Susanna Leighton is a freelance writer and editor based in Southeast Michigan. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Susanna holds degrees in speech pathology and human services. She is a former special education teacher, an avid lover of all things science, and a steadfast supporter of justice and equality for all. She is currently working on her first book of personal essays entitled, 'A Day Leighton, A Dollar Short.'
After conducting a two-year investigation into the actions of former NSA employee Edward Snowden, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released a summary of their findings on Thursday, September 15, 2016; one day before the new film “Snowden” hits theaters. Only three pages of the 36-page report are unclassified, with the other 33 pages
In April of 2013 in the city of Ottumwa, Iowa, 16-year-old Kraigen Grooms live-streamed himself raping a baby girl believed to be between the ages of 12-18 months old while another man in New Orleans recorded and watched the gruesome act. After being identified through social media with the help of a Facebook group known
President Barack Obama has a few things left he’d like to do before leaving office, one of which is designating the first-ever marine national monument in the Atlantic Ocean that he will announce today during the Our Ocean conference in Washington, D.C.. Environmental activists couldn’t be happier, as the particular area of ocean has remained
On Tuesday, September 13, 2016, California became the first state in the country to ban the breeding of killer whales and orca entertainment shows after Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that will also make it illegal to keep them in captivity. The law will go into effect in June of 2017. The legislation stipulates
It’s hard to remember the days before social media existed. You know, the days when kids rode their bikes with their friends and played outside; when grown adults contributed more to society than cyber-hate behind the anonymity of their computer screens; when people actually read books, went to the library and used the Encyclopedia Britannica
After months of protesting by the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in North Dakota over the construction of a $3.8 billion oil pipeline designed to cover four states and carry 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day, the government has finally stepped in and all I can say is: it’s about time. Despite a ruling by
In yet another unsurprising case of Big Pharma trying to control the fate of millions of Americans’ health, Insys Therapeutics has donated $500,000 to an anti-legalization of marijuana campaign in Arizona known as Proposition 205. Pro-legalization advocates view the half million dollar donation as a further attempt to line the pockets of powerful drug corporations
Following a Federal Magistrate’s decision to overturn Brendan Dassey’s murder conviction, the Wisconsin Department of Justice has filed an appeal to keep him in jail. Dassey was one of the primary subjects of the Netflix documentary series ‘Making A Murderer,’ in which he confessed to helping his uncle Steven Avery rape, murder and dismember the
Nate Parker has been in the news a lot lately. The celebrated writer, actor and director has been lauded for his directorial debut of the film The Birth of a Nation, which tells the true story of Nat Turner, an enslaved man who led a successful slave rebellion in Virginia in 1831. In addition to
The sexual harassment case filed against former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes by former anchor Gretchen Carlson has been settled out of court. Fox News’ parent company 21st Century Fox, which is run by Rupert Murdoch and his sons, has agreed to pay Carlson $20 million to make the charges go away. In addition to