Sam Liebeskind

So yes, Americans are materially wealthy and unfulfilled, and the primary problem is cultural—we’ve sacrificed community and meaning to emphasize an archetype built on acquiring as much stuff as possible, but then we have made that unnecessarily hard to do. When you give your citizens a cultural script, built on the material, that promises hard... See more

Beginning the work of civic renewal in localities rather than at the national level is an easier lift in part because Americans have more trust in democracy the closer it is to them. Sixty-six percent of respondents in a 2022 Pew survey reported a favorable view of their local government, and 54 percent did of their state government, compared to... See more

“We would never rely [solely] on the AI-generated summaries,” said Seward. “Reporters are going back and listening to the real [podcasts] but using the report basically as a kind of tip line, or as a nudge to look at something more closely.”

Gavin de Becker argues that beneath even the most violent acts lie fundamental, universal desires — the need to feel loved, respected, seen. Twist those desires through a series of nonstandard deviations, and violence can follow (FYI readers on the internet– I am not condoning or excusing violence). But what struck me most was not the danger, but... See more

Some of the people populating the world’s feeds are doing valuable work—the journalists and open-source-intelligence gatherers trying to confirm events and produce original reporting, for example. But they are outnumbered by propagandists, trolls, anxious commentators, war-market gamblers, and clout chasers

As theologian Walter Brueggeman writes on rest and sabbath—it’s a “pause that transforms.” Rest— of people, of land, of resources— is always linked to flourishing, not scarcity. Practiced in times of plenty and proven in times of crisis.