The collapse of democracy in Myanmar is a crisis for democracy everywhere. In the U.S., we witnessed a violent coup attempt on January 6, 2021, but it was thankfully unsuccessful. In Myanmar, which has a long history of colonial and autocratic rule, military officers have successfully replaced a democratically elected government.

March is women’s history month, so it’s a good time to focus on the importance of equal rights. This past January, Congress put forth a bipartisan resolution to extend the deadline to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which was introduced in 1972. Most young people have never heard of the ERA, so it’s worth describing its main points, why some Americans have opposed it, and where things stand now.

It is increasingly common for young people to spend a lot of time on their smartphones or other digital devices. This has caused many parents to worry that their kids are becoming addicted to social media and losing important life skills. The news that many Silicon Valley execs don’t let their kids have social media just reinforces this idea.

2021 is the Chinese year of the ox again, and it comes on the heels of 2020, which was suitably the year of the rat. What can we expect from the ox? Oxen are industrious, cautious, and generally helpful, so all signs seem positive. The last time it was the year of the ox was 2009. What happened that year?