nurse Stacey Lane on January 11, 2021 in Norwood, Massachusetts. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

Stop Debating COVID Vaccine Doses And Fix The Rollout

Jan 12, 2021

From Hygge To Saudade: The Power Of Untranslatable Words

Jan 3, 2021

A Holiday Season Gutted By The Pandemic: We're Trying To 'Celebrate And Grieve At The Same Time'

04:31Nov 20, 2020

On Air Commentaries

Karen Nascembeni and her husband Steven T. Richard, who died from complications of COVID-19 on March 24, 2020. He was 58 years old. (Courtesy Karen Nascembeni)

'He Blew Me A Kiss. And That Was The Last Time I Saw Him': They Were Both Gravely Ill With COVID — But Only One Survived

09:30Dec 22, 2020

A model attends a Black Lives Matter fashion show and protest by fashion designer Jason Christopher Peters at Washington Square Park on July 12, 2020 in New York City. (Noam Galai/Getty Images)

'It Doesn’t Matter If It’s Your Fault': I Warn My Daughter About Police As My Father Warned Me

02:57Jul 16, 2020

An American flag flies at a makeshift memorial for U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick on January 9, 2021. Sicknick was fatally injured when a pro-Trump mob stormed and entered the Capitol Building. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

The Greatest Threat To Our Democracy Is Inaction

05:29Jan 12, 2021

An elementary student following online lessons from home on May 15, 2020 in Sint-Marten-Latem, Belgium. (Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

‘Losing The Thread Of What We’ve Lost’: A Postcard From The Pandemic

02:46Oct 2, 2020

Politics

Jan 21, 2021

A Return To Leadership By Example

I'm too exhausted by Trump to be elated about Biden, writes Holly Robinson. But I have hope.

Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Pearls And Chucks: How Kamala Harris Is Changing Fashion In Politics

02:31Jan 20, 2021

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris deliver remarks at the Alexis Dupont High School on August 12, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The Cavalry Is Finally Here

Jan 20, 2021

A President Donald Trump and a former Vice President Joe Biden supporter converse before the Joe Biden Campaign Rally at the National World War I Museum and Memorial on March 7, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)

America Is Not As Divided As You Think. Yes, Really

Jan 20, 2021

(L-R) Douglas Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris, Dr. Jill Biden and President Joe Biden look down the National Mall as lamps are lit to honor the nearly 400,000 American victims of the coronavirus pandemic at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool January 19, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

'An American Eldercide': Some 39% Of COVID Deaths Are In Nursing Homes. We Must Do Better

Jan 19, 2021

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More From Cog

A view from the lower west terrace door as preparations are made for a dress rehearsal for the 59th inaugural ceremony for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris at the U.S. Capitol on January 18, 2021 in Washington, DC. Biden will be sworn-in as the 46th president on January 20th. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

'We Have Been Here Before, And Have Overcome': This Is The Inaugural Address Joe Biden Should Give

The Capitol riot shocked us; it might have been less shocking to our founding fathers, writes Rich Barlow. How their era handled the crisis offers lessons for us.

Jan 19, 2021

The author and his family with Rev. Raphael Warnock on election night at campaign headquarters in Atlanta. (Courtesy)

'The Sun Is Rising In Atlanta': On The Election Of My Friend, Rev. Sen. Warnock

Bill Eville and his family drove from Massachusetts to Atlanta to help Warnock's U.S. Senate campaign in the Georgia runoff.

Jan 15, 2021

The author and his late wife, Laura Levis, in Scotland. (Courtesy)

I Lost Laura 4 Years Ago. The Law Passed In Her Name Will Save Lives

In the final hours of the legislative session, hundreds of people came together to help writer Peter DeMarco lobby for "Laura's Law," which will make emergency room entrances easier to...

05:34Jan 14, 2021

Youth Climate Strike protesters gather on the steps of the Massachusetts State House. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

'It Redefines The Realm Of What Might Be Possible': Sign The Climate Bill, Gov. Baker

State policymakers across the country are keenly aware of others’ steps forward -- or backward -- on energy and environmental policy. That’s why it’s so important Gov. Baker sign the...

Jan 14, 2021

Trump supporters push back a police car while gathering outside the Capitol Building. (Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)

There Are White Supremacist Hate Groups Everywhere. Even In 'Blue' Mass.

People who live in progressive bubbles might be tempted to assume that the kind of bigotry and hatred incited by Donald Trump doesn’t exist in liberal enclaves like Boston. But...

Jan 13, 2021

Trump supporters gesture to U.S. Capitol Police in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington, Wed., Jan. 6, 2021. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

The Irony Of Calling America A 'Banana Republic'

The history of the banana republic reminds us that for all too many across the globe, the United States is not a beacon of human rights and democracy, writes Joseph...

Jan 13, 2021

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks alongside Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) during a joint press conference at the U.S. Capitol on November 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Censure Won't Remove Trump, But It Would Hold Him Accountable. And Cause Big Problems For Republicans

Dealing with our current crisis requires more than removing Donald Trump from office, writes Charles Stewart III. It requires creating the conditions for elections to marginalize opponents of constitutional government....

Jan 11, 2021

A pro-Trump protester is tended to by a police officer while suffering the effects of chemical agents used to disperse crowds after protesters stormed the grounds the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

Of Course The Mob That Stormed The Capitol Wasn't Afraid

These far-right activists have been courted by law enforcement to help control Black Lives Matter and other racial justice protesters, writes Karen J. Pita Loor.

Jan 11, 2021

U.S. Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) walks in a hallway at the U.S. Capitol January 8, 2021 in Washington, DC. Speaker Pelosi and her leadership team are considering an impeachment process of President Donald Trump after pro-Trump mobs stormed the Capitol and temporarily stopped the process the certification for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ electoral college win. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Enough With The Pathetic Excuses: Impeach Trump Immediately

Whether or not GOP Senators would muster the courage to convict, writes Steve Almond, they should have to face that vote -- and the public pressure that will come along...

Jan 8, 2021

A mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Spare Me Your Outrage, Your Shock. This Is America

Our inability to acknowledge the white supremacist truth of our history fuels the very fire we are furiously claiming no part in having helped set, writes Anri Wheeler.

Jan 8, 2021

In this Friday, March 20, 2020, file photo, Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Georgia, waits to speak in a television interview on Capitol Hill in Washington. WNBA players urged people to vote against Atlanta Dream co-owner Loeffler. Loeffler, who spoke out publicly against the league’s social justice plans and sent a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert objecting to the initiatives to honor the Black Lives Matter movement once the season began last month, lost to Rev. Raphael Warnock on Jan. 5, 2021. (Susan Walsh/AP)

How The WNBA Helped Democrats Regain Control Of The Senate

Players on the basketball team owned by ousted Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler agitated against her, writes Bill Littlefield, and likely deserve some of the credit for her defeat.

Jan 8, 2021

Protesters supporting U.S. President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. Pro-Trump protesters entered the U.S. Capitol building during demonstrations in the nation's capital. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Trump Shouldn’t Get One More Day In Office. Invoke The 25th Amendment Now

The Cabinet needs to remove this deluded narcissist from office for the unprecedented threat he poses to American democracy, writes Eileen McNamara.

Jan 6, 2021

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 17: Joanne Childs Ferguson rests as she recovers from COVID-19 at Roseland Community Hospital on December 17, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. Roseland Community Hospital is situated in the Roseland neighborhood on the city's far south side. The neighborhood's population is 95 percent black. The COVID-19 death rate among black residents in Chicago is nearly double that of the city’s white residents. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

We're Fighting COVID One-Handed. To End This Pandemic, Get Local Health Officials Better Data

Detailed data helps local health officials fine-tune their interventions, write doctors Louise C. Ivers and Wilfredo R. Matias. But our data systems still don't capture accurate information about where, why...

Jan 6, 2021

Vehicles block part of a bike lane on Main Street in Cambridge, MA, causing a bicyclist to compete with traffic, on Jan. 25, 2019. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Mass. Is Going On A Greenhouse Gas Diet. So Should Every Other State In The Northeast

If climate change is really the existential threat many Northeast governors say it is, more of them should sign on to a new regional vehicle emissions pact, writes Rich Barlow.

Jan 5, 2021

The author receiving the first dose of his COVID vaccine Tues., Dec. 22, 2020. (Courtesy)

My Respect For This Virus Came Early. I'm Grateful For Science — And The Vaccine

In March, I realized that I would never feel safe until there was an effective vaccine, writes Dr. Tafadzwa Muguwe. I thought it was years away.

Dec 23, 2020

Geese walk across an open field at the Oekohof Kuhhorst organic farm near Berlin on November 24, 2011 in Kuhhorst, Germany. Goose is the traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Germany. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Sometimes A Goose Is What's For Christmas Dinner. Sometimes It's Much More

After Christmas Eve dinner, we bundled up and went for a walk, writes Susan Pollack. I remember feeling glad to have made it through cancer treatment, glad to be part...

Dec 23, 2020

Highlights from the year that was on Cognoscenti: the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the tumultuous Trump era draws to a close, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a racial reckoning roils the U.S. and President-elect Joe Biden. (Getty and AP Images)

Cognoscenti's Best Stories Of 2020

Cognoscenti published nearly 450 essays and commentaries this year. Here are the pieces that attracted the most readers, and took up the most space in our hearts and brains.

Dec 22, 2020

Old Frog Pond Farm in Harvard, Mass. in 2016. (Courtesy)

Fear Not. Even The Coldest, Darkest Winters Bear Fruit

What if like the trees in the orchard, we were born with a chill requirement -- a time when we needed to rest, asks Linda Hoffman, an orchardist.

Dec 21, 2020

First lady Melania Trump walks around the 2020 official White House Christmas tree after it arrived at the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. This year's tree is an 18.5-foot Fraser Fir, selected and cut from Dan and Bryan Trees in Shepherdstown, W. Va. (Andrew Harnik/AP

A Very Melania Christmas

A meditation on Christmas decorations in the time of COVID and climate change.

Dec 18, 2020

The author, Dr. Joshua Barocas, gets his COVID vaccine Wed., Dec. 16, 2020. (Courtesy)

Pulled By Hope And Grief: What It Felt Like To Get The Vaccine

As I stared at the small glass vial, time slowed down, writes Dr. Joshua Barocas. In that moment, I thought of the past 10 months.

Dec 17, 2020