Laura Fitzpatrick

Worth a read: the doctor-patient relationship

2011-02-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm back in school doing my prerequisites for medical school, I'm more interested than ever in health news, particularly when it comes to the way physicians interact with the people they treat. (A classmate and I are co-chairing a focus group on the doctor-patient relationship in my postbac premed program.) This story about the ways in which medical schools are changing their curricula to encourage future doctors to consider the whole patient caught my eye. I especially like the idea that focusing on relating to patients as human beings by adding humanities classes to med school isn't a nice touchy-feely bonus; it's a key part of medical training.

Study: Exercise Can Counteract Obesity Genes

2010-09-01T15:22:00.001-07:00

Some families, alas, are fatter than others. But for dieters continually at war with their genes, there's good news in a study published in this week's PLoS Medicine: they can burn off 40% of their genetic predisposition to obesity by exercising. Read the full story on Time.com.

How we fail our female vets

2010-07-20T13:02:00.001-07:00

My latest piece, from the 7/12 issue, is about the VA hospital system's struggle to accommodate growing numbers of female veterans. Read it here.

A Brief History of YouTube

2010-05-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

YouTube turns five this month. It's changed a lot since its simple beginnings in an office above a California pizza joint. Click here for a brief history of YouTube.

Best in Show: Jane Lynch

2010-04-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

I missed this week's Madonna episode, but I'm nonetheless psyched Glee has returned from its 4-month hiatus. To mark the occasion, I sat down with Jane Lynch, who plays the show's deliciously evil cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester. She's actually really nice! Read the profile in this week's mag here.

Why Do Women Still Earn Less Than Men?

2010-04-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

On Equal Pay Day--an advocacy day intended to raise awareness of the fact that American women still earn 77 cents on the male dollar--my Time.com story explores reasons for the persistent gap. One study I find compelling explored the wage trajectory for workers who underwent a sex change. Even when controlling for factors like education, men who transitioned to women earned, on average, 32% less after the surgery. Women who became men, on the other hand, earned 1.5% more.

Which U.S. Presidents Have Appointed the most Supreme Court Justices?

2010-04-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

Once Obama's nominee to succeed Justice Stevens is confirmed (whoever that nominee turns out to be), the President will have seated as many Justices as any first-termer since Richard Nixon, who pushed through four. And we're barely into Year 2.

My piece on Time.com today looks at prolific appointers of ages past.

Q&A: The Male Brain

2010-03-31T06:27:00.000-07:00

Despite all that old talk about Mars and Venus, men and women are much more biologically alike than not. But differences in the way our brains are built shed light on everything from the way we flirt, to the way we fight, to how we raise our boys, argues neuropsychiatrist Dr. Louann Brizendine in her provocative new book, The Male Brain. She and I talked about what neurology tells us about sex, the daddy brain, and why some men cheat. Read the interview here.

Why do Americans eat so much salt?

2010-03-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

Pepsi's plans for "designer salt" that preserves taste while slashing sodium content are intended to combat a growing public-health problem: Americans consume about twice as much salt as our bodies need, a habit that contributes to hypertension and heart disease. We started developing our salt addiction after World War II, and today it's tough to tell how much we're ingesting. My piece in the mag this week explores why.

The New Sexism

2010-03-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

The blatant sexism of eras past, author Susan Douglas argues in our interview up today (available here), has been supplanted by a more insidious form of bias, which suggests that sexist messages are O.K. if delivered with a wink and a nod. (It's fine to enjoy watching catty contestants on The Bachelor snipe at one another — because, come on, we all know most women aren't like that. Ha-ha. Right?) We talked about the economic plight of women today, the dangers of powerful female TV characters and the future of feminism.

How Trust Creates Wealth

2010-03-10T15:26:00.001-08:00

I chatted with the interesting Anna Bernasek about her new book, The Economics of Integrity, and how trust is one of the most valuable economic assets we have. She argues that too often we labor under the mistaken impression that doing the right thing keeps us from getting ahead--and that in fact, it's just the opposite.

The death penalty: racist, classist and unfair?

2010-02-23T08:42:00.000-08:00

I have an interview up today with David Dow, an appellate lawyer in Texas whose new book, The Autobiography of an Execution, covers his two decades of defending more than 100 death-row inmates. We talked about why he does his job, the problem with juries and what it's like to look murderers in the eye.

The Asian Carp are Coming!!

2010-02-15T13:11:00.000-08:00

Not since jaws has a piscine predator caused such a commotion. Inspired by the Asian carp threatening the Great Lakes fishing industry, for this week's magazine I wrote a brief history of invasive species.

Study: Hepatitis threat underestimated

2010-01-27T15:19:00.001-08:00

A new Institute of Medicine report this month finds that hepatitis -- which affects 3 to 5 times as many Americans as HIV/AIDS but receives a fraction of the funding and attention -- is a "major" public health problem in the U.S. My Time.com story is here.

What happens to the Haiti relief money?

2010-01-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

Millions are pouring in from around the world to aid survivors of the Haiti quake. What happens when it gets there?

How has New York fared in the Great Recession?

2010-01-22T07:21:00.000-08:00

We took a look this week at how the world's financial capitals are faring in the Great Recession. Here's my piece on New York; I was surprised to find that the state of the city isn't as bad as the dreary headlines often make it seem.

Why women can scrap those health rules

2010-01-14T12:05:00.001-08:00

If you've ever gotten so tangled in conflicting women's health advice that you've felt the urge to give up on the crazy rules altogether, take heart. The authors of the new book Live a Little! say you can go right ahead. In our interview up today on Time.com, they talked about why a little common sense is all you need for a happy, healthy life.

A brief history of anabolic steroids

2010-01-13T11:54:00.000-08:00

Mark McGwire's admission to using steroids isn't exactly surprising. But it was news to me that Adolf Hitler may have been among the first people to juice. I wrote about the history of steroids here.

Do air marshals really help?

2010-01-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

Three days after the attempted Christmas bombing of Northwest Flight 253, President Obama announced that federal air marshals would ride shotgun on more flights to and from the U.S. Armed, highly trained and unobtrusive, thousands of marshals are currently flying U.S. skies. But, as I note in the history of air marshals I wrote for this week's mag, whether they can prevent airborne attacks is debatable.

A Brief History of Antidepressants

2010-01-07T10:20:00.001-08:00

A new study in JAMA suggests that antidepressants provide relief for people with severe depression but do little for people with mild to moderate depression. Here's a history of the drugs, which have always been as controversial as they are popular.

How to Make Doctors Better

2010-01-04T07:04:00.000-08:00

Dr. Atul Gawande has a new book out today arguing that the solution to many medical errors isn't more training or technology: it's as simple as a checklist. He draws on examples from pilots, restaurateurs, and construction engineers, among others, to show why. Here's our interview.

Air Security Regulations: Are Passengers Any Safer?

2009-12-30T10:03:00.000-08:00

The slew of regulations TSA implemented following the attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Flight 253 are set to expire today. Did they actually make passengers safer? Aviation experts are skeptical.

What should we call the decade that's about to end?

2009-12-21T20:00:00.000-08:00

In the last issue of the year (and the decade), a look back at the failed attempts to name the '00s. Happy holidays!

The Top 10 Fails of 2009

2009-12-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

Mental health break time: the top 10 fails of 2009.

Will Martha Coakley be MA's first female U.S. Senator?

2009-12-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

Her victory in Tuesday's Democratic primary puts Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley a step closer to making history as the first female U.S. Senator from her state.

The 'Glee' Factor

2009-12-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

Alas, Glee is going on hiatus after tonight. But plenty of fans have taken the singing offscreen. In the past few months, amateur vocal groups have seen enrollment spikes, with some singers saying the show inspired them to join.

The Top 10 Everything of 2009

2009-12-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

Have gotten a little behind on posting, but I'm back today with the top 10 everything of 2009. Lists galore! Mine are the top 10 underreported stories, available here (for instance: African-American and Latino schoolchildren are more segregated now than they were at the time of MLK's death) and the top 10 t-shirt-worthy slogans (including Kanye's immortal "Imma let you finish"). Lots of other good top 10s, too: fashion faux pas, medical breakthroughs and apologies are some of my favorites.

A Brief History of Ticker-Tape Parades

2009-11-06T08:14:00.001-08:00

The Yankees are taking their victory lap through the Canyon of Heroes for the ninth time this morning. Here's a brief history of ticker-tape parades.

Q&A: Pastor Joel Osteen

2009-11-06T08:10:00.001-08:00

I interviewed Pastor Joel Osteen at our offices last week. He's just back from Africa and has a new book out; we talked about whether his message helped cause the financial crisis, why it resonates and how to find hope in dark times. Watch the video here.

Q&A: Augusten Burroughs

2009-10-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

I interviewed Augusten Burroughs, whose new (hilarious, touching) book is out today. I only wish we'd had space to include the entire interview. Read it here.

The Best--And Worst--Places To Be A Journalist

2009-10-23T06:40:00.000-07:00

The eighth annual Press Freedom Index is out today. The U.S. is doing better; Europe is doing worse. I rounded up the other highlights here.

2-Min. Bio: Accused spy Stewart Nozette

2009-10-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

Before he was charged with attempted espionage, U.S. scientist Stewart Nozette had worked on the Star Wars missile defense program and helped discover water on the moon.

The State of the American Woman

2009-10-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

Our cover package this week is a special report on the American woman. Today's women are more powerful, but less happy. There are some fascinating stats in the poll, available here. I caught up with three of the women we profiled in TIME's original, 1972 special issue on the American woman.

The Real Impact of America's Oil Crisis

2009-10-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

Here's the write-up of my conversation with the very interesting Amanda Little, who has a new book out on the way oil saturates Americans' daily lives. She traveled from an offshore oilrig to a plastic surgeon's office to the Pentagon in search of the human side of the energy story, and her conclusions were more optimistic than one might expect.

How did Sarah Palin write her memoir so fast?

2009-10-07T11:46:00.001-07:00

The former governor finished her 400-page memoir in just four months. My piece today explores how you write a book that fast.

Are Humans Actually Selfish?

2009-10-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

On Sept. 25 I did a Q&A with a fascinating author, a primatologist who uses studies on empathy in animals to argue that humans aren't such selfish beasts after all. (My favorite part: turns out yawns really are contagious.)

A Brief History of Red Scares

2009-10-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

In the Sept. 21 issue I wrote a brief history of Red scares, jumping off the controversy over President Obama's back-to-school speech.

Raymond Clark, Annie Le's alleged killer

2009-10-06T17:50:00.000-07:00

Got a little behind in posting, but here's a bio I wrote Sept. 18 of Yale grad student Annie Le's alleged killer, who had a hearing in court today.

Why Can't Americans Wear White After Labor Day?

2009-09-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

I've always wondered about the origin of the rule that we can't wear white after Labor Day--despite the fact that most people seem to break it. My piece today tries to answer the question.

A Brief History of Stockholm syndrome

2009-09-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

Just back from vacation; I wrote a brief history of so-called Stockholm syndrome today. Whether the condition even exists is controversial, despite several decades worth of high-profile cases in which victims demonstrated some kind of compassion for or loyalty to their captors.

College ranking fever

2009-08-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

The popular U.S. News & World Report college rankings were out yesterday. I did a Q&A with the man who makes them happen.

11-Year-Old Journalist Damon Weaver

2009-08-19T08:57:00.001-07:00

I did a Q&A today with Damon Weaver, the 6th grader who interviewed Obama last week and has taken YouTube by storm. We talked about mangoes, blowing stuff up in science class, and Bo Obama, among other things.

The Real Doctor Behind 'House'

2009-08-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

I did a Q&A today with Dr. Lisa Sanders, who is the technical adviser to the show House and has a fascinating new book out on diagnosis.

I Can Has Media Empire?

2009-08-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

I wrote a profile in this week's magazine of Ben Huh, the blog guru who runs a series of spellbindingly silly websites including I Can Has Cheezburger? and FAIL Blog.

Environment: Why Some Like it Cold

2009-08-12T15:36:00.001-07:00

I did a Q&A today with Bill Streever, the author of Cold: Adventures in the World's Frozen Places, which is part history, part biology, part ode to the natural world. We talked about about polar exploration, how cold spurred the invention of the bicycle, and what it feels like to freeze to death. (Yeah, not so good.)

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

2009-08-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

President Obama turns 48 today, but he's spending the day at the office. Here's a look back at how previous Presidents have celebrated their big days. (Harry Truman's present in 1945 was the German surrender on VE-Day. Score.)

2 Min. Bio: Sean Parnell, Alaska's New Governor

2009-08-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

When Sarah Palin stepped down July 26, Sean Parnell took her place. He shares Palin's conservative views but is known to be less outspoken--a difference that some Alaska politicians say could be just what the state needs. Here's a short bio of Parnell, including a podcast.

A Brief History of China's One-Child Policy

2009-07-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

After international media reports surfaced that China would encourage some Shanghai couples to have 2 children, we took a look back at 3 decades of the controversial one-child policy.

Open-Mike Night for Entrepreneurs

2009-07-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

Aspiring poets and comedians have always been able to hone their ideas on stage--and now entrepreneurs can, too. (Here's the story from this week's mag.) We also shot a video of this Philly entrepreneurship open mic night, linked at left.

A Brief History of the Minimum Wage

2009-07-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Minimum wage earners will find 70 cents per hour extra starting today. The federal minimum wage started out as a bulwark against the Great Depression.

Can Community Colleges Save the U.S. Economy?

2009-07-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

McKinsey estimates that if we had caught up to countries like Finland and Norway in educational achievement, the 2008 GDP would have been 16% higher. Community colleges may not be glamorous, but as I write in a piece in this week's mag, they educate half of American students--so they're a huge part of closing that gap. Update: Obama pushes for a historic boost to community college funding.

A Brief History of Affirmative Action

2009-07-09T20:49:00.000-07:00

With the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Sonia Sotomayor's judgment in Ricci v. DiStefano putting discrimination law in the news, we took a look back at the history of affirmative action.

The Sad End of an American Icon

2009-07-09T20:46:00.001-07:00

After Michael Jackson's death, we rushed out a special issue. Here's the piece I reported on.

Did the Beatles destroy rock 'n' roll?

2009-06-24T08:40:00.001-07:00

This is a Q&A with the author of a new book on the history of American pop music, who looks past the most famous artists to those who were popular in their own time. We talked about the origins of rock 'n' roll's racial divide, the way technology is changing the way we listen, and the future of music.

Fixing Our Dangerous Roads

2009-06-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

A new W.H.O. report makes the case for road repair as an economic boon.

Goodbye, Rabbit Ears

2009-06-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

On the day we said goodbye to analog TV, a brief history of television.

A Brief History of Bankruptcy

2009-06-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

With GM going belly-up, my piece in this week's issue looks back at bankruptcy over the years. (One of the Constitutional Convention delegates even went broke.)

Don't Know Much 'Bout Geography

2009-05-21T20:54:00.001-07:00

In honor of the National Geographic Bee finals this week, a colleague and I put together a list of the top 10 geography blunders from people who could stand to brush up on their map skills.

Future of Work: We're Getting off the Ladder

2009-05-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

Our cover package this week is on the future of work. My story focuses on how the standard career path is transforming from a ladder to a lattice. Update: Listen to a podcast about this story and others from the package here.

2 minute bio: Charlie Crist

2009-05-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

With "Chain Gang Charlie" Crist jumping in the Florida Senate race, here are some quick hits about who he is and what he's facing in 2010.

Deci$ion$: How One College Snags So Many Students

2009-05-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

May 1 was the big day for high school seniors to pick a college. One tiny Kentucky school is on track to potentially woo more than Harvard. The secret: free tuition.

A Spring-Break Legacy: Swine Flu Hits Colleges

2009-05-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

With hordes of students just recently returned from spring break in Mexico, colleges are gearing up in case of a H1N1 flu outbreak.

Top 10 Political Defections

2009-04-29T05:45:00.001-07:00

In honor of Arlen Specter's jump across the aisle, I put together a list of the top 10 political defections in history. Reagan, Hillary Clinton, and Teddy Roosevelt all make the list. (Not to mention Specter, who first switched parties back in 1965.)

Forget Math. Women Lag in Becoming English Profs!

2009-04-28T15:42:00.001-07:00

A new report finds that having kids is not the reason that women lag behind men in getting promoted.

In Trying Times, Colleges Willing to Boost Financial Aid

2009-04-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

Paying for school this year is a big challenge for many families. Luckily, many schools are willing to renegotiate a financial aid award before the May matriculation deadlines.

Virginia Tech, Remembered

2009-04-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

Today marks two years since the tragedy at Virginia Tech. I spoke with the then-chair of the school's English department about her memories of the gunman and her thoughts on how we can prevent a similar tragedy in the future.

Pirates XXX: A Battle Over Porn at the University of MD

2009-04-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

I wrote a piece for Time.com last week about a Maryland legislature's fight to stop a public porn screening at the U of Md. He wasn't successful.

The Financial Aid Game

2009-04-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks before Skidmore sent out their admissions decisions, I spent two days there going over applications for admission and financial aid with the staff. This piece from the April 6 issue is about the challenge they, like many other schools, are facing: facing greater financial need than ever, many worry they won't have enough aid dollars to attract a full freshman class.

Spring break in the recession

2009-03-20T19:31:00.001-07:00

Revelers are soaking up less exotic rays this year, but few are skipping spring break altogether.

SAT in the recession: test prep prices drop

2009-03-16T20:39:00.001-07:00

The SAT craziness hasn't abated in the recession, but test prep outfits are emphasizing low-cost options. And business is booming.

Job Forecast for College Seniors: Grimmer than Ever

2009-03-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

There will be 22% fewer job openings for the class of '09 than there were for the class of '08. In a new report out today, 44% said they plan to hire fewer new grads, and another 22% said they won't hire any.

Sparing a Dime to Save a College

2009-02-24T16:33:00.001-08:00

The big schools may be scaling back construction and hiring, but some of the little ones are struggling to get by, period. Morris Brown College paid off a chunk of its water bill last week only after its students approached passing cars and boarded city buses for donations.

Should black and white campuses merge in Georgia?

2009-02-15T09:39:00.001-08:00

My other piece in this week's issue is on a Georgia state senator's proposal to merge the state's historically black colleges with nearby white schools.

Are Hugs the New Handshakes?

2009-02-13T09:54:00.000-08:00

I have a piece in this week's issue on whether the hug is replacing the handshake. It's pegged, in part, to the fact that we have a man-hugger in the White House. I only wish the diagram of the ass-out hug (with apologies to Vince Vaughn) had made it online...

Grade inflation wars

2009-02-01T13:50:00.001-08:00

Parents in Virginia are winning their campaign to change the benchmark for A's to 90 instead of 94.

Jesse Jackson: A Moment of Transformation

2009-01-19T07:08:00.001-08:00

This is a video based on an interview I did with Jesse Jackson last week. We talked about how he felt on election night and what Dr. King would have thought of Obama's inauguration.

Civil Rights and the Obama Presidency

2009-01-19T07:04:00.000-08:00

With the inauguration coming up, we took a look back (including audio interviews) at what this day means for civil rights leaders.

Should Students Be Paid For Good Grades?

2009-01-14T09:59:00.001-08:00

Paying students to get good grades is controversial, but a new study suggests cash incentives work.

For the Post Office: Snow, Rain, and Now Gloom of Recession

2009-01-14T09:57:00.001-08:00

Last week I wrote a Time.com story on how the postal service is faring in this economy: not well. They experienced their biggest mail volume drop in history in '08.

Why the Ivy League is Rethinking ROTC

2008-12-17T13:12:00.001-08:00

The controversy flared up again this fall when both Presidential candidates endorsed ROTC. Here's why the debate is different than it was in the '60s.

Obama: The Long-Lost Negatives

2008-12-17T07:42:00.000-08:00

It was announced this morning: Barack Obama is TIME's Person of the Year 2008. Here is a story I wrote about the photographer behind a series of 36 images of Obama as a college freshman that have never been published before. She was a junior at Occidental College when he was a freshman. Here are the pix, and you can see the story and the photos together in the print mag.

College Credit Crunch 101

2008-12-14T12:07:00.000-08:00

For this week's issue, a colleague and I wrote a story about how colleges are grappling with the effects of the financial crisis, through the lens of a small Wisconsin liberal arts school.

"Speed Dating for Churches" in the Shenandoah Valley

2008-12-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

Last month I spent the day with students and professors at Shenandoah University who were visiting a monastery as part of a 10-week "religious road trip" to help the students find a spiritual home. Here's the piece I wrote about it for the mag a couple weeks ago.

Under Financial Stress, More Colleges Cap Enrollments

2008-11-26T11:22:00.000-08:00

With budget cuts looming, for the first time in its history Cal State may no longer be open to all the qualified students who want to go.

The Biggest Pranks in Geek History

2008-11-26T11:11:00.001-08:00

A few days ago, in honor of the Harvard-Yale game--a perennial pranking target--I did a roundup of the best pranks that the rivalry between Caltech
and MIT has given rise to. My favorite might be the one pictured at left, but all of them are definitely cooler than anything I could think of.

Plastic Surgery Below the Belt

2008-11-19T07:06:00.001-08:00

This week the New View Campaign, which protests what they call the "medicalization of sex," held a protest in NYC against cosmetic surgery for women where the sun doesn't shine. It was the jumping off point for this piece, which is on Time.com this morning.

Drive-By Flu Shots

2008-11-14T09:29:00.001-08:00

In this week's issue (which, by the way, has one of my favorite cover images of late), I have a short piece on the growing number of hospitals offering curbside flu vaccinations, in part to prep for graver outbreaks.

"Change has come to America"

2008-11-05T20:06:00.000-08:00

To wrap up a marathon campaign, our cover looks at what Obama's election means to the country; I contributed reporting.

Does Temperament Matter?

2008-11-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

Forgot to post this, but I contributed reporting to our cover story on Presidential temperament a couple of weeks back.

College Students Still Face Voting Stumbling Blocks

2008-10-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

College students are supposed to be able to vote where they go to school, but it's not always that easy. Today I wrote about why.

Undergrads on the Bread Line

2008-10-11T23:51:00.000-07:00

It's all the economy all the time at the moment; here's a piece I did for Time.com this week about undergrads who can't afford groceries turning to food banks instead.

Colleges Getting Hit by the Credit Crunch

2008-10-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a piece I did for Time.com about how universities are getting hit by the financial meltdown.

Unwelcome Visitors at the Ole Miss' Debate: the Ku Klux Klan

2008-09-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

McCain has decided to go to tonight's debate at Ole Miss after all, but the controversy isn't over. Here's a piece I did for Time.com about the visit planned by some unwelcome spectators tonight: the Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.

Will Business Schools Learn from Wall Street's Crisis?

2008-09-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a piece I did for Time.com on the financial-meltdown story from my higher-ed vantage point. It's about how business schools are changing the way they teach risk management--and whether it matters.

21 Ways to Serve America

2008-09-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

To coincide with "ServiceNation," the national service summit and Presidential candidates' forum that TIME co-sponsored this week, I contributed short pieces on voluntourism and conservation, among other topics, to this week's cover package. (One of the things I found most interesting: the biggest statistical difference between volunteers and non-volunteers is the amount of TV they watch.)

Getting Strangers to Pay Tuition

2008-09-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

It's back-to-school time, and for this week's issue (the cover's at left), I did a Q & A with a rising NYU freshman who's asking strangers to pay his tuition $2.50 at a time. (It's actually working!) I also wrote a piece about him for Time.com.

Reading Sarah Palin

2008-08-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a piece I wrote for Time.com about clues in Sarah Palin's own writing to what she might be like as McCain's Veep candidate...

The Clan McCain

2008-08-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

For this week's issue (see the cover at left), a colleague and I wrote a graphic tracing John McCain's ancestry back several generations. My favorite part is that when his mother, Roberta, learned that her son had yelled obscenities at his captors in Vietnam, she threatened to wash his mouth out with soap--though by then McCain was more than 60 years old.
The online gallery is a little different from the print version, but click here to view it.

Democrats go to Denver

2008-08-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

As part of the walk-up to the DNC, I have a piece in this week's issue (cover at left) about David Gilbert-Pederson, 17, the youngest delegate. He got his start making signs for Walter Mondale when he was 12, and now he's home-schooled to make time for campaigning.