America’s schoolchildren have suffered terrible harm during the pandemic, and the damage has fallen heaviest on poor children from black and Latino communities. Data from across the country make that fact painfully clear. Tragically, it’s about to get worse. Chicago teachers’ decision to walk out on their students and refuse to return to the classroom Wednesday is a profoundly troubling abdication of duty that should be met with public outrage — and national opposition to its spread.

It was a great honor to welcome Bishop Desmond Tutu to New York City and host him at Gracie Mansion. His leadership in bringing down apartheid and promoting reconciliation inspired the world – and his legacy will live wherever there are people working for justice and healing.

We’ve made progress on some of the most pressing challenges this year, from fighting climate change to supporting local leaders rebuilding from the pandemic.

Here’s what I’m thinking about as we head into the new year.

Too many on the right criticize anti-Jewish discrimination only when it occurs on the left, and vice versa.

Stephen Sondheim won every artistic prize ever invented, and for good reason.

The extraordinary public artwork that Paris hosted this fall – “L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped,” by Christo and Jeanne-Claude – generated a great deal of discussion. It also brought substantial economic benefits to the people of Paris.

The global transition to clean energy and green infrastructure will require vast amounts of capital. Private-sector leaders stand ready to act.

At the UN climate change conference, COP26, national governments are presenting their latest plans for meeting the global targets set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. But it’s critical to remember that it’s not just large nations that will determine whether we succeed in tackling the climate crisis effectively. Not only is the problem too big, but many of the solutions lie in the hands of other actors, from states and cities to businesses and other civic organizations.

at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, the Biden-Harris Administration and American non-federal leaders came together to celebrate the re-engagement of the U.S. federal government in the global climate effort and show the collective momentum across sectors for ambitious climate action.

As heads of state gather in Glasgow, Scotland for a climate summit, much of the news will focus on nations setting carbon-reduction goals for decades down the road — long after those making the promises will be out of office. Setting ambitious long-term goals is good, but not good enough. Because more important than any promise countries make about 2050 is what they do between now and 2030. And what’s most important is what they do over the next few years about the biggest problem of all: coal.