Today’s battle between science and willful ignorance is not new. Scientists have always had to struggle against entrenched, non-empirical beliefs, as well as resistance
Public art to enjoy on your next road trip
Art and I have a tumultuous relationship. While I like visiting museums and I have an appreciation for things hung on walls, my mind
Iowa caucuses: A reform opportunity for Obama
The first contest for delegates to our national political conventions is the Iowa caucus. In 2012, it will be on Monday, February 6. Iowa
(Other) (non-Illinois) governors behind bars
Rod Blagojevich and the other Illinois governors jailed for corruption are not alone. They’ve dominated the headlines lately, but 20th and 21st Century American
Pentagon tells teens, “Want to be a superhero? Join the Army.”
For decades, the Department of Defense (DoD) has been collaborating with the entertainment industry to create TV ads, movie theater ads, comics, video games,
Super-spenders transform election of judges
Illinois and other states are bracing for the coming campaign season, with the costs of running for office and associated contributions threatening to hit
Bibliophile’s dilemma: Finding new homes for used books
Here’s a riddle: What do books and corn have in common? The answer: overabundance. Reading Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma (which I snatched up
Family farm: A photojournalist’s archive
The 160-acre family farm is a thing of the past. While just 40 years ago, many square miles of the Iowa landscape were divided
The Afghan war is not about terrorism
The war against Afghanistan continues to be portrayed by President Obama, and other government officials—with the help of a compliant and complicit media—as a
When do soldiers die “in vain?”
Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon said it about the soldiers they commanded in Vietnam. The two presidents did not want any fallen soldier in