Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Mass. Leads Country in Fentanyl Overdose Deaths
Massachusetts reached an all-time high in fentanyl overdose deaths this year, according to new data from the state Department of Public Health. Nearly 90 percent of opioid overdoses in the second quarter involved the synthetic opioid fentanyl. What’s more, a report from The Pew Charitable Trusts maintains that Massachusetts had a higher opioid death rate…
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The Teeth of a Fox
For Mary Esther: “The Fox” They meet for the first time at an AA meeting. He sat in the third row, end seat close to the wall. She sat in the middle of the room, tears spilled down her face; she had a tissue crumpled in her fist and her lips quivered. He watched her.…
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Election Shows Strong Support for LGBTQ Rights
Voter approval of Question 3 on the Massachusetts ballot was a victory for transgender rights in the Bay State. Approval of the measure upholding the state’s transgender nondiscrimination law was one of several victories for LGBTQ rights and candidates nationwide. But the civil rights of transgender people in particular have been under attack in several…
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App Provides Access to Homeless Services Info for Young People
Finding a bed for the night or a nice hot meal in the winter just got easier for some homeless youth and young adults in and around the Greater Boston area. Bridge Over Troubled Waters, an agency dedicated to homeless, runaway and at-risk youth, launched a downloadable app for smartphones with up-to-date schedules and contact…
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U.S. Senators and Reps blast Columbia Gas execs at public hearing in Lawrence
Left to right: Representative-elect Lori Trahan, Rep. Nikki Tsongas, Sen. Maggie Hassan, Sen. Ed Markey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Rep. Seth Moulton. Photos by author. At a public hearing on Monday morning, U.S. Senators and Representatives from Massachusetts and New Hampshire tore into the executives from the gas company responsible for the fires and explosions…
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It’s the System, Stupid!
In 1967 Dr Martin Luther King asked a question: “Why are there 40 million poor people in America?” That question crosses my mind and the minds of every activist I have ever met, but that question stood out as I was making my way home as Boston prepared for it’s first snowstorm. I sadly watched…
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Latinos Underrepresented at Top Public Colleges
A new study shows that selective public colleges nationwide admit disproportionately low numbers of Black and Latino students, while receiving more funding per student. The study, from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, found that all 41 states that have selective public colleges fund them at higher rates per student than their…
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Bill Murray chats about his late-career dive into music
Bill Murray and Jan Vogler Bill Murray is on the road. Calling from Charlotte, North Carolina, where it’s well after midnight, he and classical cellist Jan Vogler are winding down after a performance on their unusual tour, which sees the famously quirky movie star singing – yes, singing – and reciting literature with a chamber…
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Mental Health is Not Just ‘A White Person Thing’
Dior Vargas is a Latina feminist mental health activist whose work has appeared in publications such as Forbes, Newsweek and The Guardian, and whose many awards include her being named the White House Champion of Change for Disability Advocacy Across Generations. But in 2014, before any of this, she was searching for a way to…
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