Seriously: what's going on with Elon Musk? And what happens when "free speech absolutism" runs up against the realities of running the nation's de facto digital public square? How has Joe Biden performed in his first two years in office? And what can Americans expect from Braver Angels in 2023? In the final episode of the year, Ciaran O'Connor convenes fellow Braver Angels leaders John Wood, Jr., Monica Guzman, April Kornfield, and Gabbi Timmis for a freewheeling roundtable discussion.
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Water fluoridation helps prevent tooth decay – how growing opposition threatens a 70-year-old health practice
Dec 12, 2024
Driving through downtown Dallas, you might see a striking banner hanging at the U-turn bridge, near the Walnut Hill exit on Central Expressway (US 75): “Stop Fluoridation!” Below it, other banners demand action and warn of supposed dangers.
It’s not the first time fluoride has been at the center of public debate.
Since 1951, fluoride has been added to community water supplies in many countries to prevent tooth decay. Fluoridation started as an observation, then an idea that ended as a scientific revolution 50 years later.
Fluoridation is the controlled careful addition of a precise amount of fluoride to community water systems to enhance dental health, ensuring it remains safe without causing systemic health side effects.
The practice has been hailed as one of the “10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.”
But with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal opponent of fluoridation of water supplies, being tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, this progress is under threat.
I am a clinical professor specializing in caries management, with over 30 years of experience in preventing and treating early decay. In my view, it is crucial to rely on evidence-based practices and research that have consistently shown fluoride to be a cornerstone of dental health, benefiting millions without adverse effects.
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Fluoride in the water supply
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in water, soil and even certain foods. Its role in oral health was first recognized in the early 20th century when researchers observed lower rates of tooth decay in communities with naturally high levels of fluoride in their water.
In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first city in the world to intentionally fluoridate its water supply. This decision came after thorough discussions with Dr. H. Trendley Dean, head of the dental hygiene unit at the National Institutes of Health at the time, and other public health organizations. The Michigan Department of Health approved adding fluoride to the public water supply the following year.
The city was chosen due to its low natural fluoride levels, a large population of school-age children, and proximity to Muskegon, which served as a control city. After 11 years, the results were remarkable: Cavity rates among children in Grand Rapids born after fluoridation began dropped by over 60%.
By 2008, over 72% of the U.S. population – over 200 million Americans – using public water systems had access to fluoridated water.
This scientific breakthrough transformed dental care, turning tooth decay into a preventable condition for the first time in history.
Fluoride is naturally present in most water sources, but typically at concentrations too low to prevent tooth decay. By adjusting the fluoride level to the recommended 0.7 milligrams per liter, equivalent to about three drops in a 55-gallon barrel, it becomes sufficient to strengthen tooth enamel.
Benefits of fluoride for tooth health
The science is simple: Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel, the protective outer layer of teeth, by promoting remineralization. It also makes teeth more resistant to the acids produced by bacteria in the mouth. This helps prevent cavities, a problem that remains widespread even in modern societies.
Fluoridated water has been extensively studied, and its benefits are well documented. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, water fluoridation reduces cavities by about 25% across all age groups. It’s a public health measure that works passively – every sip of water helps protect your teeth, without requiring you to change your behavior.
This is especially important for vulnerable populations. Low-income communities often face barriers to accessing dental care or fluoride products like toothpaste. By fluoridating water, communities provide a safety net, ensuring that everyone benefits regardless of their circumstances.
Economically, it’s a smart investment. Research shows that for every dollar spent on fluoridation, communities save about US$20 in dental treatment costs. These savings come from fewer fillings, extractions and emergency visits – expenses that disproportionately affect low-income communities.
Opposition to fluoridation
Despite its benefits, water fluoridation is not without controversy. Opponents often argue that it infringes on personal choice – after all, most people don’t get to opt out of drinking community water. Others raise concerns about potential health risks, such as fluorosis, bone issues or thyroid problems.
Fluorosis, a condition caused by excessive fluoride exposure during childhood, is often cited as a reason for alarm. However, in most cases, it manifests as mild white spots on teeth and is not harmful. Severe fluorosis is rare in areas with regulated fluoride levels.
What about other health risks? Decades of research, including large-scale reviews by expert panels from around the world as well as the World Health Organization, have found no credible evidence linking fluoridation to serious health problems when fluoride levels are kept within recommended limits. In fact, the fluoride concentration in drinking water is carefully monitored to balance safety and effectiveness.
The CDC oversees the monitoring of fluoride levels in community water systems across the United States. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency establishes a safety standard of 2 milligrams per liter to prevent mild or moderate dental fluorosis.
Still, the debate continues, fueled by misinformation and mistrust in public health initiatives.
It’s important to separate legitimate concerns from unfounded claims and rely on the overwhelming body of evidence supporting fluoridation’s safety.
The anti-fluoride movement has a powerful ally – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to run the Department of Health and Human Services.Fluoride alternatives
For those who prefer to avoid fluoride, there are alternatives to consider. But they come with challenges.
Fluoride-free toothpaste is one option, but it is less effective at preventing cavities compared with fluoride-containing products. Calcium-based treatments, like hydroxyapatite toothpaste, are gaining popularity as a fluoride alternative, though research on their effectiveness is still limited.
Diet plays a crucial role too. Cutting back on sugary snacks and drinks can significantly reduce the risk of cavities. Incorporating foods like crunchy vegetables, cheese and yogurt into your diet can help promote oral health by stimulating saliva production and providing essential nutrients that strengthen tooth enamel.
However, these lifestyle changes require consistent effort and education – something not all people or communities have access to.
Community programs like dental sealant initiatives can also help, especially for children. Sealants are thin coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of teeth, preventing decay in high-risk areas. While effective, these programs are more resource-intensive and can’t replicate the broad, passive benefits of water fluoridation.
Ultimately, alternatives exist, but they place a greater burden on people and might not address the needs of the most vulnerable populations.
Should fluoridation be a personal choice?
The argument that water fluoridation takes away personal choice is one of the most persuasive stances against its use. Why not leave fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwash, giving people the freedom to use it or not, some argue.
This perspective is understandable, but it overlooks the broader goals of public health. Fluoridation is like adding iodine to salt or vitamin D to milk. These are measures that prevent widespread health issues in a simple, cost-effective way. Such interventions aren’t about imposing choices; they’re about providing a baseline of protection for everyone.
Without fluoridated water, low-income communities would bear the brunt of increased dental disease. Children, in particular, would suffer more cavities, leading to pain, missed school days and costly treatments. Public health policies aim to prevent these outcomes while balancing individual freedoms with collective well-being.
For those who wish to avoid fluoride, alternatives like bottled or filtered water are available. At the same time, policymakers should continue to ensure that fluoridation levels are safe and effective, addressing concerns transparently to build trust.
As debates about fluoride continue, the main question is how to best protect everyone’s oral health. While removing fluoride might appeal to those valuing personal choice, it risks undoing decades of progress against tooth decay.
Whether through fluoridation or other methods, oral health remains a public health priority. Addressing it requires thoughtful, evidence-based solutions that ensure equity, safety and community well-being.
Noureldin is a clinical professor of cariology, prevention and restorative dentistry at Texas A&M University.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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The role of theater in fostering constructive political dialogue
Dec 11, 2024
While it may seem like our country is more politically divided than ever, political division has been a recurring theme throughout American history.
The Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the struggle for civil rights, the protests surrounding the Vietnam War and similar events highlight how deeply divided opinions can become. Each of these periods had its own complex set of issues and emotions, and they shaped the nation in significant ways.
Professor Tim Dale, whose academic background is in political science and political theory, believes we should temper our media consumption with a conversation to have a broader view of the issue. During a TEDxUWLaCrosse presentation, Dale explained why it is essential for people to take the individual responsibility of getting news from multiple sources. When that happens, we are more informed of how the story is communicated differently.
I practice Complicating the Narratives, a solutions journalism strategy that helps journalists find new ways to report on controversial issues and polarizing politics. It draws on the experience of experts in conflict mediation.
In"This Thanksgiving, it's not only OK but necessary to talk politics," I presented why we need to connect with and not avoid one another after a grueling election season. Now, I am exploring how theater and the arts can help effectively introduce opposing viewpoints and communicate through those differences.
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The Totality of All Things
Theater has a unique ability to engage audiences through its characters and their experiences, prompting discussions and encouraging reflection on various issues. Presenting relatable stories and diverse perspectives allows viewers to contemplate important themes and societal challenges. This reflective quality can lead to meaningful conversations both during and after performances.
The ongoing debates surrounding reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ issues and immigration (to name a few) have indeed contributed to growing polarization in the United States. These topics often evoke strong emotions and differing viewpoints, leading to intense arguments among individuals and communities. Many people feel passionately about their beliefs, which can create divisions, but it also highlights the importance of dialogue and understanding to bridge these gaps.
In the play "The Totality of All Things," art imitates life. Judith Benson is a liberal-leaning educator well-known for running the award-winning student newspaper at her small-town high school in Indiana. The paper emphasizes the values of truth and integrity in journalism. However, when an anti-gay hate crime occurs in her classroom, it challenges her beliefs about mentoring the next generation of reporters and raises questions about the very nature of truth.
In 2023, playwright Erik Gernand wanted to write about nationwide polarization but knew he couldn't write about current hot topics. "I needed a story with more distance. As a gay man who benefited from the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage, that felt like the right jumping-off point, "he said.
"I think drama in any form can help an audience process their feelings about a topic. When I go see a show, it often gives me an outlet to work through my own thoughts and experiences," said Gernand.
He said the show's narrative is about messy characters struggling through a messy situation. "No one in the play is exactly right or wrong, good or bad. As hard as that is to admit, that's very much the real world, if we like it or not," he said.
“The biggest thing in my mind after I first read ‘Totality’ was how Erik wrote his characters to be flawed and heroic in equal measure,” said director Enrico Spada. “It’s incredibly compelling to watch them grapple with the situation they’re in and argue with each other, because I can just as easily agree with either side. It’s challenging for me as an audience member and really satisfying to work on with actors.”
In one of the pivotal scenes, Judith argues with Micah, the student she assigned to write an article about the incident. "We are journalists. We report the truth. That's how we make this world a better place,” she said in lobbying to name the person who spray-painted a swastika on her classroom bulletin board about same-sex marriage.
Micah opposes outing the classmate, vying that Judith is just as intolerant as the people who oppose same-sex marriage, and urges in part: "Maybe we should look at the whole person, like the totality, before we judge."
Is there a definitive right or wrong position over such topics in a country as clearly divided as ours, as the popular vote demonstrated in this year's presidential election?
For Gernand, it's a losing battle because he believes both Judith and Micah are right in ways, and they're both wrong in ways. “And that's what I love in a climactic scene, a showdown where there's not an easy or obvious way out, maybe even no way out,” he said. “That's great for drama but sadly not for the state of polarization in the country.”
An artistic platform, like theater, can be a productive channel for helping people engage with each other about subjects that can sometimes be uncomfortable to address. (Disclosure: I am the understudy for Principal Benson in the Chicago production of "Totality.")
“Theatre can definitely provide a kind of healing and education by transporting people out of their lives and into someone else’s, so they can practice empathy and broaden their horizons by pondering situations and people they may not normally consider,” said Spada. “I think this play is better than most because it doesn’t tell you what to think or feel, instead presenting a challenge and letting you process it in your own way.”
Theater Impacting Social Change
Throughout history, theater has been a fundamental aspect of human society, serving as a medium for expressing opinions and influencing public perception. It is deeply intertwined with cultural life, reflected not only in the performances but also in the rhetorical techniques employed by politicians. When utilized effectively, theater can be a significant instrument for social change.
Through its year-round programming, Collaboraction Theatre Company, a Chicago nonprofit, explores theater's role in social change.
The group invites its crew and audience members to listen and learn from one another, bringing their disagreements and questions.
In "How theatre can lead to constructive political conversations," Collaboraction's artistic director, Anthony Moseley, and former executive director Marcus Robinson discuss how theater can open people up to more constructive political conversations.
Theater and politics share a profound relationship that dates back to ancient Greece, where theatrical performances were grand for their time, and orators resembled the earliest politicians.
In today's landscape, the spectacle of politics remains similar. It is characterized by bold campaigns and persuasive tactics, with sharp rhetoric and promises prominently featured in mainstream media.
Theater has consistently reflected society, often challenging prevailing norms. Contemporary theater continues to encourage audiences to engage with a variety of ideas while reminding them of significant messages from the past.
This platform offers a unique opportunity to connect with audiences through live, communal experiences, making it a valuable avenue for exploring political concepts and promoting civic engagement.
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The Totality of All Things runs through January 19, 2025, at Redtwist Theatre.
Balta is director of solutions journalism and DEI initiatives for The Fulcrum and a board member of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund, the parent organization of The Fulcrum. He is the publisher of the Latino News Network and a trainer with the Solutions Journalism Network.
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Conn. immigrant rights advocates, officials brace for Trump’s plans
Dec 11, 2024
As concerns about Donald Trump’s re-election grow among Latino immigrants in Connecticut, state officials and advocacy groups are voicing their support as they prepare to combat his promises to carry out the largest deportation efforts in the country’s history.
Generations face the ‘unknown’
Talia Lopez is a sophomore at Connecticut State Tunxis and the daughter of a Mexican immigrant. She is one of many in her school who are fearful of what is to come when Trump takes office.
“It’s just very sad to see that the majority of people are looking to deport when we’re a country based on immigrants,” she said.
Her father, Fernando Lopez, 61, of Avon, however, said it’s unclear what’s going to happen once Trump becomes president.
“The reality is, we don’t know, and that’s what scares a lot of people. I think that’s the part that most people need to be aware [of] is the unknown, and that’s scary,” Lopez said.
Originally from Tijuana, Mexico, Lopez said he felt a little bit surprised to see so many Latinos vote for Trump, but he also understands where they’re coming from given the troubling state of the economy.
“‘Things are not going great right now,’” Lopez said, thinking aloud in the perspective of a Latino Trump supporter. “‘Maybe this person can do it for us.’ I think that’s what the message was out there, and now the reality is going to be, ‘Alright, put up or shut up.’”
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Danbury confronts immigration history
In 2006, Danbury police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents posed as contractors to arrest and deport 11 undocumented immigrant workers. Two years later, local police worked with ICE agents to carry out more raids in the community with the enactment of 287-g, a program that allows state and local officials to act as ICE agents.
Since then, Connecticut has enacted the TRUST Act, which states that the federal government has authority over immigration law and enforcement, but it cannot commandeer state resources and law enforcement to carry out its enforcement efforts. Advocates who remember that earlier era in Danbury history are on edge.
Over 100 people gathered at Danbury city hall Saturday morning to show support as community leaders called on elected officials to protect immigrants. The city is familiar with the raids that community leaders fear are coming from Trump’s deportation efforts, according to community leaders.
Clementina Lunar, 56, is a Mexican immigrant and a Danbury resident of about 32 years. Immigration officers nearly deported Lunar and her husband in 1995. The traumatic experience left a mark on her children, she said.
After Lunar and her husband obtained their legal documentation to stay in the country, she said her daughter couldn’t and was facing deportation in absence. Her daughter had to appear in front of a judge at 14 years old to request a pardon, she said.
“My daughter used to have a small bag with her most precious things under her bed just in case we had to leave in a hurry,” Lunar said.
With Trump’s return to office, Lunar is seeing the same fears in the children she tutors. According to Lunar, a 10-year-old boy told her that after the election, he and his friends said their goodbyes at school because they were all immigrants and had to go back to their country of origin.
Hartford rallies for immigrants
Similar support was seen on the north steps of the state Capitol Monday morning where State Attorney General William Tong reaffirmed Connecticut’s commitment to stay a safe place for immigrants.
Tong and other state officials are having conversations to prepare for what is to come, he said. He is meeting with Democratic attorneys general this week to discuss preparation plans, including how to address contingencies and how to battle large scale legal battles.
“I don’t think anybody knows when and how and where they’re going to hit us and how, frankly, this is all going to go down. But we know they’re coming, and we know that it’s at the top of their list. I can only say that we, all of us, not just state attorneys general, but all of us — partners, advocates, and the spite — we are ready for it too,” Tong said.
Using Trump’s first term as reference, National Immigration Law Center President Kica Matos said state leaders and advocacy groups have a strong idea of what to prepare for.
“Let me be very clear about what we should expect come January 21. We should expect mass deportations. We should expect the use of the military to carry out deportations. We should expect internment camps at the border, the repeal of birthright citizenship. Undocumented immigrant kids will no longer be able to attend public schools, and they will threaten and try to coerce cities and states to carry out their deportation agenda,” Matos said.
Minority Leader for the City of Waterbury and Regional Director for the Republican National Hispanic Assembly Ruben Rodriguez, however, said that the Trump administration is only looking to fix the broken immigration system, so people can come into the country through legal channels.
“Just by coming here illegally, you [have] already created a crime,” Rodriguez said. “If you’re scared, that means you did something wrong.”
State’s top attorney, mayors stand with immigrants
Attorney General, William Tong, speaks at a Hartford rally where immigrant rights advocates have called on state officials to reassure the public that Connecticut is a welcoming state to immigrants. November 18, 2024.
Tong reassured that Connecticut is staying firm within the policies of the TRUST Act to mitigate any mass deportation attempts in the state. He also made clear that the TRUST Act does not apply to those that were accused, prosecuted or incarcerated for a crime.
Several officials, including mayors from Hartford, New Haven, Stamford and Norwalk, echoed Tong’s sentiment that Connecticut remains a place that welcomes immigrants with open arms. The turnout had Guatemalan immigrant Carla Esquivel, 47, feeling supported.
“This is the place where many of us immigrants have lived for many years and where we support the growth of the state,” Esquivel said, speaking in Spanish.
Esquivel has lived in Stamford for more than 19 years. Her fears for the immigrant community, however, are still present, she said.
Early that Monday morning, Trump posted on social media that his administration is preparing to declare a national emergency to use military assets for mass deportation. Esquivel is unsure if this is just Trump talking or if this will become a reality, she said. Despite Trump’s plans, Tong made Connecticut’s stance on immigration clear.
“It is the policy and it is the law of the state of Connecticut to respect, honor, and protect immigrants and immigrant families here in Connecticut,” he said. “Period, full stop.”
Doncel is a Colombian American journalist who joined Connecticut Public in November 2024. Through her reporting, Daniela strives to showcase the diversity of the Hispanic/Latino communities in Connecticut.
This article was first published by CT Public.
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Berwyn Collaborative: Understanding Community Needs
Dec 11, 2024
“We have good people here, and if we have help highlighting our good people, we can connect more, collaborate more, be more creative, and resist harder,” said Berwyn resident Isabel Gonzalez Smith.
On a breezy November Saturday afternoon, members of the Cook County suburban city, had the opportunity to meet with local journalists and be heard at the Liberty Cultural Center in Berwyn, IL.
The listening session was part of the Berwyn Collaborative: Understanding Community Needs, an engagement initiative led by News Ambassadors (NA) in partnership with Cicero Independiente, WBEZ, and Illinois Latino News (ILLN).
The project aims to actively engage residents through surveys and events rather than assuming what they need or want from local news coverage.
“We don’t see the public as an audience,” said Hugo Balta, publisher of ILLN and director of solutions journalism & DEI initiatives at The Fulcrum, who attended the event. “They are collaborators who help shape our news coverage. This project assists us in better understanding what issues matter most to the impassioned people of Berwyn.”
Irene Romulo is the Development and Community Engagement Coordinator for Cicero Independiente, and has played a pivotal role in helping the team navigate the cultural landscape of Berwyn. Romulo hopes this project can help enhance Cicero Independiente’s coverage of the area.
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“We want our news and information to meet the needs of Berwyn residents, we want to reach them in ways that work best for them,” said Romulo. “To be able to do this, we need to take the time to understand the needs of the people who live there.”
The Berwyn Collaborative seeks to understand the needs of Berwyn residents through community engagement by canvassing, sending out local news surveys, and hosting the community listening session. Once the needs of the community are better understood, the collaborative will produce solutions-based stories so that community needs can be met with solutions.
The project’s philosophy is founded on the ideas of Solution Journalism (SJ). Instead of simply highlighting something going wrong, the emphasis in SJ reporting is on how people are moving forward, building up, or responding to an issue.
Solutions Journalism can be loosely defined as “a specific reporting strategy to uplift solutions and common ground, not focused on problems, but on what people can do about them,” said Shia Levitt, director of News Ambassadors. “And then bringing local communities tools that can solve those problems.”
Shia Levitt and the NA team work with young journalists to foster stories shaped in solutions journalism or a depolarization reporting strategy in order to improve coverage of contentious issues. Project director Shia Levitt and the News Ambassadors team have brought solutions journalism or depolarization reporting methods to about 100 student journalists in seven states, impacting more than a half dozen communities across the country. The stories are not meant to be ‘hero worship’ feel-good pieces.
“Instead, solutions journalism stories are rigorous evidenced-based stories on how a response to a problem is working, or really what ways it’s working and what ways it is not,” said Levitt. Stories have to include “what are the limitations of a response someone is trying, and what are the insights and lessons learned that can help others trying to solve that problem in another place.”
Berwyn residents brought a vast range of emotions and opinions to the listening session. A particularly recurring theme was a frustration towards what they perceive to be a normalized culture of corruption amongst certain groups of locally elected officials. Participants also pointed out that there is a lack of transparency when it comes to government spending in Berwyn, and that the community needs a more detailed explanation of how money is allocated by the city council, and how building codes and regulations are decided upon.
“The vast majority [of Berwyn residents] are working class folks, and they don’t have time, and I speak with them personally, to go to the city council meetings or the school board meetings,” said Tomasa Ambriz, Berwyn Township Trustee. “Having someone that you can trust to give you adequate and accurate information at the end of those meetings, it’s vital.”
Many attendees stressed that the lack of accessible and transparent information about city governance is what allows for corruption and mismanagement to take place.
Another common theme was a strong community connection between the residents of Berwyn. One listening session group brainstormed ways in which the community can use grass roots efforts to address representative challenges.
“So we have to be careful about balancing new ideas with old ideas,” said Nester Zaualo, a social work student and Berwyn resident. “And give space for new voices and new ideas and some change, and I think that we have to also support each other in our individual roles [in that process].”
Zaulao also emphasized the importance of having a more detailed statistical framework about representative issues in Berwyn so that, based on those statistics, organizers can set specific short and long term goals.
“You’re talking about advocacy, you’re talking about change,” said Zaualo. “You have to have the numbers to back it up, you have to have the facts. If not, there’s only so much that’s going to happen with your emotions and passion, because I have my own emotions and passions. What’s going to cut through all that is data.”
The event culminated after months of canvassing and surveying the Chicago metropolitan community.
Preliminary survey results show residents want more bilingual resources, transparent information about the increased costs of living in Berwyn, and more police accountability. Residents also said they wanted more transparent news coverage, including positive news about their community.
The next chapter in the reporting project will continue in the new year when reporters will use on-the-ground canvassing, surveying, and listening session feedback to pitch and produce solution journalism-based stories about the Berwyn community.
The Berwyn Collaborative: Understanding Community Needs project is made possible thanks to the generous support of The Listening Post Collective.
Illinois Latino News (ILLN) will be recruiting fellows for the second leg of the Berwyn Collaborative: Understanding Community Needs project in the 2025 spring semester. If you’re a student (2-4+ year college/university) in good standing, and are interested in learning more about participating in the initiative, please email them at info@latinonewsnetwork.com.
Krippner is a solutions-based, investigative journalist who studied at the Northwestern Medill School of Journalism. His work brings to light and analyzes solutions to complex issues in various communities, and he extends local analysis to wider societal trends.
This story was originally published by the Latino News Network
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