Ben Kawaller

2 months ago | thefp.com | Ben Kawaller

Have San Francisco’s ‘Harm Reduction’ Tactics Worked? We asked police, addicts, and residents to weigh in—while people appeared to overdose in front of our eyes. With politicians considering mass arrests, the city may be at a turning point. Ben Kawaller reports. Maintaining The Free Press is Expensive!To support independent journalism, and unlock all of our investigative stories and provocative commentary about the world as it actually is, subscribe below.

Jan 22, 2025 | thefp.com | Ben Kawaller

A lot can change in four years. Take, for example, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which operates as a city council. Back in 2021, “equity” was the board’s guiding principle. At its inaugural meeting in January of that year, the word was uttered nearly two dozen times. “Equity and racial justice are the issues that matter,” Catherine Stefani, a f…

Dec 30, 2024 | thefp.com | Ben Kawaller

When most Americans hear “sex ed,” the first thing that likely springs to mind is learning about the human reproductive system and how to avoid making use of it. That’s exactly the kind of cis-heteronormative belief—the invidious notion that, normally, people are neither transgender nor gay—the National Sex Education Standards (NSES) and its advocates are seeking to upend. Mimi Shelton is one such advocate.

Dec 18, 2024 | thefp.com | Ben Kawaller

When UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down on a New York City sidewalk at dawn on December 4, certain pockets of the internet rejoiced. TikToks and tweets celebrated the alleged murderer, Ivy League graduate Luigi Mangione, for what some called an act of resistance against a perversely incentivized healthcare industry. Comments ranged from …

Nov 3, 2024 | thefp.com | Ben Kawaller

For the last six weeks, I’ve been talking to voters in battleground America about the issues driving this election. My Swing State Debates series has covered the youth vote in Michigan, Jewish voters’ concerns in Pennsylvania, immigration sentiment in Arizona, views on race and racism in Wisconsin, and the education wars in Florida. But I saved the really juicy stuff for last: Who’s ready to head to Ohio and talk tax policy?