Four years after the onset of a crippling global pandemic, the American school system has reached a tipping point. COVID-19 brought unprecedented social and economic upheaval, disproportionately affecting students from low-income and minority communities. In r... More »
In early 2023, Chicago witnessed an animated local election season with no shortage of personal attacks, stark ideological differences, and drama typical of the city’s politics. However, like many other Chicago voters, I had a difficult time choosing a candida... More »
Chicago, a bustling metropolis, is known for its architectural splendor, robust sports, museum culture and vibrant economy. However, beneath its towering skyline, there lies a pressing issue that often goes unnoticed: the disproportionate impact of fluctuating... More »
The story begins in 2022 in rural Odisha, in eastern India, where self-coined ‘Hashtag warriors’ stormed Twitter for 12 minutes every day at noon to call attention to local issues. The campaign, called 12baje12minute, highlights how Twitter emerged as the pref... More »
Education in the United States used to be treated as a ladder to economic mobility, but somewhere along the way, that ladder has fallen. AmeriCorps, a national service program intelligently invests in young people and the communities they come from and serve. ... More »
Nearly one million Rohingya refugees currently reside in camps in Bangladesh. Most Rohingya live in temporary settlements where conditions are not safe.The Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh cannot repatriate without threat from Myanmar’s military governme... More »
Earlier this year, New York City’s public high school admissions process, long known for its complexity, wrapped its third year of major policy change since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Calls for more diversity and equity have played a critical role in driving... More »
In December 2022, Belgian authorities arrested Eva Kaili, a vice president of the European Parliament, amidst allegations that she accepted bribes from Qatar. This corruption scandal followed similar concerns in the European Union (EU) over the influence of Ru... More »
Robin Rue Simmons is the Founder and Executive Director of First Repair, a nonprofit organization that provides expertise, technical assistance, and advocacy for local reparations nationwide. As the 5th Ward Alderwoman in Evanston, Illinois from 2017-2021, Ms.... More »
Teletherapy became increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, an estimated 21% of U.S. adults used a teletherapy service, while mental health startups collectively raised $5.5 billion in funding. Websites such as BetterHelp, Cerebral, Ginger, ... More »
Henry Grabar is the author of Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World. His book examines how parking shapes Americans’ lives through day-to-day interactions such as violence over a parking spot to its role in affordable housing development. Paved Paradi... More »
Every year millions of Americans begrudgingly file their taxes. Each household must spend countless hours deciding which deductions to take, bemoaning the complexity, and eventually sending off the precious dollars they must pay to fund our roads, bridges, fir... More »