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J.R. Sullivan on Muck Rack

J.R. Sullivan

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Tunisia, Videira
As seen in: The New Yorker, Wealthsimple Magazine, Outside Magazine, Popular Mechanics, Men's Journal, Field & Stream, The Bakersfield Californian, Garden & Gun, RealClear Markets, The Bitter Southerner, Chicago on the Aisle
Author of VALLEY SO LOW, about TVA, (@AAKnopf). The New Yorker called it a “tense investigative chronicle.”

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J.R. Sullivan’s Journalist Portfolio

A Lawyer, 40 Dead Americans, and a Billion Gallons of Coal Sludge

A Lawyer, 40 Dead Americans, and a Billion Gallons of Coal Sludge

A decade ago, a power plant spewed toxic coal sludge over 300 acres in rural Tennessee. Now, scores of people…

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America's Farmers Are in Crisis, and They're Looking to Donald Trump for Relief

America's Farmers Are in Crisis, and They're Looking to Donald Trump for Relief

In 2016, Donald Trump won sixty-two per cent of the rural vote. But, as the Republican Congress prepares the …

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Rivers of Doubt: The North Georgia Water Crisis

Rivers of Doubt: The North Georgia Water Crisis

Georgia textile mills produce three-fourths of the world’s carpet and rugs, and denim for iconic American bra…

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Articles

Building the AI-Forward Research University

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By Bob Wu, J.R. Sullivan Verified
US research universities are the training ground for many of the PhD students who power private labs, yet these universities are not at the forefront of setting the AI agenda. A key reason is the scale of private AI investment.
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Letter to the editor: Free will is an illusion

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By J.R. Sullivan Verified
| The Bakersfield Californian Verified
The unsettling idea that we are not the authors of our actions is, paradoxically, liberating. Science suggests that "choice" is merely the byproduct of unconscious brain processes, shaped by a genetic "deck of cards" and environmental factors established long before we reach conscious awareness. Consider the variables you didn't choose: your parents, your upbringing, your early education, or the religious influences that molded your psyche.
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Letter to the editor: White lies erode trust

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By J.R. Sullivan Verified
| The Bakersfield Californian Verified
Is it possible to live without lying — not even telling “harmless” white lies? Most people assume complete honesty is unrealistic yet imagine the trust you could build if others knew you always told the truth. Reading "Lying" by Sam Harris opened my eyes to how often we deceive others in small, harmless ways every day. Even small lies damage relationships and credibility. Once you lie, you take on the burden of remembering who you told what. Over time, inconsistencies appear, and trust erodes.
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See all 128 licensed articles (129 Total)