2021 Archives
Published Research
December 31, 2021
The latest published research from College of Human Medicine faculty.
Year in Review: Students Share 2021 Highlights
December 27, 2021
As we reflect on 2021, we asked our students to share their personal highlights as medical students this year. Read just a few of the many inspiring stories.
Dean's Update
December 23, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This is the end of the semester, a remarkable semester in which we have successfully taught in person throughout. In the medical education program, we have been teaching in clinics and simulation for nearly all of the pandemic. But this semester our large and small group courses were also in person.
Dean's Update
December 17, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This is the end of the semester, a remarkable semester in which we have successfully taught in person throughout. In the medical education program, we have been teaching in clinics and simulation for nearly all of the pandemic. But this semester our large and small group courses were also in person.
Words of Wellness: Time for a Reframe
December 16, 2021 - Culture of Caring - Claudia Finkelstein
Feeling stuck? You’re not alone. In a recent mindful popup session, I mentioned my own sense of stuck-ness and was interested to hear from several of the participants that it had struck a chord. What’s going on?
Dean's Update
December 10, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
In the last week, I’ve had a number of people asking about the omicron variant of COVID-19, and what it all means. There are a lot of opinions and preliminary data swirling around the interwebs, and while much of it gives one reason for hope, as of today, there is still too much uncertainty to say anything with conviction…except that there is a lot of uncertainty.
Dean's Update
December 3, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This week I have been struck and saddened by senseless, preventable deaths in our communities. The horrific school shooting in Southeast Michigan resulting in four deaths returns our nation to the public health challenges of guns, mental health, and school safety.
November College News
November 30, 2021
Awards, faculty and student news, along with other college updates.
Couch Receives Research Administrator Award
November 30, 2021
Theresa Couch, research administrator in the Health Colleges Research Services, was honored by the Society of Research Administrators International with the “Future of the Field” award.
Dean's Update
November 24, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This is a short work week for those of us not on call, or on service, or keeping animals healthy, or backing up our infrastructure, or working security for the college. There are a lot of people in a medical college who continue working over weekends and holidays, and the rest of us depend on all of them.
Words of Wellness: Fixed or Flourishing?
November 23, 2021 - Culture of Caring - Claudia Finkelstein
This past weekend I had the opportunity to witness an open mind. The willingness to consider a different perspective and a subsequent thirst for more exposure to varying points of view was an honor to witness.
Native American Heritage Month: A Student Reflection
November 23, 2021
Second-year College of Human Medicine student Amanda Ziminski reflects on the important role her heritage has played in her journey into medicine and shares why Native American Heritage Month is so important.
Dean's Update
November 19, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
Somehow it has happened again, Michigan has one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the country. Our hospital partners are being inundated; elective surgeries requiring hospitalization are being delayed once more.
AOA Inductees
November 16, 2021
Congratulations to the students, residents, faculty and alumni inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Gamma Chapter.
Dean's Update
November 12, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
By and large, I try to keep our in memoriam news in the obituary section of the college’s website, but this last week, we lost Ralph Watson, MD, and I am going to make use of the interim dean’s prerogative to say a few words about Ralph.
Fall 2021 Faculty Awards
November 10, 2021
Congratulations to the recipients of the College of Human Medicine's 2021 Faculty Awards! Among those honored was Nigel Paneth, MD, MPH, who received the Lester J. Evans, MD, Distinguished Service Award, November 10.
Obituary: Ralph E. Watson, MD
November 3, 2021
Ralph E. Watson, MD, passed away peacefully on November 3, 2021, while in Houston, surrounded and supported by his family.
October College News
October 31, 2021
Awards, faculty and student news, along with other college updates.
Dean's Update
October 29, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This week and last, I have been rounding with the internal medicine teams. Anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy my time as an attending on the MSU internal medicine service.
Words of Wellness: Give Yourself a Break Today
October 26, 2021 - Culture of Caring - Claudia Finkelstein
Have you given any thought to self-compassion lately? Maybe it’s time.
Dean's Update
October 22, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This week and last, I have been rounding with the internal medicine teams. Anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy my time as an attending on the MSU internal medicine service.
Obituary: Ira Gewolb, MD
October 20, 2021
Ira Gewolb, MD, passed away October 20, 2021. An internationally recognized leader in the field of neonatology, Dr. Gewolb served as professor in the College of Human Medicine Department of Pediatrics and Human and chief of the Division of Neonatology from 2004 until his retirement in 2019.
Dean's Update
October 15, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
One of the core projects for educational programs is accreditation. It is always a lot of work, and it takes a special team to bring the energy and enthusiasm required to successfully get a program accredited. Our Master of Public Health degree program (MPH) has that team.
Dean's Update
October 8, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
As of now, additional jabs with Moderna and J&J vaccines are under discussion but are not yet available. This is a complex subject, and to help discuss the data and the reasoning behind the push for third shots, I’ve invited Keith English, MD, chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development to discuss the topic with me.
Dean's Update
October 1, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
MSU is celebrating Homecoming this week. After 18 months of pandemic COVID-19 and several months of endemic COVID-19, every time I return to one of our workplaces, it feels like a homecoming.
September College News
September 30, 2021
Awards, faculty and student news, along with other college updates.
Women in Medicine Month
September 30, 2021
To honor Women in Medicine Month, several alumni wrote about women who have inspired and impacted their careers in medicine.
Words of Wellness: Opening
September 29, 2021 - Culture of Caring - Claudia Finkelstein
This past weekend I had the opportunity to witness an open mind. The willingness to consider a different perspective and a subsequent thirst for more exposure to varying points of view was an honor to witness.
Dean's Update
September 24, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This is the last Friday of Women in Medicine Month, and as for the prior weeks of September, I have turned over the Dean’s Update and the Town Hall to an alumnus to write about a woman in medicine who inspired them. This week, our author is Lisa McElroy, MD, MS (CHM ’09).
Op Ed: Medical School Deans' Statement on Public Health
September 24, 2021
The Deans of Michigan's medical schools authored this op ed in the Detroit Free Press.
Obituary: William Smyth Abbett, PhD
September 18, 2021
William Smyth Abbett, PhD, of Okemos, Michigan, passed away on Saturday, September 18, 2021, at the age of 79. In 1991 Dr. Abbett became the third dean of the College of Human Medicine, a position he held until 2000.
Dean's Update
September 17, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This week falls within both Women in Medicine Month and National Hispanic Heritage Month, and keeping with my practice this month, I have turned the update over to one of our alumni. This week, Dr. Herminia Bierema (CHM ’84) is writing for me. Dr. Bierema is a wonderful pediatrician at Paint Creek Pediatrics in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
Dean's Update
September 10, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This is our second week of Women in Medicine Month, and, rather than writing about women in medicine myself, I am turning over the bulk of the update to College of Human Medicine women alumni writing brief pieces about women in medicine who inspired them. This week, Janet Osuch, MD (CHM ‘79, ’00), has written a lovely piece about fellow cancer surgeon Dr. Susan Love.
Dean's Update
September 3, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
September is Women in Medicine Month, and while I thought about writing about women in medicine in the update each week of the month, I thought it was probably better to ask some women to write about women in medicine each week. First up is Marsha D. Rappley, MD.
August College News
August 31, 2021
Awards, faculty and student news, along with other college updates.
A Calling to Care for the Underserved
August 30, 2021
For Anthony Bonilla-Salmeron, it was when he nearly died from a ruptured appendix at the age of 12. For Aghdas Movassaghi it was her grandmother's diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Those events sent each on a course that, despite many obstacles, brought them to the College of Human Medicine to begin their journeys to care for the underserved.
Dean's Update
August 27, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
As you all know, Barbara Forney is leaving CHM for the Office of Health Sciences with some small piece of retirement as a part of the transition. We are taking this as a time to integrate faculty affairs and development with our academic and staff human resources teams.
Words of Wellness: Training Lessons
August 26, 2021 - Culture of Caring - Claudia Finkelstein
I signed up to participate a half marathon in September and have been training for weeks. Each time I run, many lessons come into my mind that are applicable to life in general.
Dean's Update
August 20, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
I happened to talk to leaders at several of the state’s hospital systems this week. And while COVID-19 has not been a major problem in our hospitals for a couple of months, adequate staffing has been a struggle. They each have hundreds of openings for people in nursing and allied health professions – the folks who make a hospital run.
Dean's Update
August 13, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This week, we welcomed 190 Early Clinical Experience (ECE) students to the College of Human Medicine. While last year orientation was entirely virtual, this year we all gathered our masked selves in Life Sciences A133 as in decades before.
Chen Named MSU Foundation Professor
August 9, 2021
Honglei Chen, MD, PhD, has been named a Michigan State University Foundation Professor for his outstanding research into the epidemiology of aging and neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s Disease.
LMSA and SNMA Students Serve as Mentors to Minority Children
August 9, 2021
College of Human Medicine students in the Latino Medical Student Association and the Student National Medical Association are teaching and inspiring kids participating in Baxter Community Center's Youth Mentoring Program.
Andrew Kim Launches "Get to Know" Podcast for Other Med Students
August 9, 2021
Andrew Kim created the podcast Get to Know to meet and learn about his classmates during the pandemic, when in-person learning was very limited. His subjects are varied: a classmate who combines his interest in art and fashion with medicine, another who studied political philosophy before deciding on a career in medicine, and one who enrolled at age 40 after serving as a Green Beret medic.
Gold Humanism Honor Society Inductees
August 8, 2021
"The future of medicine is bold and bright with you at the helm," said Emily Bush in her remarks to fellow Gold Humanism Honor Society members at the recent induction ceremony. Congratulations to the 30 students and four faculty who joined the society this year.
Dean's Update
August 6, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This week I had the pleasure of gathering with the good folks in Academic Affairs to recognize and celebrate ten colleagues who retired over the course of the pandemic.
Dean's Update
July 30, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
By now most of you know that MSU has moved to a mask and vaccine mandate for students AND faculty and staff. The mask mandate is just like our world a few months ago, except there will be more people in our offices and classrooms.
Dean's Update
July 16, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
It’s time to talk about teaching. I did some regular, olde tyme teaching in a real classroom this week at the hospital during in-person didactics for internal medicine residents. And, on my last day of service, a Middle Clinical Experience student joined our team, which meant I got to help someone hear some of their first heart murmurs.
Dean's Update
July 9, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
As dedicated readers of my updates will know, I am in the midst of two weeks of hospital service. Helping residents care for patients in the hospital is one of the best parts of my job – being with the patients and their families is emotionally very meaningful.
Dean's Update
July 2, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
What a difference a few months make. This week I started my fortnight of rounding at the hospital, and my team’s census includes only one patient with COVID-19. When I started rounding in April, half of the patients assigned to the team had or were recovering from COVID-19.
Words of Wellness: Reemergence
June 29, 2021 - Culture of Caring - Claudia Finkelstein
We are fifteen months post initial shut down. After a year that was odd for all of us (to say the least) and experienced differently by many, several state restrictions have been rescinded.
Obituary: Andrew Michael Michelakis, MD, PhD
June 28, 2021
Andrew Michael Michelakis, MD, PhD, age 93, passed away June 28, 2021. He came to the College of Human Medicine in 1974, where he served as professor of pharmacology/toxicology.
Dean's Update
June 25, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
In 2019, when I became interim dean the second time, I started visiting clinics to meet people and to inquire about quality and safety efforts. Up until the pandemic, I was pretty consistently visiting clinics, and I’ve started doing those again including some visits as part of MSU Health Care’s leadership rounds effort.
Dean's Update
June 18, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This weekend is Juneteenth, the closest thing the country has had to a holiday celebrating the end of slavery. It’s hard to understand how it took so long to establish this as a holiday, but the lack of a widespread celebration is another piece of the subtle, or not too subtle, racism in society.
Dean's Update
June 11, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This week we welcomed two new cyclotrons to Grand Rapids for the Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building. These machines and the attached radiopharmaceutical producing units will help provide cutting edge therapy for cancer, as well as research and medical opportunities for many conditions.
Dean's Update
June 4, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
President Stanley met with our Division of Public Health faculty, medical students, and MSU Extension educators, visited the Hurley Children’s Clinic, met with legislators, and generally got to experience the amazing work our people do with the people of Flint.
Dean's Update
May 28, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This week last year, George Floyd was murdered by a police officer. In the time since, I hope we have held on to the energy and dedication that was so apparent then.
Advocating for Headache Patients
May 27, 2021
Larry Charleston, IV, MD, was recently recruited as a professor and director of the Headache and Facial Pain Division in the Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology. His work will focus on patient care, teaching, research and advocacy. He continues to encourage more funding for research into head and facial pain, including into disparities in care for many patients.
Top Ranked OBGYN Research
May 27, 2021
Among its peers, the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology received some of the highest total funding for research from the National Institutes of Health last year, a recent report found.
Dean's Update
May 21, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
Over the last month or so, my conversations with chairs, community leaders, and faculty have included a spontaneous turn toward the future and future transitions. It may or may not be a real phenomenon, but it sure seems like people are deeply considering retirements and changes to their work focus as we come out of the depths of the pandemic.
Jeong Receives $2.9 Million Nih Grant to Study Link Between Endometriosis and Infertility
May 19, 2021
Medical researchers have long known of a link between endometriosis and infertility in women, but precisely how the two are related remains unknown. But now a team that includes Michigan State University researchers, backed by a federal grant, hopes to solve that mystery and find possible treatments.
Dean's Update
May 14, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This week, our teams are ramping up efforts to begin returning more people to our campuses as the state has surpassed the governor’s first vaccination milestone – 55% of people eligible have been vaccinated.
Words of Wellness: Back in the Pool?
May 12, 2021 - Culture of Caring - Claudia Finkelstein
There is cautious optimism about the months ahead based on current trends. Along with optimism, there is a vague pervasive anxiety about how to navigate the times ahead.
Congratulations Spartan MDs!
May 10, 2021
This month, we congratulate 182 graduates on entering the physician workforce. Go Green. Go White. Go Forth! See highlights from the celebration.
MSU Scientists Receive $2.75 Million NIH Grant to Study NOTCH1 Gene’s Link to Endometriosis
May 10, 2021
College of Human Medicine researchers have received a National Institutes of Health grant to study the connection between a gene important for normal cell survival and endometriosis, a painful disease which affects one in 10 women of reproductive age. The disease also has a significant economic impact, estimated at $95 billion annually in the U.S. in lost wages and medical expenses.
Dean's Update
May 7, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
I have been following the great trauma and tragedy unfolding in India as the latest COVID-19 surge courses through cities and countryside. Like here, the virus is a mindless bit of chemistry, and its onslaught lays bare the structures, struggles, inequities, and politics of society and community.
April College News
April 30, 2021
Awards, faculty and student news, along with other college updates.
Dean's Update
April 30, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
The core of this physician care, and the backbone of care at any teaching hospital, is the residents. I have a great team and they have done an excellent job for the patients and have kept me out of trouble too.
Dean's Update
April 23, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
The conviction of George Floyd’s murderer on all counts provides hope but not resolution or solution to racism in society…including racism in health and medicine.
Thomas O’Halloran Appointed as MSU Foundation Professor
April 21, 2021
Thomas O'Halloran, PhD, recently joined the Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and Chemistry. Through a MSU Foundation grant, he will conduct high-risk, high-reward research into new inorganic compounds that could lead to a treatment for certain types of blood, breast, and brain cancers.
Mott Community College and MSU College of Human Medicine Sign Articulation Agreement
April 20, 2021
MSU College of Human Medicine and Mott Community College have agreed to establish a cooperative program of premedical/medical education by which MCC students who transfer as undergraduate premedical students to Michigan State University will have the opportunity to be granted an early assurance for admission to the College of Human Medicine.
Dean's Update
April 16, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
After weeks and months of starting with COVID-19 in a dean’s update, I thought I would start with some celebrations this week.
Annie Li Yang Student Essay Contest 2021
April 15, 2021
Three student essays were chosen for the 2021 Annie Li Yang Student Essay Contest. Emily Brereton won first prize for her essay “Becoming a Doctor.” Second prize was awarded to Eunice Im for the essay “Seeing People” and third place to Karren Wong for her essay “The Art and Science of Medicine.”
Obituary: George Vande Woude, PhD
April 13, 2021
George Vande Woude, PhD, Van Andel Institute’s founding research director, passed away April 13, 2021. He was a world-renowned scientist whose storied career revolutionized the understanding of cancer.
Dean's Update
April 9, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
I hope you and yours are safe. Michigan leads the country in COVID-19 as a hot spot. As of today, 13 of the 15 “hottest” metro areas in the country are in Michigan. Similarly, 13 of the 20 metro areas with the fastest increase in cases are in Michigan.
Fazleabas Receives $2.75M NIH Endometriosis Research Grant
April 7, 2021
College of Human Medicine researchers have received a National Institutes of Health grant to study the connection between a gene important for normal cell survival and endometriosis, a painful disease which affects one in 10 women of reproductive age. The disease also has a significant economic impact, estimated at $95 billion annually in the U.S. in lost wages and medical expenses.
Dean's Update
April 2, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
The COVID-19 outbreak around us is real, and the surge is big enough and bad enough that I am not going to write about anything else today.
March College News
March 31, 2021
Awards, faculty and student news, along with other college updates.
2021 Match Day Stories
March 31, 2021
Several students share their experiences leading up to the Match, their Match Day celebrations, what they are looking forward to in residency and their advice for future medical students going through the process.
Words of Wellness: Is it over yet?
March 26, 2021 - Culture of Caring - Claudia Finkelstein
After a year of waiting, waiting some more, and asking ourselves ‘when it will end?’ there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon.
MSU All-University Awards Honor Outstanding Faculty and Staff
March 19, 2021
MSU All-University Awards honored Ade Olomu, MD, from the Department of Medicine with the William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award, and research specialist Madeleine Lenski, from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, received a Distinguished Academic Staff.
Dean's Update
March 19, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
I want to start this week by expressing my sorrow and anger over the shootings in Georgia, which killed mostly Asian women. Clearly, discrimination, xenophobia, harassment, and violence against Asian/Pacific Island Americans (APIA) are to be condemned by everyone in the college and our university.
Students Show Appreciation on "Thank a Resident Day"
March 19, 2021
Gold Humanism Honor Society members Emmanuella Joseph and Andrew-Huy Dang organized this year’s Thank a Resident Day for all seven campuses with virtual “thank you” cards designed to send to residents along with Starbucks gift cards.
MSU Psychiatry Clerkship Administrator Nationally Recognized
March 18, 2021
Callie Langenderfer, who oversees psychiatry clerkships for the Colleges of Human Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine, has received national recognition and honored with the 2021 Excellence in Clerkship Administration Award.
Dean's Update
March 12, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
It has been a year since we moved most of the college online after the first COVID-19 cases were identified in the area. Our educational program moved online literally overnight, our teams brought up telehealth in weeks, and our students were back in their clinics faster than most schools in the country.
Words of Wellness: March 9, 2021
March 9, 2021 - Culture of Caring - Claudia Finkelstein
Among the many tired clichés that have been used about getting through this pandemic, is “this is a marathon not a sprint.” This got me thinking – a good metaphor for where we are now is the “wall” that runners hit.
Students, Faculty & Alumni Continue Fighting COVID-19 with Vaccines
March 9, 2021
Across the country, College of Human Medicine students, faculty and alumni continue to do their part to combat COVID-19. They share their stories about receiving the vaccine and helping with vaccine administration, nasal swabbing and contact tracing as part of the community health pandemic response throughout the state.
Dean's Update
March 5, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
As our weather turns warmer and the COVID-19 outlook improves with the addition of a third vaccine, I think it is prudent to remain vigilant and careful.
February College News
February 28, 2021
Awards, faculty and student news, along with other college updates.
Dean's Update
February 26, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This week, the COVID-19 death toll in the US passed 500,000 lives lost. That is a nearly unfathomable number of people lost in less than a year – slightly more than the population of the Lansing metro area.
Dean's Update
February 19, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
I hope you and yours are safe and well. Some members of our college have families in the communities hard hit by the most recent winter storm and frigid temperatures, and some of us recall the difficulty of living through prolonged power outages.
Words of Wellness: February 12, 2021
February 12, 2021 - Culture of Caring - Claudia Finkelstein
We have made it through a spring, a summer, a fall and a good part of a winter since the first Stay Home Stay Safe order.
Dean's Update
February 12, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
I have to admit to growing optimism about our overall progress in confronting the pandemic. The vaccines have been very safe and many of them are remarkably effective. The more people we can vaccinate quickly, the better our chances of really pushing down the pandemic.
Front Lines of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Trial
February 11, 2021
Pediatrician Jenny Bush, MD, participates in Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine ENSEMBLE Study. Lead investigators for the study in West Michigan are Eric Achtyes, MD, director of the college's Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, and Leslie Pelkey, MD, chief medical officer for Cherry Health.
Bernstein Receives Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award
February 10, 2021
Alison Bernstein has received an Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
Dean's Update
February 5, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This is one of the first weeks in a long time when my schedule and meetings were not really dominated by the pandemic. And because my job usually runs about 3-9 months ahead of current events, I take that as a good sign.
World Class Investigators
February 3, 2021
University Distinguished Professors Asgi Fazleabas and Provost Teresa Woodruff have been honored as Distinguished Fellows by the Society for the Study of Reproduction.
Leadership Appointments in the Center of Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences
February 2, 2021
Sean Valles and Karen Kelly-Blake were appointed leadership positions in the Center of Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences.
The People Behind the Early Detection Program
January 31, 2021
A three-part series sharing the stories of the College of Human Medicine's people behind the scenes whose hard work and long hours enabled the university to launch the Spartan Early Detection program.
Dean's Update
January 29, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
This week, MSU and Henry Ford Health System signed and announced a 30-year partnership agreement. The partnership focuses on developing innovative research, education, and clinical programs that will advance health and help address health disparities and DEI concerns.
Dean's Update
January 22, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
What a week! We had a wonderful MLK event with Dr. Furr-Holden as one of the speakers. She discussed the differences between race and racism, health disparities and health inequity, equity and assurance of access to health.
Words of Wellness: January 15, 2021
January 15, 2021 - Culture of Caring - Claudia Finkelstein
As we awaited the end of 2020 and were hoping for brighter days ahead, 2021 had other plans.
Dean's Update
January 15, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
As I watch the political crisis and the pandemic reach historic crescendos at a national level, I want to make sure we focus on what we are doing locally to keep people safe and healthy.
Dean's Update
January 8, 2021 - Aron Sousa, MD
Our country struggles with truth telling, and it is pretty hard to advance the modern enterprise of providing for the general welfare when telling the truth about COVID-19, racism, climate change, and the elections is, somehow, a challenge.