August 2019

When it comes to being trauma-informed in ministry settings, one of the joys I find in the process is that “everything old is new again,” in the sense that many of the structures and patterns that are a part of traditional worship styles can be very grounding and helpful for those working through past trauma. For instance, the reassurance of the liturgical calendar and its various seasons is very comforting to my family, and each of us have trauma or adversity in our past. Knowing that every...

(From left to right) State Surgeon General Nadine Burke Harris, Rep. Jackie Speier, and Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, participate in a town hall meeting on gun violence at Lincoln High School in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, August 27 Photo: Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle Editor's note: In her role as state surgeon general, Dr. Harris addressed gun violence as preventable and important to treat as a public health issue. She said that in 2017, there were...

By Sammy Caiola, Capital Public Radio, August 27, 2019 A bulletin board at the La Familia Counseling Center in South Sacramento is crowded with flyers advertising everything from homework clubs to help with preparing taxes. The nonprofit center has offered free programs to the neighborhood’s large Latino population for decades. But in a year marked by immigration raids, mass shootings and family separations at the border, staff say it’s been a challenge to bring people together. Executive...

By Nila Bala and James Dold, The Hill, August 27, 2019 Over the last three decades, through both Democratic and Republican administrations, thousands of children have been warehoused in prisons with adults. We have usually ignored the cages these children are in because they were convicted of crimes in the adult criminal justice system. But we cannot ignore the fact that regardless of what they have done, they are still our children. Congress has a chance to enact reforms that assist...

By Marvin Krislov, Forbes, August 27, 2019 There is a mental health crisis on America’s college campuses. Increasingly, today’s students are lonely. More and more of them are anxious. Many are experiencing depression. And that’s leading them to college counseling centers at ever-increasing rates. One major recent study showed that 75% of current college students say they need help for emotional or mental health problems. Most colleges and universities are determined to support their students...

By Bobby Allyn, National Public Radio, August 27, 2019 The College Board is dropping its plan to give SAT-takers a single score that captures a student's economic hardship. The change comes after blowback from university officials and parents of those taking the college admissions exam. Announced in May, the "adversity score" was intended to assess the kind of neighborhood the student came from, including factors such as the portion of students receiving free or reduced lunch, the level of...

By Aspen Institute, August 28, 2019 The recent introduction of the REAL Act suggests a renewed interest in the postsecondary success of all members of society. As a part of our Postsecondary Success for Student Parents and Father Factor initiatives, Ascend at the Aspen Institute is committed to reframing the narrative of deserving families and connecting them with opportunities for family prosperity. Join us and colleagues from College and Community Fellowship, Vera Institute of Justice, and...

By Pulitzer Center Education, August 27, 2019 The 1619 Project, inaugurated with a special issue of The New York Times Magazine, challenges us to reframe U.S. history by marking the year when the first enslaved Africans arrived on Virginia soil as our nation's foundational date. Here you will find reading guides, activities, and other resources to bring The 1619 Project into your classroom. Wondering where to start? Dive into our Reading Guide. [ Please click here to read more .]

By Robert Pearl, MD, Forbes, August 26, 2019 Healthcare remains the nation’s top voting issue ahead of the 2020 elections, just as it was during the 2018 midterms. Surveys show voters remain frustrated with high drug prices, growing out-of-pocket expenses and skimpy health-insurance benefits. The leading candidates have publicly promised to fix these problems but all are omitting certain details about their healthcare plans. To help voters make informed decisions next November, this article...

By UC Davis Health, August 26, 2019 Spikes in handgun purchases in 2012 after Sandy Hook and the re-election of President Barack Obama have been linked to a 4% increase in firearm injury in California, a UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program (VPRP) study has found. The UC Davis School of Medicine study, published August 25 in Injury Epidemiology, assessed the sharp rise in handgun purchasing across 499 California cities and estimated whether the additional handguns increased fatal...

By Marie T. Johnson, Detroit Lakes Tribune, August 27, 2019 An expansive new effort is underway to tackle some of the Detroit Lakes area’s toughest issues and strengthen the social fabric of the community. Under the apt name The HOPE Project, a group of local nonprofit agencies, faith and service organizations, volunteers, and health care, school and government officials are working together to try and bring a ray of hope into the lives of people struggling with substance abuse, childhood...

By Medical Express, August 27, 2019 Traumatic childhood experiences among the poor and uninsured are associated with higher cardiovascular risk, according to new research. Experts have long known difficult childhoods are linked with a wide range of health risks later in life, including obesity, substance abuse and cardiovascular disease. They're also alarmingly common: More than half of the U.S. population say they experienced at least one adverse experience as a child or adolescent. [...