Commentary
Commentary: Six questions answered about breakthrough infections
If you’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, maybe you figured you no longer need to worry about contracting the coronavirus. But along with the rising number of new COVID-19 cases globally and growing concern about highly transmissible strains like the Delta variant come reports of fully vaccinated people testing positive for COVID-19. Members of the […]
Editor’s Notebook: Wonderful days and days full of wonder
Last week, a reader sent a note thanking me for writing about E.B. White and White’s dachshund, Fred. I’ve not yet reached the stage of my personal development where I no longer hope for a little external validation here and there, so it was a nice way to start the day. I waited a bit […]
Commentary: Appeals court ruling could change how schools judge sexual harassment complaints
When a Virginia high school teen reported that another student repeatedly touched her breasts and genitals without consent during a school band trip, the school decided there wasn’t enough evidence to establish that there was a “sexual assault.” They did not punish the alleged offender. The student sued the school in federal court under Title […]
Commentary: Sununu’s abortion ban ignores real-life complexities
This month, hundreds of Granite Staters will hold their breath while waiting for the positive blue mark to learn that they are pregnant. For many, this will be incredibly joyous news. Over the next few months, they may experience morning sickness, the relief of cooler weather in the fall, and the joy of telling family […]
Commentary: The case for expanding the Supreme Court
If you want to protect voting rights in this country, there is now a solid case for why you should support adding seats to the U.S. Supreme Court. And it’s clear why there is little chance of protecting voting rights in the long run without court reform. In the final week of its most recent […]
Commentary: Free school meals for all children can improve kids’ health
Recognizing that millions of U.S. children are at risk of hunger, Maine and California have approved funding to offer free school meals to all students within their state. Meanwhile, a bill proposed in Congress aims to make free school meals a permanent fixture in all states. The Universal School Meals Program Act would provide free […]
Editor’s Notebook: A line of words
“When you write, you lay out a line of words.” That is the first sentence of Annie Dillard’s 1989 book, “The Writing Life.” She continues: “The line of words is a miner’s pick, a woodcarver’s gouge, a surgeon’s probe. You wield it, and it digs a path you follow. Soon you find yourself deep in […]
Commentary: Climate change could trigger the next big financial crisis
In 2008, as big banks began failing across Wall Street and the housing and stock markets crashed, the nation saw how crucial financial regulation is for economic stability – and how quickly the consequences can cascade through the economy when regulators are asleep at the wheel. Today, there’s another looming economic risk: climate change. Once […]
Commentary: How ‘In God We Trust’ bills are helping advance a Christian nationalist agenda
City vehicles in Chesapeake, Virginia, will soon be getting religion. At a meeting on July 13, city councilors unanimously voted in favor of a proposal that would see the official motto of the U.S., “In God We Trust,” emblazoned on every city-owned car and truck, at an estimated cost to taxpayers of $87,000. Meanwhile, the […]
Commentary: New Hampshire, it’s time to unite and legalize cannabis
This column was updated on Monday, June 19, at 10:15 a.m. to clarify that Gov. Sununu has never vetoed cannabis legalization because no legislation on the recreational use of marijuana has reached his desk. In this now hyper-partisan world that we call New Hampshire, is there one thing still capable of defying party lines? If […]
Commentary: Bans on critical race theory could have a chilling effect on how educators teach about racism
Perhaps no topic has dominated education news in 2021 like the debate over whether or not critical race theory should be taught – or whether it is even being taught – in America’s schools. Critical race theory is an academic framework that holds that racism is embedded in American society and its institutions. The debate […]
Editor’s Notebook: Of thinkers and mimics
During the 2016 election cycle, the editorial board on which I served met with many weary presidential candidates from a crowded Republican field in the weeks and months before the New Hampshire primary. A few candidates declined our invitation to sit for a one-hour interview – eventual nominee Donald Trump was among them – but […]