Everyone my age seems to have the same story about how they remember Sept. 11. They all seem to have this sharp memory of a teacher announcing what had happened to the class, a recollection of faded news reports and parents calling in the middle of…

The way language can worm its way into our national dialogue is a curious thing. The constant communication of the Internet creates new jargon and slang, whether expressed through a Tumblr post or a hashtag. The newest trending word,…

Activists from the LGBTQ community have praised the Obama administration for being forward-thinking in terms of gay civil rights, and they have another cause for celebration as Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, the first openly transgender White House…

In another victim-blaming win for the patriarchy, Missouri lawmakers suggested fighting harassment with intern dress codes. Several Missouri state legislators have faced scrutiny for sexually harassing statehouse interns, and the immediate response…

John Oliver has made a name for himself by taking typically boring-but-important issues and making viewers aware of them in an entertaining way. He's attacked everything from beauty pageants to Americans' high sugar intake to the crumbling prison…

This election must be hard so far to watch if you're a Republican with common sense and an appreciation for social issues. You might be a fiscal conservative, but see a clown car of candidates clamoring for your attention and consider voting toward…

Politics, with the ever-changing stream of new issues, candidates, and policies, are not conducive to tattoos. Even a relatively permanent institution, such as the Democratic Party or the Supreme Court, might shift so much in 10 years that you no…

Look, I try to avoid Glenn Beck as much as possible. I don't listen to his radio show. I refrain from reading his wildly offensive comments. If I saw him on the street, I might even turn around and head in the opposite direction. Fortunately,…

Donald Trump knew what he was getting into when he agreed to do an interview with The New York Times. He knew that no one would toss him easy questions. No one would paint him as a hero or agree to "forget" his most embarrassing or offensive quotes.…

The state fair is all about riding the Ferris wheel and the scrambler (according to my childhood memories, at least). It's about eating funnel cake and paying too much money in an attempt to win cheap teddy bears. However, these days, it's also…

Look, the American legal system often fails, but it's still a respected part of the nation's history. Unfortunately, a certain someone has been added to the mix, which is not — repeat, not — going to do much for the system's credibility. Oh, yes:…

Politicians aren't known for being especially funny. However, they are easy to make fun of, so they often get invited to appear on late night talk shows. Since signing off from The Colbert Report in December, Stephen Colbert has had months to…

I'm sure Donald Trump works very hard. It must take a lot of labor to judge women's bodies in beauty pageants and get his hair standing like that every day. However, Trump seems to think that he works much harder than the President of the United…

The conversation about feminism is a continuing one. I doubt we'll ever be finished talking about the injustices that plague women all over the world and it's pretty fantastic that powerful women continue to come out as feminists and speak truth to…

Much progress has been made for equality in 2015, but the controversial issue of transgender rights often takes a back seat to other LGBTQ causes. However, a few key public figures have been working to fight for transgender rights, combat…

They've been a tradition for decades, but sometimes, tradition has to make way for progress. The Jefferson-Jackson Day dinners, which hold the surnames of two respected early presidents, serve as a way for the Democrats to fundraise and bring…

Stephen Colbert has spent much of his career poking fun of American politics, and now that the country is facing one of its most comical elections in recent decades, he clearly misses having his own nightly television show to comment on it. On…

As tech companies push the boundaries of their products, the lives of consumers become easier and easier. You can now view 10 seconds of city life, politicians, and friends with more interesting lives than yours much more easily. On Monday, Snapchat…

Education has certainly been a focal point in Hillary's Clinton campaign thus far. After emphasizing the need to give middle and working class families access to pre-kindergarten education, Clinton unveiled her higher education and student debt plan…