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Can three days of talk start mending a social fabric that hobbles democracy? Hundreds are trying.

Can three days of talk start mending a social fabric that hobbles democracy? Hundreds are trying.
Bill Theobald

It may seem strange finding strait-laced columnist David Brooks at the center of a circle of several hundred community activists, welcoming them to a touchy-feely gathering about repairing the torn fabric of American life.

But that's where the conservative New York Times op-ed voice was Tuesday, launching a three-day gathering dubbed "Weave the People" that brought several hundred "weavers" to Washington – people who are working in communities across the country to bridge social, economic and political divides.

Those divides are among the core causes of the dysfunctional political environment that the democracy reform movement is trying to address.


The conference, in an old marketplace building a couple of miles from Capitol Hill, included speeches made from a round stage, a roster of smaller discussions, artists at work amid the talking and even yarn for people literally yearning to weave.

For Brooks it is both a personal and professional journey. He described in raw terms how, having reached the pinnacle of his profession, he was left in a valley of loneliness. "Our culture is built on a series of lies that detach us from one another," he lamented in his keynote speech.

Among them: People need only rely on themselves, and career success can make people happy.

Brooks said that by 2013 his marriage was over, he had alienated many friends and all he did was work – his apartment silverware drawer filled with sticky notes and stationary in place of plates in his cupboards. "You think you are playing the game, but the game is playing you. You live a life that is unsustainable," he said.

Brooks, who now runs the Aspen Institute's "Weave: The Social Fabric Project," said his story is reflected across the country:

  • 35 percent of Americans older than 45 report being chronically lonely.
  • 55 percent say no one knows them well.
  • Suicide has increased by 30 percent in the past two decades and by 70 percent among teens just in this decade.
  • The share of people reporting trust in their neighbors has been cut in half in a generation, to just 32 percent now – and only 19 percent of millennials.

Brooks' argument is similar to one made almost 25 years ago by Harvard's Robert Putnam in "Bowling Alone," which laid out the case for an unprecedented decline in the social and political fabric of the country after World War II. (The title came from research revealing a massive decline in bowling leagues but a surge in the number of people who said they went bowling.)

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Understanding the Debate on Health Secretary Kennedy’s Vaccine Panelists

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., January 29, 2025 in Washington, DC.

(Photo by Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

Understanding the Debate on Health Secretary Kennedy’s Vaccine Panelists

Summary

On June 9, 2025, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Secretary Kennedy claimed the move was necessary to eliminate “conflicts of interest” and restore public trust in vaccines, which he argued had been compromised by the influence of pharmaceutical companies. However, this decision strays from precedent and has drawn significant criticism from medical experts and public health officials across the country. Some argue that this shake-up undermines scientific independence and opens the door to politicized decision-making in vaccine policy.

Background: What Is ACIP?

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is a federal advisory group that helps guide national vaccine policy. Established in 1964, it has over 60 years of credibility as an evidence-based body of medical and scientific experts. ACIP makes official recommendations on vaccine schedules for both children and adults, determining which immunizations are required for school entry, covered by health insurance, and prioritized in public health programs. The committee is composed of specialists in immunology, epidemiology, pediatrics, infectious disease, and public health, all of whom are vetted for scientific rigor and ethical standards. ACIP’s guidance holds national weight, shaping both public perception of vaccines and the policies of institutions like schools, hospitals, and insurers.

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