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The recent celebration of Juneteenth made me think about the continuing lack of equity in health care for Black Americans. Black Americans have a higher mortality rate than any other racial or ethnic group.Structural and systemic inequalities rooted...

The recent front-page obituary for Daniel Ellsberg focuses on his release of the Pentagon Papers, and the Defense Department study that revealed that leaders of both parties had lied to the American people about the progress and prospects of the war...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

NORTHAMPTON — On his travels around Northampton, city resident David Edwards sees people he once went to school with or worked alongside whose lives have been upended by poverty, now living on the streets or regularly relying on the help of social...

By ROB OKUN

Women’s activism, including mothers in leadership roles, is legendary. Moms have long employed their moral authority as parents to advance the social good.Where are the fathers and grandfathers? We care about our children and grandchildren, too. As...

By BILL NEWMAN

For me, and probably for you, the bromides began in grade school, and continued after that — the faith our teachers shared in the genius and effectiveness of our governmental system of three co-equal branches — the legislative, executive and...

By MADDIE FABIAN

NORTHAMPTON — Wild Roots, known for offering local and organic food in Greenfield and Sunderland, has added a third location, replacing Tandem Bagel Co. at the Northampton Athletic Club.Luke Eriksen, who co-owns Wild Roots with his wife, Kelli...

By SARAH BUTTENWIESER and ALICE BARBER

We have been wondering what parents need to hear right about now. This month marks the declared “end” of the COVID crisis. It is a time of implied “get-on-with-its” and “that-was-then-this-is-nows.”Overall, our society tends not to think very...

By SUSAN WOZNIAK

During my kidhood, our family spent evenings in front of the television. One sponsor urged people to “keep on hand” its packaged foods for times “when friends drop by.”In those days, friends and relatives often dropped by, a custom that has since...

Rising water levels are a very present problem in the United States and will continue to be one for the foreseeable future. Estimates say coastal cities will need to spend $60 billion dollars by 2050. Even though the effects aren’t fully visual yet,...

By RICHARD SZLOSEK

I am a volunteer docent at the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Museum in Forbes Library and, as a result, random ordinary things often trigger thoughts about Calvin and Grace Coolidge to my mind. An example of this is Bill Danielson’s column on raccoons...

The Supreme Court seems to pile scandals on top of scandals with no one to rein in its members. Justice Clarence Thomas has enriched himself and his family by accepting gifts worth more than $10 million from rich Republican megadonors in the form of...

The Supreme Court seems to pile scandals on top of scandals with no one to rein in its members. Justice Clarence Thomas has enriched himself and his family by accepting gifts worth more than $10 million from rich Republican megadonors in the form of...

By JOHN PARADIS

May is National Military Appreciation Month. Designated by Congress in 1999 to honor past and present military members and their families, the month includes several commemorations, including Loyalty Day, VE Day, Military Spouse Appreciation Day,...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

NORTHAMPTON — PFAS contamination from using treated sludge as a fertilizer, leaving the so-called forever chemicals in the soil and groundwater, has forced the closure of dairy farms in Maine and impacted more than 50 farms in that state.While similar...

By JOHN SHEIRER

When I walk our dog Libby, a little, shaggy, sweet-natured border terrier, through our neighborhood, I can safely predict two things. First, everyone will love seeing Libby. Second, Libby will love seeing everyone.One of our neighbors calls Libby “The...

By PHIL WILSON

Right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro commented on Tucker Carlson’s firing from Fox News in a measured, unbiased tone. He clearly did not want to jeopardize his status with either Fox or Tucker, and simply concluded that both would be fine. It was no big...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A mandate for students, faculty and staff at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to be vaccinated against COVID-19 is ending.“Effective July 1, 2023, the university will no longer require faculty, staff and students to receive a COVID-19...

By AMY NEWSHORE

As with other mental health challenges that have received a lot of attention in the media (such as autism, bipolar disorder and ADHD), narcissism has become a familiar household word in recent years. Studies indicate that the psychiatric condition...

By MARY BYRNE

BOSTON — Officials from across the Pioneer Valley testified at the State House on Thursday in support of a bill seeking to resolve what they called an “inequitable system” of providing public health services that was only further magnified amid the...

By ANNE LOUISE SMALLEN

The MAGA House Republicans are holding the United States hostage by refusing to pass or discuss the White House’s budget. They are playing dangerous games by pushing the country toward default. If we do not pay our debts, our international standing...