Last week, the Pew Research Center issued its latest report on political typology or groups within each political party. Over 10,000 US adults participated in a quiz, the eighth of its kind since 1987. This quiz is different from the previous studies in several ways. This quiz has the largest sample size and was nationally run. Participants were verified voters.

The opioid epidemic in our country, and around the globe, continues. Despite recognition of the addictive properties of Oxycontin; despite the lawsuits against its manufacturer, Purdue Pharma; despite the uncovering of the unscrupulous and dishonest methods employed by sales reps to encourage doctors to write unnecessary prescriptions; despite the closing of endless “pill mills” operated by shady doctors; the epidemic rages on.

Last week, when the Nor’easter knocked out the power in many homes on the North Shore, a trip to Starbucks to take advantage of their free Wi-Fi and do some work seemed like a reasonable idea. What a surprise to find the local, usually busy, Starbucks closed with a sign that read something like, “Sorry for the inconvenience...

Election Day is next week, Tuesday, November 2, to be exact. We know it isn’t a presidential election year and only two gubernatorial positions will be decided (in New Jersey and Virginia), just two US House of Representatives seats will be determined in special elections (for vacancies in Ohio), and no US Senate races are on deck. Here in Massachusetts, there are only three ballot questions, all in Boston. So, unless we live in any of these places, why should we vote?

The approach of Veterans Day on November 11 brings to mind images of politicians celebrating older male white soldiers and placing wreaths on the graves of those who have fallen. What we don’t often picture are women veterans and, specifically, homeless and hungry women veterans, struggling to survive in a world they fought to preserve.

Access to quality education remains one of the primary concerns of Leading Ladies. Until all children in this country go to schools with equal resources, optimum class sizes, up-to-date books and technology, support services, trained teachers, and nutrition supplements and health care as needed, children in underrepresented communities and BIPOC populations will continue to fall behind and be unable to catch up in school and in life.

We are excited to announce our first annual Leading Ladies Art as Activism Film Contest and Screening, an opportunity for creative high school students to express their views about important social justice issues. The top ten submissions will be screened at The Cabot in downtown Beverly in early 2022.

This is our second edition of “Staggering Statistics and Devastating Details.” This time we are focusing on guns – who has them and what happens because of their availability. We hope these facts will not only alarm you but also provide compelling “backup” when others oppose or question your position on issues. “The only thing that permits human beings to collaborate with one another in a truly open-ended way is their willingness to have their beliefs modified by new facts,” wrote author Sam Harris. “Only openness to evidence and argument will secure a common world for us.”

This week, we are focusing on reproductive rights, so clearly under attack right now while headspinning misinformation is being circulated about the place of abortion in our history and in the collective health of women.

Pew Research conducted a survey of more than 10,000 US adults last month to get their thoughts about COVID. Here are 10 facts that Pew discovered from this survey:

At the risk of being redundant, this week we are revisiting the subject of food insecurity on college campuses. As you know, we co-hosted a screening of the documentary, “Hungry to Learn,” at The Cabot in Beverly last Wednesday, followed by a discussion with Ann Ciaraldi, associate dean of student affairs at UMass Lowell, and Kathleen O’Neill, director of Single Stop at Bunker Hill Community College. Both women provide support at their colleges for students confronting food insecurity. The conversation expanded our knowledge and understanding of the problem and how we might take action to solve it.

What’s the difference between socialism and communism? We hear the terms conflated frequently in political discourse. What is a socialist democracy? Is the United States truly a democracy or a republic? Can it be both?

“As long as you have your health!” is a common refrain among friends, especially as we age and winnow our priorities down to the essentials. Yet, since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have become woefully aware of the unequal access to the means to stay healthy in this country.

In Manhattan, on one of the vertical LinkNYC digital billboards, you might see a new message that reads:

“Here’s an idea. Let’s ask everyone who is wondering if anti-semitism is real to wear a yarmulke for a week and then report back.”

The Senate filibuster — and whether it serves to advance or stymie democracy — is a hot topic of debate these days. Where you land in the argument frequently, but not always, coincides with your political party. Still, the issues and ramifications deserve reflection and consideration.

The term “climate change” sounds more benign than the truths held within it. In fact, the climate change we are experiencing — and will experience in the coming years — is an existential threat we can no longer ignore. And, since we are most attentive to what affects us most closely, we decided to take a look at the specific risks to the northeastern United States.

The US Government is sending money each month to families with children as part of its new American Rescue Plan.

The Olympics usually provide great entertainment, inspiration, and the kind of wow factor we all need these days. And while the appearance of Simone Biles and other luminaries may raise our spirits, we are confronted daily with the spectre of more and more athletes dropping out because of positive COVID tests. Instead of providing inspiration, the Olympics are bringing us face to face, yet again, with the dire reality that the pandemic is far from over.

The IRS began sending monthly checks to families with children in the US on July 15 — the official launch of President Biden’s American Rescue antipoverty program. The plan promises to halve child poverty, but only if the money actually reaches everyone eligible.

We decided to change it up this week. Instead of presenting an in-depth look at one issue, we are offering some staggering statistics and devastating details about a variety of social justice issues of concern to us. We hope you will find them as compelling as we do — and as clarion calls to action for all of us.