Senior Editor, The Atlantic
Senior Editor at The Atlantic, his blog The Daily Dish can be found on the magazine's website; author of The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How to Get It Back and Virtually Normal, which makes the case for equal marriage rights
How the American way of life created the opioid epidemic Writer Andrew Sullivan argues that the opioid epidemic is a symptom of a larger cultural problem of American identity -- modern American life is dragging us into addiction. “It’s important to understand that opioids are not just about physical pain. It’s about psychological pain, it’s about spiritual pain, even existential pain,” he says.
Hurricane Irma's not over yet Hurricane Irma is not what it used to be, but it's still doing plenty of damage. From Key West north to Jacksonville, both coasts of Florida are suffering massive wind- and water-damage from a storm that's still 400 miles wide. Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia are among cities still in the path of devastation. At least four people have died in Florida — compared to 30 or more in Caribbean Islands, now short of food and water where few buildings remain standing. President Trump has promised federal assistance to all the states suffering from recent weather-related disaster. We take stock and get current reports, including the influence of climate change and the extent of rising sea level.
Andrew Sullivan struggles to disconnect, regain his humanity Events like the recent shootout and bombings in New York and New Jersey have had many of us glued to our screens. So have cat videos, and the presidential election, Emmy red-carpet looks, and the latest celebrity tweet. There’s always something online to capture our attention. But at what cost? Author and internet pioneer Andrew Sullivan says it’s the ultimate cost – being human. Sullivan wrote about his struggle to regain his humanity in the current issue of New York Magazine.
Is America Too Democratic? In Plato’s Republic, he argues that when a democracy has ripened fully, a would-be tyrant often seizes the moment and takes over. Has the United States ripened to that point and is that an explanation for the popularity of Donald Trump? Andrew Sullivan ponders this in a New York Magazine article titled, “Democracies End When they are Too Democratic. And Right Now, America is a Breeding Ground for Tyranny.”
Same-Sex Marriage in California Same-sex marriage is legal in California, at least until November, when voters are likely to get the chance to overturn last week's ruling by the state supreme court. The Massachusetts Supreme Court was first, back in 2003, the only other state that's legalized same-sex marriage . But the ruling in California went further, saying that discrimination against homosexuals is the same as racial discrimination. Many gays and lesbians are celebrating the opinion by Chief Justice Ron George, a former prosecutor appointed by a Republican Governor. Does the decision nullify "the will of the people," since a statewide same-sex marriage ban passed overwhelmingly eight years ago? Can the people nullify the court that nullified them? What's the likely impact on other states and the presidential campaign?
Reading the Tea Leaves in Iowa All eyes are cast on the State of Iowa and the January 3 caucuses , which could be decisive in nominating either or both parties' presidential candidates . All of a sudden things there are moving very fast. In the latest polls, Senator Barack Obama has been edging out Hillary Clinton and tarnishing her aura of inevitability. On the GOP side, Mike Huckabee , who only a few months ago might have been referred to as "Mike Who?" is closing in on front-runner Mitt Romney. With only five weeks to go before the voting begins in the Hawkeye State, we get an update on the 2008 presidential race.
Reading the Tea Leaves in Iowa All eyes are cast on the State of Iowa and the January 3 caucuses , which could be decisive in nominating either or both parties' presidential candidates . All of a sudden things there are moving very fast. In the latest polls, Senator Barack Obama has been edging out Hillary Clinton and tarnishing her aura of inevitability. On the GOP side, Mike Huckabee , who only a few months ago might have been referred to as "Mike Who?" is closing in on front-runner Mitt Romney. With only five weeks to go before the voting begins in the Hawkeye State, we get an update on the 2008 presidential race.
Hillary Clinton and the Price of Inevitability In Iowa, Hillary Clinton has begun a bus tour she calls the " Middle Class Express " to tell voters she cares abut hard-working Americans. Meantime, conventional wisdom has shifted in her direction and the acknowledgement that she's overcome years of personal scrutiny. The Boston Globe reports that New Hampshire voters are " warming unexpectedly to Clinton ." She's leading in the latest Iowa poll . Today's New York Times calls here the " presumptive Democratic presidential nominee ." But as her lead grows in fund raising and Democratic public opinion polls, some Republicans are rubbing their hands. With the Iowa caucuses still three months away, does being the acknowledged front-runner create a new set of vulnerabilities? Have those old, negative images been erased forever?
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.