Money in politics corruption is universally reviled by the American public. It blocks progress on most issues, squanders billions of dollars from philanthropists and stymies the most skillful public interest advocates. It even drives issues like the sizzling IRS scandal, though you wouldn't know it by watching the news. But it would be foolish to believe that a culture of corruption that developed over decades can be undone overnight. It will take time, exactly the same kind of slow and painful social change that created the corruption in the first place. We have to create the conditions where politicians representing their constituents is "normal." And even if we do, all politicians will not suddenly become enlightened. It just means we'll have a better chance that the actual needs of society will more frequently be met by the actions of its government.
Cooperating in large groups is a signature accomplishment of the human brain: among similar species, we are remarkably good at working together and negotiating our differences.
The scourge of sexual violence in the military should be intolerable to all Americans and it's time to bring it to an end once and for all. We must commit ourselves not just to a zero tolerance policy, but we need to get to a point of zero occurrence.
While men seem to welcome the existence of dual income households, and marriages marked by (mostly) shared responsibilities, there's a hitch: The guys still want to be the primary breadwinner. That is, she can bring home the bacon, so long as it's not all of it.
Growing up in the hood surrounded by a lot of poverty, music was one of the only things that made people feel good. That's why we need music and arts. We've got to put instruments in young people's hands because that's the kind of thing that really touches the soul.
Different as they are, the scandals all point to a single disorder that afflicts the Obama White House and the Holder justice department. The name of the disorder is paternalism, and its leading symptoms are suppression and secrecy.
I might suggest that we first take a deep breath and make an effort to put the events of the past week in some perspective, but I know it wouldn't do any good. There is blood in the water and in deeply partisan Washington, the struggle for advantage and power always trumps reality.
On this 50th anniversary of the Birmingham Childrenās Crusade it is a time to remember, honor, and follow the example of the children who were frontline soldiers and transforming catalysts in Americaās greatest moral movement of the 20th century.
What sets a truly noble person apart? What makes a Gandhi, Dalai Lama, or Mother Teresa different? There is a decision made by these people to hold themselves to a higher standard. They make a decision to live up to noble values -- to live from their highest nature. In what part of the brain does this ability reside?
This week, Jaweed Kaleem looks at threshold choirs, a growing movement using a capella song to soothe the dying. And Radley Balko puts the spotlight on Bisbee, Arizona, a town at the center of the state's debate over gay marriage.
Despite the fact that ExxonMobil is still a significant contrarian funder, the flurry of media interest in the company's funding agenda sparked by UCS's exposƩ died down soon after its release and remains feeble to this day. What happened?
Anne Boleyn. There are few famous people about whom we have imagined so much, yet know so little. She wasn't royalty, so her childhood wasn't chronicled.
Over her french fries and diet Coke a 5-year-old girl saw me become a monster and learned what hate was. When my wife kisses me goodbye in front of my office in midtown, I feel that little girl's stare over and over, but aged 30 years.
It's the second day at Google I/O 2013 in San Francisco. While the other members of the HuffPost tech team on site have been pursuing sessions on Android and Google Glass, I've been focused on something much more mundane: the World Wide Web.
Research has shown us that intervening early at the individual, family, and community level can delay or prevent the on-set of mental and substance use disorders. We also know that these can be treated, and individuals with these conditions can lead healthy productive lives.
In crisis, the wrong question to ask is, "What have I done to deserve this?" The right one is, "What am I now being summoned to do?" Each of us has a task. Every life has a purpose. We can bear the pain of the past when we discover the future we are called on to make.
Can we help a person to actually change and become a healthy member of society, and if so how? Where rehabilitation is possible, this should be our goal, but understanding what is specifically wrong neurobiologically is key to successful rehabilitation.
RSVPing to a wedding is not an option. Are you planning to attend? RSVP. Have you already told your friend via gchat last week that you were coming? RSVP. Are you the best man and therefore, it's obvious, you are attending? RSVP.
A little asparagus can go along way as it has such a deep flavour. You can make this risotto with a vegetable stock but make sure it's fresh and not made from a stock cube -- the result will be much tastier!
I'm not sure how many would be relationships I passed up because of my undying allegiance to this indefinable ghost that has defined my life.
By turning everyday activities into meditation moments, you can bring more mindfulness, clarity, and peace into your day while energizing yourself and reducing stress. Here are five opportunities to add meditation to your day without taking time out of your hectic schedule.
Just because you've been getting away with a social gaffe for decades doesn't mean you shouldn't stop making it. By the time you're 50, you should know a thing or two -- or 25 -- about etiquette.
I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU, a strong proponent of press freedom and a staunch believer in both a robust First Amendment and a vibrant Fourth Amendment. But I also care about rational public discourse, and the furious condemnation of the Department of Justice in this situation is way over the top.
It's important for younger women to see that success does not prevent mental health issues and that mental health issues do not prohibit success.
You hold in your hands a letter. Not an email, not a Facebook message, not a DM. An actual, physical missive. It is an epistle, of the ilk our fathers and their fathers once wrote. In short, this is a real "brick and mortar" affair you are looking at.
Find a boy who travels because you deserve a life of adventure and possibility. You deserve to live light and embrace simplicity. He will live in every moment with you because this is how he lives his life. Together you will make the whole world your home.
The congressional Republicans are outraged by the IRS story, but they haven't been able to scramble to the floor of the House quickly enough to target left-leaning groups.
Do we all have the power of empathy? Are we hardwired to know what other people want? Is it easy to think about other people's thoughts?
In our efforts to solve difficult social problems in particular, we rely too heavily on reason and numbers and econometrics, and not often enough on empathy. And by empathy I don't just mean our emotions, and I certainly don't mean feeling sorry -- that's sympathy.
I was as stunned as everyone else by Angelina Jolie's revelation on Tuesday that she'd had a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of developing breast cancer. That's not only because one of the most famous women in the world had managed to keep such a dramatic secret under wraps for so long (although that is pretty amazing).
I have been involved in research in this area for 17 years, since shortly after BRCA1 and BRCA2 were discovered, and I have no idea what I would do if I were a woman faced with this decision. The diagnosis of a mutation is just words on paper, but the risks they foreshadow are very real.