On March 6, 2023, sociologist Jason Arday became the youngest Black person to be appointed as a Cambridge University professor. Three-and-a-half years later, on Aug. 14, 2026, he was found dead in a manner police called “unnatural” but “not suspicious.”…
Expanded sports betting is harming student athletes
On Jan. 14, 2023, the Dayton Flyers held a comfortable halftime lead over the VCU Rams. ESPN gave the Flyers a 95.8% probability of winning the game. The Flyers came out of the locker room and proceeded to implode. With…
AI slop: Do you know who wrote that book?
Three years ago, in June 2023, I was scrolling through the Amazon Kindle bestseller list. All the regular, normal, to-be-expected titles were at the top. But as I kept scrolling, the books began to change. Gone were the big names…
The adultification of boys of color
The Little League World Series is in full swing, and along with it the adultification of young boys of color. An annual international baseball tournament for ages 10 to 12, the LLWS has transcended youth sports to become one of…
Whether in death or life, McConnell ignites debates about AI
Is Mitch McConnell alive? You’d think it would not be so terribly difficult to ascertain the continued existence of one of the most powerful people in American politics. However, McConnell’s prolonged, unexplained absence from the U.S. Senate followed by reluctant…
Is Nolans’ Odyssey woke or a worthy warning?
Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster adaptation of The Odyssey hit theaters last week in a big way, raking in $264.1 million globally and becoming Nolan’s biggest debut weekend ever. The long-anticipated film features a star-studded cast with Matt Damon leading the charge…
Lindsey Graham and the history of ‘widow’s succession’
When U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly at the age of 71, the immediate political question was who might become his replacement. In more than two decades in the Senate, Graham became a powerful force — lionized as a “giant…
No political victory should be worth sacrificing moral integrity
Graham Platner’s campaign to dethrone Susan Collins as one of Maine’s two senators has come to an abrupt end following allegations of sexual assault. In an 11-minute-long video on X, the progressive firebrand launched a combative defense calling the allegations…
Reading Ryan Stollar’s final message through the lens of trauma
Note: This article discusses suicide, child sexual abuse and domestic violence. It may be distressing for some readers. On June 30, child liberation theologian and abuse survivor advocate Ryan Stollar died by suicide, following a lengthy struggle with his…
6 ways the Reflecting Pool boondoggle mirrors Trump and MAGA
It was supposed to be a simple restoration project. A $1.5 million maintenance project on a prominent national landmark that would take about two weeks to complete. A proverbial drop in the bucket of the Department of the Interior’s budget….
The Enhanced Games were another MAGA grift
Recently, 42 athletes from 24 countries gathered in a temporary, ad hoc stadium built in a casino overflow parking lot to compete in what Donald Trump Jr. called an example of “excellence, innovation and American dominance on the world stage.”…
Why it is immoral for one man to be a trillionaire
Elon Musk has become the world’s first trillionaire, attaining a net worth of $1,100,000,000,000, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires list. The tipping point was the release of SpaceX’s initial public offering at $135 per share, giving the company a total…