No one denies that this country’s immigration system is badly, badly broken—a disturbing fact made even more pathetic by the fact that the nation prides itself on a culture of inclusion and a “melting pot” identity. Roughly 12 million undocumented workers live in the shadows, working, paying taxes, and raising children (who often are American citizens) while … Read more
On November 2, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its most ominous climate report yet, warning of irreversible climate change effects and the reality of the worsening environmental situation. Yet to many the report erred on the side of conservatism, and now that the U.S. midterm elections have ushered many politicians who … Read more
Coakley’s Neighborhood Activities Chair defeat was the largest of her career; she earned just 44% of the vote. This Tuesday, despite spending millions of dollars campaigning, Martha Coakley lost in another close election in Medford, Massachusetts. After all of the ballots were collected in an old baseball hat, the Medford Neighborhood Activities Council announced the … Read more
Dear Students of the IOP, Let’s talk. There’s a conversation I’ve been waiting for. When Jenny Choi penned “Dear IOP,” I admit, I secretly thought, yes–maybe we’ll finally have that conversation. Two weeks later, dismayed, I write this piece. You see, it seems to me that in these past few days we at the IOP … Read more
Yesterday I received an email from Peter Bol, Harvard’s Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, who retroactively informed me of my participation in a research study. The carefully-worded, unapologetic note did not tell me anything I did not already know, thanks to a Crimson article. I was photographed unknowingly once per minute, for three hours per week, all … Read more
On Tuesday evening the Harvard community was blind-sided by an unexpected Crimson article reporting that University Health Services would be terminating its overnight urgent care services after the fall semester in favor of greater accessibility during the day. UHS plans to permanently close Stillman Infirmary, a regular destination for students suffering from a variety of … Read more
Uruguay, a country whose name has often been synonymous with obscurity, will host its runoff presidential election on November 30, with incumbent President José Mujica vacating his seat to one of two candidates: Tabaré Vázquez or Luis Lacalle Pou. Voting in one of its closest elections since the establishment of its current regime, Uruguay is … Read more
On October 17th, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen visited Boston in the midst of stock market turmoil and questions of monetary policy. Instead of delivering a speech on those more conventional topics, Yellen dedicated her entire thirty minutes at the podium to sounding the proverbial alarm on income inequality. In perhaps her most controversial speech as a public official, … Read more
It is estimated that in Southeast Asia there are 4.9 million people living with HIV, and the number of new infections is rising every day. More AIDS deaths occur in this region than any other region except for Sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, millions are spent every year waging the war on drugs in … Read more
This July, a New York Times investigation uncovered that 129 inmates at the Rikers Island jail complex in New York City had suffered “serious injuries”—injuries so severe that the jail’s doctors could not treat them—at the hands of corrections officers, the people who are supposed to protect them. In over 100 of these cases, the … Read more