Special Coverage: WireTap

Turning the High School Dropout Tide

Nancy Meza, New America Media. February 10, 2006.
Personal Voice: Most people think that if you give students challenging classes, they drop out. A recent high school graduate disagrees and has evidence to prove it.

Rethinking Volunteerism in America

Gavin Leonard, WireTap. February 9, 2006.
Opinion: As America increasingly relies on charities to solve social inequalities, our young expert offers a plan to make the most out of our desire to help communities in need.

100% Indian Hair

Tanzila Ahmed, Pop and Politics. February 8, 2006.
How can women consciously get human hair weaved into their own without knowing where the hair came from?

Confessions of a Beauty Pageant Drop-Out

Amanda Angelotti, Campus Progress. February 8, 2006.
I was a teenage beauty queen, and I always wanted to be Miss America. Not anymore.

When Politicians Turn Predictable and Coarse

Adrienne So, WireTap. February 7, 2006.
We've reached the Golden Age of comics when the most difficult social questions get explored through cartoons rather than an honest political discourse.

Haunted by Katrina

Dani McClain, WireTap. February 4, 2006.
An uprooted family from the Gulf region tries to make sense of New York and cope with the emotional and psychological effects of forced migration.

The New Face of the Campus Left

Sam Graham-Felsen, The Nation. February 3, 2006.
Since the 1970s, Republican conservatives have been the dominant political force on American campuses. Now groups like Campus Progress are pushing back.

A Younger Take on the State of the Union

Emily Olfson, WireTap. February 2, 2006.
High school students in New York City gathered on Tuesday night to discuss their reactions to President Bush's State of the Union speech.

Who Needs Black History Month?

Paul Halley, Pop and Politics. February 2, 2006.
We all do, because every month still remains white history month in this country.

The Truth About Universal Health Care

Tyler Zimmer, Campus Progress. January 31, 2006.
What's the biggest obstacle in achieving health care for all? It may just be our misplaced skepticism.

A Snapshot of the Right Wing Tactics

M. Junaid Alam, WireTap. January 30, 2006.
The latest spying on UCLA's faculty by a conservative zealot resembles Germany's fascist anti-intellectual movement of the 1930s.

The Best of Affordable Eco-Vacations

Holly Beck, WireTap. January 28, 2006.
From organic vineyards in Italy to safaris in Botswana to wildlife habitats in Arizona -- here's your guide to planning a vacation without bankrupting your wallet or your ideals.

Kanye the Instigator

Maria Luisa Tucker, AlterNet. January 28, 2006.
Rapper Kanye West has become one of pop culture's most intriguing political commentators. Or, depending on your perspective, one of its most intriguing reactionaries.

Why We Stood

Jennie Pasquarella, Shonali Shome, WireTap. January 27, 2006.
Georgetown University Law School students explain why they staged a protest to oppose Alberto Gonzales' speech defending the government's wiretapping.

A New Year in New Orleans

Wayne Emilien, Campus Progress. January 25, 2006.
New Orleans has become home to opportunism. But for natives, it has yet to become home again.

Why Choice Matters

Jamia Wilson, WireTap. January 23, 2006.
Call to Action: The future of a woman's right to have control over her own body hangs in the balance. On the 33rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, here is one thing you can do to keep it alive.

Slavery Beneath the Golden Arches?

Jordan Buckley, Katie Shepherd, WireTap. January 21, 2006.
In light of recent revelations that McDonald's buys tomatoes through at least one convicted slaver, a farmworkers' group is urging the company to change its ways.

Personal Voice: The Struggle Within the Struggle

Ian Elwood, WireTap. January 20, 2006.
A volunteer activist responds to an earlier op-ed, 'Calling Activists to a Higher Standard.'

Made in Bangladesh, For Better or Worse

Tanzila Ahmed, Pop and Politics. January 19, 2006.
My relatives own clothing factories in Bangladesh, yet I would rather spend my money at American Apparel than support the Wal-Mart business model.

America’s Growing Waistline

Beth Schwartzapfel, WireTap. January 19, 2006.
Crash dieting causes even more harm than carrying those extra pounds. The best solution in the long-run is changing the way we live.

DailyKos: The Internet Is Not Enough

Conor Clarke, TomPaine.com. January 18, 2006.
Markos Moulitsas tells a group of young activists the progressive movement needs more than a thriving Internet presence to succeed.

Queer Love Goes Mainstream

Aldrich Tan, Pop and Politics. January 18, 2006.
Thankfully, we've reached a hopeful point where 'Brokeback Mountain' can be one of the country's top ten films and score four Golden Globe awards.

Where is Dr. King's Dream Today?

Celina R. De Leon, WireTap. January 16, 2006.
A new documentary, "The Boys of Baraka," follows four young teenagers, who leave their failing schools in Baltimore to find quality education and security in Kenya.

Breathing Life into Public Policy

Rinku Sen, ColorLines. January 13, 2006.
Activist Mallika Dutt tells us how to place human rights issues at the top of MTV's music charts.

The Down Side of Popping Pills

Athena, SPRAWL Magazine. January 11, 2006.
Personal Voice: 'The pills just don't allow me to think. I don't have a chance to be happy or upset. I'm just … there.'

Don’t Call Us Apathetic

Tanzila Ahmed, WireTap. January 9, 2006.
Contrary to popular belief, young people are more politically engaged than ever.

Youth Are Building Presence Inside WTO

Emily Freeburg, WireTap. January 6, 2006.
'Six years ago, my first truly global experience came to my hometown. I was on the streets in 1999 when the WTO came to Seattle. In December, I traveled to Hong Kong to be part of a team of young people 'on the inside' of the WTO.'

Calling Activists to a Higher Standard

Gavin Leonard, Adrienne Maree Brown, WireTap. January 4, 2006.
Point-Counterpoint: Do today's organizers have what it takes to build a lasting progressive movement? Two young activists debate and disagree.

'Strapped' for Adulthood

Jodie Janella Horn, PopMatters. January 3, 2006.
A new book explores the societal and financial reasons that today's twenty- and thirtysomethings are finding it nearly impossible to stay afloat.

The Most Important Resolution for 2006

M. Junaid Alam, WireTap. January 2, 2006.
The U.S. government -- which entered Iraq on the basis of lies and exaggerations -- is not fit to lead the reconstruction process. Ending American occupation is the only way to move closer to peace.

The Next Generation of News

Aldrich Tan, Pop and Politics. December 21, 2005.
A generation that loves the smell of a freshly printed paper is being replaced by young people who prefer the speed of digital text loading through DSL.

Forget the Rat Race, It's All About the Hustle

Celina R. De Leon, WireTap. December 19, 2005.
In his new book, Hadji Williams details his experiences as a Black man surviving in corporate America. Amidst real-life examples of corruption and discrimination, he also shares a blue print for changing it all from the inside out.

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