All Society
- First LookMerriam-Webster’s word of the year reflects a search for truthMerriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2023 is “authentic.” Lookups for the word rose to new heights on Webster’s website throughout the year. Editor at large Peter Sokolowski called 2023, with the rise of AI, a “crisis year of authenticity.”
- First LookIn the NFL, more women than ever are rising in rank. Why now?The NFL has never been so balanced – off the field. In recent years, women have moved into prominent positions throughout the league. This season, 222 women are working in full-time coaching or football operations roles in front offices.
- Letter from Tampa: Aging gets a makeover at this gerontology summitResearchers aim to bust stereotypes and shift perceptions about growing older – in the interest of happier, healthier lives free from discrimination.
- The ExplainerIn charts: The shifting tides of US immigrationA migrant influx tests U.S. cities’ capacity to respond. Yet a broader look at immigration trends tells a story more nuanced than “crisis” headlines.
- ‘We have to hold hope.’ How Jewish-Palestinian families cope.Some American families with ties to Israel and the Palestinian territories are supporting each other as they process fear and grief raised by the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
- Why one grandmother’s house has become a national causeIn Hilton Head, grandmother Josephine Wright has refused to sell her home. Her cause has struck a chord with those fighting Black land loss.
- Cover StorySouthern, out, and electable: Sexual identity is not the deciding factorFor LGBTQ+ politicians winning elections in the South, leading is more complicated than the culture wars suggest.
- First LookSalem witches: 400 years after bogus trials, advocates seek justiceThe Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project is the latest group pushing the state to atone for its witch trial legacy. Home of the infamous Salem trials, hundreds of individuals were accused, arrested, and executed on witchcraft charges in the 1600s.
- First LookMaine embarks on healing after mass killing suspect is found deadLewiston, Maine, transitioned into a time of healing and questioning after suspected killer Robert Card was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot.
- On Tree of Life anniversary, US Jews say they feel more isolatedFive years ago today, the Tree of Life synagogue shooting became the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history. In Pittsburgh, Jews say they are lonelier and more afraid now – a shift from the way the community rallied around them in 2018.
- First LookHomecoming brings hope, community to Lahaina after Hawaii wildfireVarsity and junior varsity football teams in Lahaina, Hawaii played their first home games since the town was destroyed in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. The return of football helped give the town a glimmer of hope amid the tragedy.
- Flag on the play: Why flag football is growing across the USA twist on the most popular sport in America may have started growing amid concerns about concussions. As it opens doors for girls, nontraditional athletes, and older adults, flag football is also redefining sports.
- Banning books: Protecting kids or erasing humanity?The most banned titles this school year include “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, and “Looking For Alaska” by John Green.
- Difference MakerChildren need to see themselves in books. Enter Young, Black & Lit.What if you went to the bookstore and saw no one on the shelves who looked like you? One couple is addressing that deficit for young Black children, supporting literacy and identity.
- First LookPoll confirms Black perceptions of US news coverage as racistPew Research Center conducted its first-ever study of Black attitudes toward news coverage. Their findings confirmed broad concerns about negative stereotyping and lack of diversity in portraying different aspects of Black communities.
- New York’s immigrant spirit tested by influx of asylum-seekersFaced with its biggest migrant influx since Ellis Island, New York City finds itself grappling with how to provide funding and compassion.
- First LookHis Parkland classmates became activists. He created a wellness app.Kai Koerber was a junior at the time of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Five years later, he has used his background in technology to create Joy, an app built on AI that helps people struggling with sadness, grief, or anger.
- First LookEverton joins growing list of American-owned English soccer teamsEngland’s Premier League soccer team Everton will be bought by American private investment firm 777 Partners. The Miami-based firm already has a stake in a number of European soccer clubs, which are increasingly being bought by Americans.
- Cover StoryOregon’s bold drug policy isn’t working, yetBoth sides of Oregon’s drug decriminalization debate share a common goal: reducing drug addiction. Can that unity lead to solutions?
- Leaving California for Texas? Mapping where Americans move.Last year saw a surge in Americans moving – and more often away from big cities – compared with the pre-pandemic year of 2019. We explore the trends in maps and graphics.