Author: Lance Garrison
In the days since a New York jury ordered Donald Trump to pay $83.3 million in damages to the libel plaintiff E. Jean Carroll, the question has been whether the dollar amount was high enough to put a stop to his lies.That we must ask this question tells us something important about the moment in which we find ourselves. And it tells us something important about both the value and the limits of libel law.Doubt about what will come next is well placed. As Ms. Carroll’s lawyers argued, Mr. Trump has bragged of wealth far exceeding this amount. He has…
Dilution of meaning is familiar in a way that can make us feel comfortable, or even worse, comfortably righteous. That’s a feeling the university presidents, or their scriptwriters, might have hoped to invoke. The reliably available terms of disapproval and approval, genocide and patriotism, antisemitism and democracy, convey large scale and importance, but sometimes while avoiding the heavy cost of paying actual attention. The more important the word, the more its meaning may be a matter of degree, from not much to quite a lot. The attainment of meaning requires work. The more important the meaning, the harder the work.…
Over the past month, we’ve watched an astonishing, high-stakes global drama play out in The Hague. A group of countries from the poorer, less powerful bloc some call the global south, led by South Africa, dragged the government of Israel and, by extension, its rich, powerful allies into the top court of that order and accused Israel of prosecuting a brutal war in Gaza that is “genocidal in character.”The responses to this presentation from the leading nations of the Western rules-based order were quick and blunt.“Completely unjustified and wrong,” said a statement from Rishi Sunak, Britain’s prime minister.“Meritless, counterproductive and…
Let me share with you one of the worst and most important recent news stories that you’ve probably never heard about. Late last month, the Southern Baptist Convention settled a sex abuse lawsuit brought against a man named Paul Pressler for an undisclosed sum. The lawsuit was filed in 2017 and alleged that Pressler had raped a man named Duane Rollins for decades, with the rapes beginning when Rollins was only 14 years old.The story would be terrible enough if Pressler were simply an ordinary predator. But while relatively unknown outside of evangelical circles, Pressler is one of the most…
We don’t have to imagine a world where deepfakes can so believably imitate the voices of politicians that they can be used to gin up scandals that could sway elections. It’s already here. Fortunately, there are numerous reasons for optimism about society’s ability to identify fake media and maintain a shared understanding of current eventsWhile we have reason to believe the future may be safe, we worry that the past is not.History can be a powerful tool for manipulation and malfeasance. The same generative A.I. that can fake current events can also fake past ones. While new content may be…
By Ian Trabuco, as told to Hallie LevineI’ve been living with chronic migraines for 3 years. They began my junior year of high school. The symptoms go well beyond just a headache. When I’m in the full throes of a migraine attack, I feel dizzy, nauseous, and my whole body is achy and fatigued, as if I have the flu. Ultimately, my migraines became so debilitating that I had to leave my school.It’s taken a couple years and trials of over 10 different medications, but I’ve finally found a treatment plan that has helped. Sometimes, I can go a week or…
To the Editor:Re “I’ve Told My Last Trump Joke,” by David Kamp (Opinion guest essay, Jan. 24):I encourage Mr. Kamp to keep telling Donald Trump jokes. Mr. Trump is a serious threat to American democracy and the institutions of a pluralistic society, so I understand Mr. Kamp’s fear that jokes make the danger seem trivial.However, alongside every joke aimed at deflating Mr. Trump stands the fact that 74 million American citizens voted for him in 2020, and even more may vote for him and autocracy in 2024. Sobering facts, yes, but humor can bring comfort to those who oppose Mr.…
By Merle L. Diamond, MD, as told to Kara Mayer RobinsonAs a physician and lecturer specializing in headache medicine, I’m always looking for ways to help patients better manage chronic migraine. Chronic migraine means you have more than 15 days of headache per month, with eight that are migraine.In the past decade, the FDA has approved many new therapies, including drugs and alternative treatments. There’s been an explosion in migraine research. So there are many new ways to target chronic migraine, with more on the horizon.The Challenge of Finding the Right TreatmentWhen you have chronic migraine, finding the right treatment can be challenging.…
These two staffing companies place workers in a range of hospitality positions, including as servers, bartenders, line and prep cooks and, yes, dishwashers. The citations assert that the companies misclassified the workers as independent contractors and in doing so, violated the city’s minimum wage ordinance and state law on paid sick leave.Colorado’s labor law defines an employee as any person who performs labor or services for the benefit of an employer. Factors that go into making that determination include the degree of control an employer exercises over the person, and the degree to which the person’s work is the primary…
By Katie M. Golden, as told to Kara Mayer RobinsonAs someone living with chronic migraine, every day is different. There’s no cure for this genetic neurologic disease, but there are things I do to manage my day-to-day life.I’m 40 years old and I live in Santa Monica, CA. I’m a professional writer and an advocate for people with chronic pain conditions. I find strength to get through my days with this personal mantra: Never let your pain go to waste.Let me explain.I had my first migraine attack when I was 5 years old. Throughout grade school, college, and into my professional…