by John Whitehead — The United States, under presidents of both parties, has been building a new generation of nuclear weapons. This project is euphemistically called “nuclear modernization.” One part of nuclear modernization is a plan to dramatically increase production of the plutonium that produces nuclear explosions. Increasing plutonium production is profoundly unwise. Producing more plutonium is unnecessary, wastes money, and endangers communities in the United States

by Timothy Kirchoff — As I write this, the United States seems to finally be on the verge of a peace deal that will conclude the unjust and unnecessary war with Iran. Other commentators have already pointed out that the peace deal does not seem to meet many, if any, of the major stated goals or justifications for the war. From the destruction of the Iranian nuclear program and ballistic missile capability, to the end of Iran’s theocratic regime, to the restoration of shipping

by Miles Gloetzner — Note: Identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved and maintain confidentiality. —————— The family members stepped out of the room and paused by the door. Before they left, they told me they had spoken with Arthur about an "end-of-life option," and that he wanted to talk with me privately about his decision. I knew exactly what that meant, and a wave of mixed emotions hit me. My first thought was a pang of self-doubt: Had

by John Whitehead — Note: This article discusses suicide. — A decade ago, I wrote an article for Rehumanize in which I argued for a particular understanding of the Consistent Life Ethic. I proposed that Consistent Life Ethic activists focus their attention on four major forms of socially approved killing—abortion, assisted suicide/euthanasia, the death penalty, and war—and I offered a rationale for this focus. After a subsequent 10 years of activism and reflection, I would no

by Sarah Terzo — Organizations on both sides of the abortion debate have been trying to raise awareness of pregnant immigrants detained by ICE. These detainees are receiving substandard medical care, resulting in harm to themselves and their babies. The Number of Pregnant People in ICE Custody Seems to be Increasing Attorney Rebecca Cassler, who works for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, says her group is seeing increasing numbers of pregnant, postpartum, and nur

by Lauren Pope — A woman is facing the death penalty. Her crime? Liking a post. Azar Yahoo, 38, was arrested in Mashhad by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and charged with “collaboration with a hostile state.” Her actual offense was placing heart stickers on social media posts and expressing joy over the reported death of Ali Khamenei. She is being held without a lawyer, without contact with her family, and without broad public knowledge of her situation. We can at leas

by Timothy Kirchoff — The recently-released film The Drama poses difficult questions: What is the worst thing you have ever done, and would other people be justified in rejecting you if they knew about it? (I will discuss the film’s plot in detail, so there will be spoilers.) The film explores these questions through a soon-to-be-married couple, Charlie (played by Robert Pattinson) and Emma (played by Zendaya). Early in the film, Emma and Charlie are with their Best Man and M

by John Whitehead — A terrifying escalation in the United States’ war against Iran seemed all too likely earlier in April. As of this writing, the prospect of escalation appears to have diminished somewhat. Nevertheless, recent events have shown the extreme dangers posed by the current war and by the power of the American president. Threats to Kill a Civilization Since the US-Israeli campaign against Iran began, the Iranian government has retaliated by limiting the passage of

by Christy Yao Pelliccioni — In college, I had an interesting pair of minors: Geography and Management of Aging Services. In both disciplines, I learned about something I hadn’t really had exposure to before: demographics. In my Geography courses, which included Environmental Studies, the overwhelming sentiment was that the Earth’s population had stabilized fairly well overall, though there was concern for those living in countries where the population was not well balanced,

by Sarah Terzo — Donald Trump and Our Latest War President Trump has told the American people that the war in Iran has already been won, that Iran’s military has been decimated, that Iran’s leaders “want to make a deal so badly,” and that they are “begging to work out a deal.” In response to a reporter’s question , he stated, “We’ve won this war. This war has been won. The only one that likes to keep it going is the fake news… You read the New York Times , it’s like we’re n