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  • Election Letters

    In Wisconsin, Young People Are Thinking Beyond the Ballot Box

    As Swing Voters in a Swing State, Their Votes Count. But Their Political Action Goes Deeper Than Election Day

    by Jane Houseal |

    In Wisconsin, more than 12 elections in the last 24 years have been won by less than 30,000 votes—a statistic that has become a talking point among politicians. In 2020, …

  • Culture Class

    America’s Earliest Sports Stars Were … Professional Walkers?

    Before Fitness Influencers Made Getting Your Steps in a Trend, Pedestrianism Took the Nation By Foot

    by Jackie Mansky |

    Walking needs no publicist. The simplest, most accessible form of exercise has been around since humans first foraged and traveled on the ground.

    But today, walking seems to have entered its …

  • Connecting California

    Why California Should Let Pandas Vote

    Two Immigrants From China Have Taken Up Residence at the San Diego Zoo, and They Have Thoughts on Golden State Governance

    by Yun Chuan and Xin Bao |

    Nǐ hǎo, jiāzhōu!

    Hello, California!

    We are the Golden State’s two giant pandas, the first to enter the United States in two decades. And while it’s only been a few months since …

  • Essay

    For Trans People, a Doctor’s Visit Can Be a Dilemma

    Quality Care Requires Understanding Our Biological Needs—But Not Defining Us By Them

    by Natalie Yeh |

    Nine years ago, when I spotted blood in my ejaculate, I made an appointment to see my urologist. I quickly found myself to be the only woman in the waiting …

  • Poetry

    I Pray

    by Keith Kopka

     

    like the kid who knows

    he’s a year too old

    to sit on the mall Santa’s lap,

     

    waiting in line anyway,

    hedging his bets

     

    to make certain that new dirt bike

    is under the tree.

     

    Which is …

  • Election Letters

    Two Pennsylvanias, One Drive, No Connections?

    My Commute Into Pittsburgh Traverses the Political Divide That Defines My State

    by Lou Martin |

    My wife and I live in a rural farming area in Western Pennsylvania. We moved here five years ago because we’re country people, and it’s only 20 minutes from where …

  • Democracy Local

    Let the Nation-State Die So That Democracy May Thrive

    Self-Governance Is Growing Locally as National Elections Are Foundering—And That’s a Good Thing

    by Joe Mathews |

    Democracy is not in decline. The nation-state is.

    Making that distinction—between democracy and the nation—is crucial to understanding what’s really going on when it comes to self-government on this planet.

    It’s a …

  • Essay

    Why Can’t We Grieve for All the Dead?

    How the Leaders of NewGround, a Muslim-Jewish Partnership, Are Resisting the Dehumanization of Palestinians and Israelis

    by Aziza Hasan and Andrea Hodos |

    Several weeks ago, we convened a group of Muslims and Jews in our network to talk about the unrelenting pain we have been experiencing on, before, and after October 7, …

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