John F. Kennedy

The Peace Corps: What Could Be More Berkeley?

In 1961, the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States was heating up, relations between Cuba and the U.S. were cold, and soon after John F. Kennedy’s inauguration as America’s youngest president, he asked Congress to fund a new Peace Corps. The Peace Corps had its inception in a campaign speech Kennedy gave on the Michigan campus in October 1960, when he challenged students to consider spending at least part of their lives helping the poor overseas. Read more about The Peace Corps: What Could Be More Berkeley? »

From the Spring 2017 Virtue and Vice issue of California.

Veep Heap of History: With Tales Like These, Why I’m Fixated on Nation’s #2

Ever since I was a little kid watching my first conventions in 1952—the veep nominees were Richard Nixon and John Sparkman—I’ve been fascinated by the characters who occupy the number two spot. Read more about Veep Heap of History: With Tales Like These, Why I'm Fixated on Nation's #2 »

Posted on June 30, 2016 - 5:35pm

Angels, Protesters and Patriots: What a Long-Ago Skirmish Says About Love of Country

Lately, I’ve been thinking about an incident that happened in 1965, seven years before I was born. It centered on an antiwar protest in Berkeley, one of the first of countless such protests to come. Though just a blip in the grand scheme of Vietnam era turmoil, it seems to point to something important about America and the nature of patriotism.

It starts with a guy named “Tiny.” Tiny was 6’7” and 300 pounds. And he really liked to fight. Read more about Angels, Protesters and Patriots: What a Long-Ago Skirmish Says About Love of Country »

From the Spring 2016 War Stories issue of California.

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In A New Age of Aging: How Tech Can Ease the Trials of Getting Old: There is nothing here about the problem of isolation, or the group exercises that promote strength and balance.

— Jacqueline Swartz :: 8/15/2017 3:27pm

In 5 Questions for Michael Chabon: ” If my elder son is with me, Top Dog.” Hmmmm, I certainly hope that in light of certain recent events, Mr. Chabon will rethink this. Top Dog is a restaurant with a political bent of its own...

— Nonee :: 8/14/2017 10:43am

In Expert: Grizzly Peak Wildfire Response Reveals a Potential Flaw: When tall dry grass ignites, it has higher flame lengths that burn more intensely than forest fires. The major fires in California, the...

— Madeline Hovland :: 8/8/2017 9:14pm

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