Author: Lance Garrison
To the Editor:“Behind Acts of Violence, Years of Mistakes” (front page, Nov. 21) effectively underscores the decades of neglect, underfunding and mismanagement that have made New York’s mental health system such a resounding failure for so many people in our city. But it also perpetuates dangerous stereotypes about people who are homeless and makes assumptions about the value of “mental health shelters” that do not comport with reality.The breakdowns in the social safety net for people living with mental illness are indeed an urgent problem, but those breakdowns affect all people living with mental illness, not just those without homes.…
On Achill Island in Ireland, Cian hopes to spend the summer playing soccer with his friends. But his grandfather thinks it’s about time to pass down a family tradition.
Ever since we were children, we’ve been fascinated by pastoralism. We both come from families with farming roots but grew up in the city. This enthusiasm brought us to Achill Island, off the west coast of Ireland, where sheep graze over the grassland.In a vast peat bog in this corner of the world, the 14-year-old Cian and the 78-year-old Martin stand side by side, surrounded by more than 100 sheep. “Away! Come by!” they shout in turn at a dog that appears to be out of control. Cian would prefer to spend his summer playing soccer with his friends, but…
Walking toward the shrinking remnants of what used to be the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan was like entering hell.All around was a desert devoid of life, aside from scrubby saxaul trees. Dust swirled in 110-degree Fahrenheit heat under a throbbing red sun. I reached the edge of one of the scattered lakes which are all that remain of this once-great body of water. I took off my shoes and waded in. The water was so full of salt that it felt viscous, not quite liquid.In the nearby town of Muynak, black and white newsreels in the local museum, and pictures…
If Donald Trump is the Republican nominee for president in 2024, it’s now clear he will likely still have criminal indictments hanging over his head on Election Day. It’s possible that his criminal liability for the events leading up to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol will remain unresolved.If that happens, voters will go to the polls without knowing whether one of the candidates in the current election is criminally responsible for trying to overturn the last one and subvert the will of the voters.Having an election under such circumstances is unthinkable. As Richard Nixon might have put it,…
A little over a decade ago, I watched my brother in-law Rick Boterf die of complications from infection with the hepatitis C virus that took his health, his vibrant energy and ultimately his life.A husband, father and practical joker, Rick designed and built intricate boat interiors in Florida. But then he experienced the slow onset of signs of liver failure, followed by an excruciating five years on the liver transplant list. At the time of his transplant surgery, an unrecognized liver cancer was discovered. Ultimately, Rick died in his sleep, a heartbreaking ending for a fine man who had suffered…
A country where depopulating rural areas are losing physicians, bus stops and elementary schools while urban areas thrive is fertile ground for a demagogue — say, a politician who crusades against Islam, immigrants and the forces of globalization.It’s a familiar script and one that has just put Geert Wilders’s Party for Freedom on the verge of leading the Netherlands House of Representatives, where the laws are written. Never mind that carrying out some of the ideas that Mr. Wilders sold voters on would be against Dutch or European Union law.The Party for Freedom’s strong showing in parliamentary elections last week…
By Sharon Solomon, MD, as told to Keri Wiginton Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced dry form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Up to 20% of folks with AMD may get it. While we see GA across all populations and races, it’s more common in older folks who have a family history of AMD and those of European descent. GA tends to progress incredibly slowly, but it can be devastating for the subset of people who get it. However, the FDA recently approved the first drug for GA. And I expect we’ll see more options down the line. I want people to know…
You are ready to get pregnant. Now. Once you are ready to start a family, waiting is the last thing you want to do.Although Mother Nature has a hand in the timing, there are some things you can do — or not do — to help increase your chances of getting pregnant ASAP. Read on for seven expert-approved tips for getting pregnant.Before you officially start trying, get a checkup. Ask your doctor about prenatal vitamins that have folic acid, which helps protect against some birth defects, such as spina bifida. Folic acid works during the early stages of pregnancy, so that’s…
That said, Haley has shown some consistency on issues of economic and fiscal policy. And what you should know is that her positions on these issues are pretty far to the right. In particular, she seems exceptionally explicit, even among would-be Republican nominees, in calling for an increase in the age at which Americans become eligible for Social Security — a bad idea that seems to be experiencing a revival.So let’s talk about Social Security.The first thing you should know about Social Security is that the actual numbers don’t justify the apocalyptic rhetoric one often hears, not just from the…