Lita Danlag, 29, an ICU nurse from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, had spent more than a year trying to get pregnant. In the winter of 2019, she and her husband suffered a devastating blow when they lost a pregnancy, but they continued trying to the point that it became a …
Read More »As the COVID-19 Pandemic Continues, Face Masks Have Become a Status Symbol
Last week, mere weeks after the surgeon general discouraged Americans from buying masks to protect from COVID-19 transmission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started recommending that Americans wear masks to help slow the spread of coronavirus. It was the type of about-face that has characterized the government’s response …
Read More »The True Cost of Carbon
Heat-trapping pollution is invisible in the atmosphere. And the unit used to measure the gas at the heart of the climate crisis — metric tons of CO2 — doesn’t translate to the lived experience of most people. Can you visualize your own CO2 emissions? Or how changing your behavior might …
Read More »Jane Fonda Fights On
On a recent winter day, Jane Fonda pops out of a side room, looking every bit the Hollywood celebrity-activist that Trumpistas hate. The blond hair someone once described as needing its own agent is perfect, and her white blouse is stylish. She cradles her lapdog Tulea in her arms. We …
Read More »Soledad O'Brien Isn't Holding Back Anymore
Soledad O’Brien likes to tell a story: Eleven years ago, a senior employee at CNN — “my boss’s boss’s boss” — called her into his office to upbraid her about a comment she had made while promoting her multipart series Black in America. At a panel, O’Brien had said she …
Read More »Why Everyone Is Freaking Out About 'Joker'
Every six months or so, there’s a movie that everyone has formed a strong opinion about long before it’s actually released in theaters. This fall, it’sJoker,the Warner Bros. film starring Joaquin Phoenix as the iconic Batman villain.Jokerdoesn’t officially come out until October 7th, meaning most of the people talking about …
Read More »How to Spot a Bootleg Cannabis Vape Cartridge
Vape pens are increasingly the go-to choice for cannabis consumers, both in states with legal cannabis, and on the still-thriving black market. Even in places where you can purchase weed legally, some people are still buying black-market vapes to avoid the steep taxes that come with retail pot. However, as …
Read More »Arming the Cartels: The Inside Story of a Texas Gun-Smuggling Ring
Listen to an audio version of this story below: A FEW YEARS AGO, a retired police officer named Mike Fox found himself badly in need of money. The Vietnam veteran, overweight and ailing, was nearly 70 years old, and his wife, Diane, wasn’t much younger, but they had recently taken …
Read More »In the Wake of Two Mass Shootings, Fake News Proliferates on Social Media
After a tragic mass shooting event, many struggle to make sense of the bloodshed and unnecessary violence. Unfortunately, this often results in the spread of inaccurate information intended to mislead or confuse readers, and the response to the deadly El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, shootings over the weekend were …
Read More »The Hidden Toll of the Golden State Killer
Listen to an audio version of this story below: It was April 2018, and Judy Gelein was seated behind the survivors in Courtroom 61 at the Sacramento County Jail, awaiting the entrance of a man accused of being one of the most elusive serial killers/rapists in history. A suspect believed …
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