by John Whitehead — A group of activists known as a Meta Peace Team  (MPT) traveled to the West Bank this autumn. These activists are committed to “creating a nonviolent alternative to militarism.” During their West Bank work, the MPT collaborated with the Palestinian-led International Solidarity Movement  (ISM).   The MPT and ISM’s joint mission includes “participating in Palestinian-led demonstrations, creatively disrupting activity by the Israeli occupation forces, [and] a

by Sarah Terzo — After the Dobbs decision was leaked  on May 5, 2022, many media outlets predicted that the maternal mortality rate (MMR) would rise. More women, they said, would die in childbirth if abortion weren’t available. For example, an article in the Washington Post  said “researchers have estimated that maternal deaths could increase by up to 25 to 30 percent.”  Pro-choice authors Rebecca Little and Colleen Long wrote: [M]aternal mortality rates are alarmingly high,

by Christy Yao Pelliccioni — About a year ago, I was nine months pregnant and letting my two-year-old have some extra screen time while I lay on my mother’s couch. I was pretty exhausted when a new show came on— Carl the Collector .  I then forced myself to pay attention. I had heard about this show before: PBS had been running promos, and a news article had popped up on my phone reporting that this show was unique in that the main character openly explained how he is autisti

by Sarah Terzo — Myths Vs. Reality Many people claim that programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allow lazy people to avoid working. They imagine a “welfare queen” who lives high on the hog on government benefits while refusing to work. They resent their tax dollars going to help such a person. People aren’t eating lobster and steak on SNAP. The average monthly benefit is $157 per person. Next time you go shopping, check your grocery bill to get an

by John Whitehead —   Nuclear war is the greatest catastrophe that could befall life on this planet. Nuclear war would mean death on an unparalleled scale and the likely end of human civilization.  Today, in 2025, the danger of nuclear war is greater than it has been in decades. We are living through a period of nuclear danger comparable to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 or the extreme Cold War tensions of the 1980s.  We see the danger of nuclear war in the ongoing war in U

by Nora Stewart Wylie — In 2005, the Netherlands made the historic decision  to legalize assisted death for terminally ill infants under the age of one. Dutch law specifies that, should a baby be born with a severe medical condition that is irremediable and causes “unbearable” suffering, parents may have the right to terminate their child’s life .  While many other countries in the world have legalized assisted dying for adults, the Netherlands was the first to legalize it fo

by Timothy Kirchoff — The term “heritage American” has come into use  in certain parts of the internet—in blogs, on X, and in hand-wringing commentary  from outlets like Politico . While definitions of the term vary, it seems to mean roughly “Americans who trace their presence in the country back to the colonial or Civil War era.” The term is endorsed by some as a celebration of the United States’ “national heritage and its culture.”  When I first heard the term “heritage Ame

by John Whitehead — A group of activists known as a Meta Peace Team (MPT) traveled to the West Bank this autumn. These activists are committed to “creating a nonviolent alternative to militarism.” During their West Bank work, the MPT is collaborating with the Palestinian-led International Solidarity Movement (ISM).   The MPT and ISM’s joint mission includes “participating in Palestinian-led demonstrations, creatively disrupting activity by the Israeli occupation forces, [an

by Christy Yao Pelliccioni — Starting in early September,  the Trump administration started attacking vessels supposedly being used in the illegal narcotics trade, as part of what it calls Operation Southern Spear. Between September 2 and November 19, 22 vessels have been hit in 21 strikes, and 83 people have been killed.  This is the largest US military operation in or around Latin America for decades, with tens of thousands of troops and substantial air and naval assets hav

by Lauren Boyer — *Spoilers Alert* I must admit I had no idea what I was in for when I sat down to watch My Oxford Year . I thought it would be cheesy and well-acted. Neither assumption was particularly the case. But what My Oxford Year  loses in—I’m sad to say—Sophia Carson’s character’s stiffness (blame the actor or the writer), it makes up for with its storyline.  The film centers around Ana (Sophia Carson), a hard working American eager to give herself a taste of Oxford b

by Timothy Kirchoff — In the aftermath of Roe v. Wade , pro-life activists disagreed on the best strategy to pursue. One proposed strategy focused on a sweeping proclamation of the rights of the unborn. Another proposed strategy  focused on achieving and building on smaller rhetorical and legal victories, with the aim of eventually leading people toward accepting abortion abolition. Both of these approaches, abolitionism and incrementalism, have the same philosophical startin

by John Whitehead — While we can hope the Gaza ceasefire agreement brings an end to the war there, Israeli injustices and acts of violence against Palestinians are far from over. Gaza has understandably received the most attention recently, but abuses against Palestinians are also being perpetrated in the West Bank. Along with Gaza and East Jerusalem, the West Bank has been under varying degrees of Israeli control since 1967. Some parts of the West Bank are ruled by the Pales

by Christy Yao Pellicioni — This week has been a hard one for many families, particularly in the Washington, DC, area. The government shutdown has left many uncertain about employment and government benefits. According to Reuters , this includes the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, generally referred to as WIC. WIC provides nutritious foods and support for those who are pregnant or breastfeeding and children under the age of five. The f

by Robert Byrd ‬ — Fetal Organ Harvesting. It’s a bewildering term, regardless of one's familiarity with the subject. However upsetting...

by Timothy Kirchoff — A decade – or perhaps a lifetime – ago, in early 2016, former Speaker of the House John Boehner and then-Vice...

by John Whitehead — The recent summit meetings between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and between Trump...

by Samuel B. Parker — Today, we remember the 3,000 people who were killed in a national tragedy that changed us forever. Yesterday,...

by Lauren Boyer — Art and beauty have always been symbolic of wealth and culture. The liberal arts are a privilege which can only thrive...

by Lauren Boyer — I’ve often heard people complain that pro-life people aren’t actually pro-life. That, rather than protecting life, they...

by Lauren Boyer — It recently hit me how different my experience is from my Spanish-speaking neighbors. In high school, I had a friend...