Opinion

Opinion: As The Vaping Industry Fights The Government, Remember Big Tobacco’s Menthol Playbook
The tobacco business successfully lobbied to keep menthol cigarettes legal, even as other flavors were banned. It did so with the help of black leaders and institutions.

Opinion: We Just Won A Major Victory In The Fight Against Immigration Detention
California just banned the use of private prisons for immigration detention. With Washington deadlocked, it shows how states can lead the fight for immigrants' rights.

Opinion: Trump Has Abandoned Ukraine To Russia. It's A Missing Piece Of The Impeachment Debate.
The attempt to get dirt on his political rivals is just the tip of the iceberg. For years, Trump has worked to weaken Ukraine and sell out its people to Russia.

Opinion: We Have A Mental Health Crisis. Why Isn't Washington Acting Like It?
In the US, 1 in 5 children have a mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder. Treatment should be a human right, not a privilege.

Opinion: The Trauma Of Gun Violence Lasts Generations
Gun deaths loom over my community like a storm cloud. To heal the pain, we need to listen to those who feel it the most.

Opinion: I Won My Asylum Case, But The Government Still Won't Release Me
Two months after my baby was born, they put me in a cell. I'm still there 10 months later, even after winning my asylum case.

Opinion: The NYPD's Special Victims Unit Is Failing. Will Mayor De Blasio Take The Time To Fix It?
The NYPD's Special Victims Division frequently mishandles sexual assault cases. This systematic failure is a civil rights issue and a shame on New York City.

Opinion: Seven Children Have Died In Immigration Custody. Remember Their Names.
One year ago, 10-year-old Darlyn Cristabel Cordova-Valle died after months in custody. There are six more like her.

Opinion: Vegans Couldn't Convince People To Give Up On Meat, But Maybe Capitalism Will
Plant-based burgers are getting lots of love from Wall Street. It puts old-school vegans like me in a tough spot.

Opinion: Impeach William Barr
As a former assistant US attorney, I thought Barr’s past service as attorney general meant he would respect the rule of law. I was wrong.

Opinion: Trump Is The Biggest Show On TV. Impeachment Will Be Bigger.
A televised trial of Trump and his misdeeds could seize control of the news cycle from a president who is unusually skilled at dominating it.

Opinion: To Save The Planet, Cut The Pentagon
For just over 10% of a single year's military spending, we could build enough green electricity for every household in the country.

Opinion: The Amazon Van That Broke My Family's Heart
Ever since my mom was hit and killed by a white van delivering Amazon packages, the company's obsession with fast, cheap delivery has made me feel sick.

Opinion: Forget About The Climate Deniers. It’s The Climate Liars We Need To Stop.
Some politicians really don’t believe climate change is real. But there are many more who secretly believe the science but lie about it to win elections.

Opinion: Refugees Made Our City Great. Turning Them Away Is A Moral Disaster.
Clarkston, Georgia, has welcomed more than 40,000 refugees over the last four decades. We’re thriving like never before.

Opinion: Here Are The 2020 Democrats, Ranked By What They're Doing For The Rest Of The Party
We desperately need our national leaders to elevate local candidates and races. Here's who is doing it the best so far.

Opinion: New York City Schools Got A Little Less Segregated This Week. The Winner Is Everyone.
This week, 2,500 sixth-graders will show up at a group of Brooklyn middle schools that are far more integrated than they were a year ago.

Opinion: In This Economy, Every Day Should Be Labor Day
The lack of attention paid to working people in our politics and media has had disastrous results.

Opinion: Tipping While Black Can Be Dangerous
In an economic system rooted in slavery, to be anti-labor is always to be anti-Black.

Opinion: Black People Have A Responsibility To Vote. So Does Everyone Else.
When pundits try to blame minority turnout for lost elections, let’s hold all voters accountable.

Opinion: The Irish Americans Surrounding Trump Need To Remember Their People's History
The long saga of the Irish diaspora cannot end with us, of all people, being the ones to say that because you have suffered, you are not welcome.

Opinion: With This Statement, I Give Notice That Instagram Owns Your Soul
People posting a pseudo-legal declaration may believe they're in a two-way dialogue with the company. The opposite is true.

Opinion: Gen Z Will Be The New Greatest Generation
Seventy-five years ago, a generation found the clarity and resolve needed to save the world. Another generation of young people is now on track to do the same.

Opinion: I Walked Through The Desert To Make It To America. Then They Took Me To The Icebox.
Coming to a new country is like coming into a stranger’s home. At the US border, we are not treated like guests, and we're barely treated like humans.

Opinion: The Meat Industry Wants To Censor Your Veggie Burger
A new range of plant-based burgers are taking off among eaters and investors. In response, the meat industry is calling for censorship.

Opinion: Our Mass Shooting Culture Makes Me Constantly Worry When I'm In A Public Space
Over the years, my anxiety over mass shootings has become a sort of continual low-level hum. And I know that I'm not alone.

Opinion: To Save Journalism, Break Up Silicon Valley
Donald Trump makes no secret of his hatred for journalists, but his administration's investigation into the power of Big Tech is long overdue.

Opinion: Silicon Valley Is Giving Big Bucks To Mayor Pete
His persona fits neatly with Silicon Valley’s own political identity: outwardly progressive, but without much evident anger at the new American oligarchy.

Opinion: We Put ICE Detention Centers Into "Orange Is The New Black." Now I'm Heading Back To One.
I first visited an ICE detention facility so I could write it into the show. Then the show ended and I returned, alone, on a different kind of mission.

Opinion: Defend Ilhan Omar. But Don’t Look Away From The Things She’s Said.
I believe Ilhan Omar didn’t know that the things she said could be deeply offensive. I also believe her misguided rhetoric can normalize violent anti-Semitism.