What do we owe the people who dedicate their lives to public service? Should the security of their jobs—and by extension, their families—be subject to the whims of those in power? Across the country, federal workers were preparing for the fallout of a sweeping purge of the federal workforce by the White House, but Ryleigh Cooper didn’t figure it would include...

In high school, the distinction between right and wrong—more or less—appeared clear. Catholic high school made it unambiguously clear. Thanks to the good brothers of Salesian, you either learned the right path quickly or you were firmly corrected (accent on firmly.) Which brings me to a long-remembered poem whose last lines are frequently quoted. Two roads diverged in a yellow...

Imagine opening your inbox and—surprise—an email from HR that reads: “All employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.” Now, imagine this coming from the head of a large corporation, or organization responsible for building, growing, and developing products and services, not only for...

In the spring of 1770, John Adams faced a choice that would define his character and test his commitment to justice. Five men lay dead on the streets of Boston shot by British soldiers in what would become known as the Boston Massacre. Outraged, the people demanded justice, but what they really wanted was revenge. No lawyer would touch the...

Among the Super Bowl ads that aired last Sunday, the one that moved me most was sponsored by the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. While it specifically highlighted attacks against Jews, its message resonates far beyond any group targeted by hate. The ad features Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady trading insults, making its point in a mere 15 seconds. But it...

About once a year, the American Film Institute invites filmgoers to vote on the greatest heroes in cinema. Indiana Jones, James Bond, and Superman typically run high on the list because of the high-stakes, visually striking moments and the conflict of good versus evil, something that resonates powerfully on the big screen. Yet, one character consistently tops the list—a character...

…and spot Donald Trump holding court. Curious, they approach and begin a conversation. Socrates: Tell me, sir, what is the nature of leadership? Is it to serve the people or to serve oneself? Trump: Great question. I get a lot of great questions. And let me tell you, nobody knows leadership better than me. People love me. I’ve been very...

Let me get this straight: … the Senate will vote to approve a woman with ties to authoritarian leaders, a man who has pushed vaccine conspiracy theories for years, and a man on the bubble who openly plans to fire thousands of career FBI agents who investigated Trump’s role on January 6, and have the White House oversee the agency....

“I don’t feel I have to wipe everyone out, Tom, just my enemies.”—Michael Corleone, The Godfather Note: I must pause my earlier commentary suggesting how to reduce Trump’s influence on our minds. Some things can’t be ignored. The president had a busy week in his “March-to-the-Sea” agenda. Last week, President Trump issued an executive order pausing all federal spending on...

(Note: this is a rough draft and still undergoing revisions.) Welcome, esteemed colleagues, to a comprehensive exploration of one of the most perplexing and confounding systems known to mankind: the United States political system. Drawing from years a few a couple of weeks of research, and kind of rigorous analysis (a caffeine binge helped), this thesis aims to explain the...