Why Is Accessing Good Dental Care Like Pulling Teeth?

The Science Is There. The Societal Will to Provide and Pay For It—Not So Much

In early January 2018, I began to have a recurring dream. I’m sitting comfortably at the kitchen table surrounded by friends, when one of my teeth falls out. I reach up to my mouth and out come two, three more. Then, I run to the mirror, only to find my mouth full of jagged shards where my teeth used to be.

The location and people I’m sitting beside vary, but the outcome is always the same. My permanent teeth lie cupped in my palm like a handful of trail mix.

Tooth loss …

More In: Ideas

Dump Biden. Run Snoop

If the American People (and the Supreme Court) Want a Convicted Felon-in-Chief, Let it Be a Multi-Talented Rapper from Long Beach

President Biden should drop out of the presidential race, but not because he is too old or too infirm.

He should drop out because he is not criminal enough to win.

The …

Look to California to Understand Jim Crow

The Violence Black Americans Face Today Is Rooted Everywhere—Including the Nation’s Most Progressive State

This essay was published alongside the Zócalo public program “How Does the Inland Empire Strike Back Against Hate?,” presented in partnership with California Humanities, …

| Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Riding the Cablebús Over Mexico City

A New Gondola System Has Been a Game-Changer for Marginalized Neighborhoods. Will Tourism Ruin It?

I’ve lived in Iztapalapa—Mexico City’s most populous borough, with over 1.8 million inhabitants—for the last 26 years. The borough is considered part of the “periphery” of Mexico City, …

California Democrats Need Real Opposition | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Why Is Gavin Newsom Invoking a Failed World War Two-Era Governor?

Culbert Olson Talked A Good Game About Democracy, But He Failed to Protect Californians’ Civil Liberties

If you’re ever inside the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale and hear laughter ringing through the hallways, it’s probably me visiting the tomb of Culbert …

A Baseball Umpire’s Guide to Neutrality

Be Invisible, Defuse Conflict, and Value Safety Above All Else

Can we, and should we, ever really be neutral? In a new series, Zócalo explores the idea of neutrality—in politics, sports, gender, journalism, international …