Forgiving without condoning or forgetting

  I suspect all of us have been hurt in deep and lasting ways by the words or acts of another. It’s normal in such situations to feel hostility toward, be angry with, and make negative judgments about the person who hurt us. If we continue to think we’re right to be offended, the tendency is to carry the hurt and resentment in the form of a grudge. Usually this causes far more unhappiness for us than the person we’re mad at.

What is 'catch and kill' journalism?

  The First Amendment protects the freedom of press, meaning the government cannot interfere with journalists’ work or punish them for what they report.

  However, the First Amendment doesn’t shield journalists and news outlets in all cases. Libel, defamation, and plagiarism, among other things, are not protected.

  Even with free press protections, journalists could be prevented from reporting a story, though not by government officials legally stopping them or threatening them with jail. Another way some stories do not get reported is “catch and kill journalism.”

Preventive care is free by law, but many Americans get incorrectly billed − especially if you’re poor, a person of color or don’t have a college degree

  Even though preventive care is supposed to be free by law for millions of Americans thanks to the Affordable Care Act, many don’t receive recommended preventive services, especially racial and ethnic minorities, and other at-risk patient groups.

  The Affordable Care Act exempted preventive services from patient cost-sharing for large chunks of the population. This means that if you receive preventive screening and have private insurance, including through the ACA Marketplace, there should be no copay at time of service, and you shouldn’t get a bill later on. Easy enough, right?

Montgomery is trying to do something about guns that the state hasn’t

  Back in July, I wrote about a prefiled bill that would allow the governor and attorney general to appoint interim police chiefs for cities,  effectively allowing the state to take over their police departments.

  The bill from Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road) doesn’t name Montgomery explicitly. But lawmakers have signaled that’s who they have in mind.

What James Earl Jones can teach us about the activism of art in times of crisis

  The death of James Earl Jones has forced me to consider the end of an era.

  Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, and Jones were giants in my industry. They were Black performers whose ascents to stardom occurred in the tumultuous 1960s, when I was an infant. All three were politically active, although each operated in a significantly different way.

Do a little more

  In 1964, a young woman named Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death outside her apartment building in Queens, New York. She was attacked repeatedly over the course of an hour and despite her screams, none of the 38 neighbors intervened or called for help. Some were afraid. Some didn’t want to get involved. Some thought someone else would do it.

To American revolutionaries, patriotism meant fair dealing with one another

  When modern Americans call themselves patriots, they are evoking a sentiment that is 250 years old.

  In September 1774, nearly two years before the Declaration of Independence, delegates from 12 of the 13 Colonies gathered for the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. They quickly hammered out a political, economic, and cultural program to unify the so-called “Patriot” movement against British rule.

An unseen problem with the Electoral College – it tells bad guys where to target their efforts

  Over the past four years, Congress and state governments have worked hard to prevent the aftermath of the 2024 election from descending into the chaos and threats to democracy that occurred around the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

  A new federal law cleaned up ambiguities that could allow for election subversion. New state laws have been enacted across the country to protect election workers from threats and harassment. Technology experts are working to confront misinformation campaigns and vulnerabilities in election systems.

Americans used to unite over tragic events − and now are divided by them

  Tragedy seldom unifies Americans today.

  Every year, horrific crises induce tremendous suffering. Most are privately tragic, affecting only those directly harmed and their immediate relations.

  A small number, though, become politically notorious and, therefore, publicly tragic.

5 ways Project 2025 puts profits over patients

  Project 2025, the far-right extremist agenda developed by the Heritage Foundation, would increase the power of corporations at the expense of Americans’ health and well-being. It would give more control to health care companies—including some of the most profitable companies in the world—by jeopardizing protections that help many patients access and afford the care they need. Project 2025 would also take us back to a time when corporations were free to pump dangerous toxins into the air we breathe and the water we drink. If Project 2025’s plan for a far-right administration takes effect, corporations will profit while patients are saddled with high bills, less accessible health care, more exposure to toxins, and more harmful health conditions.