What's left after the shock & fear take up all the air in the room. [Originally published Nov 6, 2024, on Substack] I woke up this morning filled with dread. I didn’t want to find out that overnight, the unimaginable had happened. But it had, in fact, happened. And in its wake, I have spent the day boomeranging between despair and disbelief. I’m not usually one for intense exercise: I’m more of the easy yoga type. But today, I needed to run and tire and sweat — I needed to di
The slave patrols of the American South leveraged domestic terror and racist legal tactics to deny the rights of targeted communities in a deeply prejudicial and inhumane system; Trump’s ICE follows an all-too-familiar historical playbook in 2025 Since President Donald Trump retook office in January 2025, raids conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have increased exponentially across the country, with a growing number of encounters appearing blatantly un
Female con artist Cassie Chadwick leveraged Gilded Age prejudices to scam her way into millions of dollars in what historians now call the “Carnegie Con” In 1905, Cassie Chadwick was convicted of conspiracy against the U.S. government and conspiracy to defraud a national bank. She had conned banks, businessmen, and investors out of millions dollars – at least $35 million today – by claiming to be an heiress to Andrew Carnegie’s fortune. Living a lavish lifestyle on borrowed
In 1946, Stetson Kennedy infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan to share insider information with journalists and the FBI in an effort to take down the KKK from the inside A Florida native who began his career as a writer, Stetson Kennedy is perhaps best known for his successful infiltration of the Ku Klux Klan. Kennedy’s experiences inside the group allowed him to feed valuable information about the Klan’s membership and political movements to authorities and journalists, playing a cr
By speaking for more than 25 hours on the Senate floor, Cory Booker broke Strom Thurmond’s record for the longest speech delivered in Senate history “These are not normal times in our nation,” began Senator Cory Booker on the evening of March 31, “and they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate.” Booker’s powerful opening remarks set the tone for what would soon become the longest speech in U.S. Senate history. Beginning at 7pm , Booker spoke through the n
Rome organized with unprecedented force and creativity against the patrician ruling class in what became known as the secessions of the plebeians. Their tool of choice – mass exodus of the city – marked the first recorded general strike in history. Perhaps one of the most notable chapters of ancient Roman history is the Conflict of the Orders , a period of class struggle which lasted over two centuries, from roughly 495 to 287 BCE. Also referred to as the secessions of the pl
Until the late 1960s, fault-based divorce perpetuated harm against American women by making it nearly impossible to legally divorce their husbands. Today, far-right politicians aligned with the goals of Project 2025, including Vice President JD Vance, want to return to that reality with their attacks on no-fault divorce. In 1969, then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan became the first to sign the right to a no-fault divorce into state law. Until that point , one spouse had to pro
Since 2021, a rapidly increasing number of states, schools, and school districts have pulled books off library shelves to censor specific themes, including racial justice and LGBTQ+ issues Prior to 2020, the phrase, “book banning,” didn’t have much of a place in the day-to-day American lexicon, nor did the battle against censorship come to mind as a hot-button political issue. Over the last few years, though, the U.S. has seen a modern resurgence in book banning as an all-ti
When it comes to the Aloha State, warm weather and a tropical vibe are almost a given, but that doesn’t mean that Hawaii doesn’t experience seasons. Continue reading here .
Ah, Hawaii. The Big Island is such an incredible place, and not just because of everything above water: the world below the surface of the ocean is equally breathtaking. Needless to say, snorkeling is one of those must-do activities when in Hawaii. Continue reading here .
It would be easy to spend weeks on end exploring all that The Grand Canyon State has to offer. The best way to take it all in is by camping, which just adds to the outdoor adventure. Read on for Arizona’s must-see spots and the best camping locations to make your home base while you explore them: Continue reading here .
The benefits of meditation span across every aspect of bodily, psychological, and emotional health. While meditation remains an area of ongoing research, studies have already found promising results regarding the positive effects of the practice. Continue reading here .
Utah is home to some incredible sights, the most notable being its five national parks. “The Big Five” consist of Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks, which are nicknamed for good reason. Millions of visitors come each year to see the parks’ unique natural environments and iconic Southwestern scenery. Continue reading here .
Lake Tahoe, which sits on the California-Nevada state line, is one of the most popular destinations in the western United States, and with good reason. The massive lake is stunningly beautiful and crystal-clear, the surrounding mountains are a winter sports heaven, and the alpine forests between the two make for a hiker’s paradise. Continue reading here .
