Almost half of violent hate crimes with LGBTQ victims involved an attacker who was a close friend, family member, partner or former partner, and victims were more likely to have physical and psychological symptoms as a result of the attack.
The Conversation
Teddy Roosevelt’s Failed Bull Moose Campaign May Portend the Future Of GOP and Donald Trump
Theodore Roosevelt campaigned to regain the office from his successor, William Howard Taft. He divided the Republican Party and ensured the victory of Democrat Woodrow Wilson in the presidential election of 1912.
2022’s US Climate Disasters
The year 2022 will be remembered across the U.S. for its devastating flooding, storms and hurricanes – and also for its extreme heat waves and droughts, including one so severe it briefly shut down traffic on the Mississippi River.
What the Criminal Referral of Trump Means
The House committee recommended that the Justice Department pursue four main charges against Trump – obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to make a false statement and inciting or assisting an insurrection. Here’s what it all means.
Henry Kissinger’s Deadly Legacy
Kissinger espoused a narrow perspective of the national interest, known as “realpolitik,” centered on maximizing the economic and military power of the United States. This power- and transactionalist-oriented approach to foreign policy produced a series of destructive outcomes. They ranged from fomenting coups that put in place murderous dictatorships, killing unarmed civilians, and alienating potential allies.
A Primer on the World Cup Final
Penalties, if it comes to that, are unbearably tense. If you’d rather avert your eyes from the on-pitch drama at that point, then here are three of the best World Cup articles from The Conversation to take your mind off those tense moments–or to prepare for the show.
Trump-Era Law Used to Restrict Immigration Is Nearing Its End Despite GOP Warnings Of Looming Crisis At Southern Border
Officially called Title 42 of the U.S. Code, the little-known law was established initially in 1944 to prevent the spread of influenza and allow authorities to bar entry to foreigners deemed to be at risk of spreading the disease. Donald Trump invoked the law in 2020. It’s set to expire at the end of the year.
Getting Critical: Mississippi and Other Major Rivers Are At Record Lows
In 2022, water levels in some of the world’s largest rivers, including the Rhine in Europe and the Yangtze in China, fell to historically low levels. The Mississippi River fell so low in Memphis, Tennessee, in mid-October that barges were unable to float, requiring dredging and special water releases from upstream reservoirs to keep channels navigable. Earth scientists see this year’s dramatic plunge in water levels as a preview of a climate-altered future.
Fusion Ignition Explained and Why Benefits Are a Long Way Off
The cost of a fusion power plant needs to go well below the US$3.5 billion of the National Ignition Facility. These steps will require significant investment from both the federal government and private industry.
One Third of the Food We Buy Is Wasted, Hurting Climate and Wallets
U.S. consumers waste a lot of food year-round – about one-third of all purchased food. That’s equivalent to 1,250 calories per person per day, or US$1,500 worth of groceries for a four-person household each year, an estimate that doesn’t include recent food price inflation.
Could Video Streaming be As Bad for the Environment as Driving a Car?
We are used to thinking that going digital means going green. But driving a small car to the movie theatre with a friend may have lower carbon emissions than streaming the same movie alone at home.
Young People’s Turneout Was Near Record in Mid-Terms. Trend or Exception?
Young people’s estimated 27% turnout rate in 2022 marks a near-record for an age group that has historically participated at lower rates in midterm elections. Whether this is a long-term trend or not will depend on whether communities and political groups implement the changes that research suggests can lead to sustained increases in youth voter turnout.
Sinema out, Warnock in, GOP House. Now What? Gridlock Won’t Be the Biggest Problem.
Divided government – including during the upcoming legislative session – will not produce greatly different legislative results than unified government, because unified government isn’t very productive in the first place: It’s really hard to get things done even when the same party controls both chambers and the presidency.
If You Read This, You May Never Want to Be Near a Flushing Toilet Again
Every time you flush a toilet, it releases plumes of tiny water droplets into the air around you. These droplets, called aerosol plumes, can spread pathogens from human waste and expose people in public restrooms to contagious diseases. Here’s the visual proof.
The Joys of Hegel?
There has been much excitement at the discovery of a treasure trove of notes from the lectures of the great German idealist philosopher G.W.F. Hegel. Before rejoicing we should ask: why does Hegel have this tricky reputation? And is it reasonable to expect that this new set of lecture notes will finally shed light on what can seem so obscure about his thinking?
‘Independent State Legislature Doctrine’ Could Reverse 200 Years of Democratic Progress
In a case to be heard Wednesday, Moore v. Harper, the U.S. Supreme Court could decide that state legislatures have control over congressional elections, including the ability to draw voting districts for partisan political advantage, unconstrained by state law or state constitutions.
A Judge Is Relying on a New Supreme Court Decision to Keep Guns in Abusers’ Hands
A judge in Texas struck down the federal law that prohibits access to guns for people subject to domestic violence protection orders, based on a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. He argued that disarming domestic abusers violates the Second Amendment because those types of laws didn’t exist at the founding of the country.
Pit Bull Attacks: A South African Case Study
Pit bulls have been in the news in South Africa after a series of deadly attacks on humans by the dogs. There have been revenge attacks on the dogs and politicians have called for their ban – tapping into a history of dogs being used by their white owners to intimidate and attack black South Africans. A racist incident then made the news when a dog lover responded with fury to the call for a ban.
Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug’s Promise and Problems
The results of an experimental drug paint a mixed picture for those with Alzheimer’s. On one hand, this is the first drug that has been shown to have any effect on slowing the progression of the disease. On the other hand, the apparent effects are slight and the risks are not inconsiderable.
Jobs and Wages Are Up. So Why Is This Economist So Gloomy?
The rosy employment figures come despite repeated efforts by the Federal Reserve to tame the job market and the wider economy in general in its fight against the worst inflation in decades. Meanwhile, there aren’t enough people to fill the jobs being advertised.
Black Twitter’s Expected Demise Would Make It Harder to Publicize Police Brutality and Discuss Racism
Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has thrown the future of Black Twitter into question. Social media users argue that the takeover has already had an impact on the Black social media community. Multiple sources report an almost immediate spike in the use of the N-word, and Musk has also allegedly mocked Black Lives Matter in general and the group’s apparel found at Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco, California.
Oath Keepers Convictions: The Limits of Free Speech and the Threat Posed by Militias
Far-right extremists or other hate groups can claim they are just venting or even fantasizing – both of which would be protected under the First Amendment. In the absence of any specific plan, threat or incitement, group members may never suffer legal consequences for oral or written expressions that nonetheless create fear in those who draw these groups’ ire.
Capital Crime: The Long, Grim History of Botched Lethal Injections
Since 1900, in states across the country, lethal injections have been more frequently botched than any of the other type of execution methods used throughout that period. This includes hanging, electrocution, the gas chamber and the firing squad – even though these approaches are not without their problems.
Seafloor Evidence from Old Hurricanes Has Oceanographers Worried
Hurricanes leave behind telltale evidence that goes back millennia. The Atlantic has experienced even stormier periods in the past than we’ve seen in recent years. That’s not good news. It tells coastal oceanographers like me that we may be significantly underestimating the threat hurricanes pose to Caribbean islands and the North American coast in the future.
Beaming Misogyny Around the World
Misogyny, a sexist contempt and hatred of women, aims to keep women in a lower position than men within a patriarchal society. With discrimination against women enshrined in Qatari law – which, among other things does not criminalise domestic violence or sexual assault – misogyny is being beamed through televisions internationally, via the means of the 2022 men’s football World Cup.
8 Billion People and the Era of the Megapolis
On November 15, a baby girl in Manila became the eight billionth person in the world. Of those 8 billion people, 60% live in a town or city. By the end of the 21st century, cities will account for 85% of Earth’s predicted 10 billion inhabitants.
Retailers May See a Little More Red This Black Friday
Retailers are gearing up for another blockbuster holiday shopping season, but consumers burned by the highest inflation in a generation may have other ideas. Amazon said it is laying off 10,000 workers, one of several big companies announcing job cuts recently. Bezos even cautioned consumers to hold off on big purchases like cars, televisions and appliances to save in case of a recession in 2023.
Death and Life in Cormac McCarthy’s The Passenger
The Passenger is a book of life and liveliness. The novel’s language communicates energy, not entropy – a sense of opening up, not winding down. At its most localised, this verbal exuberance runs through individual lexical choices. There seems no word that McCarthy doesn’t know and he fans life into archaic or obscure terminology (eskers, kedge, lemniscate, uncottered and many more).
Much of Florida’s Eroding Coast is Risking Home Collapses. Why Is Construction Continuing?
There’s a disturbing trend after hurricanes, and we’re seeing it with Ian: Many damaged areas see lots of money pouring in to rebuild in the same vulnerable locations. An important question communities should be asking is, if these are already in high-risk areas, why rebuild in the same place?
Qatar Is ‘Sportswashing.’ Fans Don’t Really Care.
“Sportswashing” is using sport as a tool of soft power, to clean up (and distract from) a murky political or humanitarian reputation. The World Cup is a massive deal. The last one, hosted by another controversial host nation, Russia, attracted 3.5 billion viewers across the world.
Why It’s Time to End Child Sponsorship
The narrative we are given is that sponsoring a child in the Global South is a way to make a positive difference in their lives. However, this narrative inaccurately frames children and their families as lacking, backward, inferior, and longing for the standards of the Global North.
How Same-Sex Marriage Gained Bipartisan Support
While public opinion and different state laws on abortion rights are sharply dividing the country, there’s growing indication that most people agree on another once-controversial topic – protecting same-sex marriage.
The Good and Bad of the World Cup
Controversy has dogged the event ever since sport’s governing body, FIFA, handed Qatar hosting duties back in 2010. In spite of the controversy, the World Cup will be the most-watched sporting event of the year. Here are quick guide of the good and bad.
Why You Shouldn’t Be So Quick to Cheer the Demise of Twitter
Twitter’s dual role in fostering real-time communication and acting as an arbitrator of authoritative information is of crucial interest to academics, journalists and government agencies. If Twitter were to collapse, there’s no clear replacement in sight.
Note to Québec’s Premier: French is the Language of Voltaire, Hugo and Human Rights, Not Xenophobia
To return the French language to its rightful place as the voice of human rights, the Québec government must promote it as a tool of a human rights-based civic education, not a mandatory language. Welcoming immigrants would subsequently not be an obstacle to the French language or francophone culture — it would be a benefit.
Despite Growing Legalization, 317,793 People Were Arrested for Pot Possession in 2020
Arrests have actually been going down each year since 2010 as more states legalize medical or recreational use of the drug. In 2019, for example, more than 500,000 marijuana possession arrests were reported, so the 2020 arrest numbers represent a single-year decline of 36%.
Twitter’s Mocking of Musk
Playful impersonations of companies on Twitter aren’t coincidental: they are a dissent against Musk’s leadership. In response to Musk becoming CEO, users used the platform to challenge dominant ideas about capitalism and power.
Artemis Launch: From One Delay to Another
Of NASA’s 135 Space Shuttle missions, only about 40% launched on time. While Artemis 1 is continuing the long tradition of delayed NASA launches, there are good reasons for the high level of caution that underlies these delays.
America Appears to Have Passed ‘Peak Trump’
The failure of the expected GOP “red wave” might mark a passing of the high watermark for the political fortunes of Donald Trump. Or, to put it another way, America may have passed peak Trump after he took a big share of the blame for the failure of the Republican Party to capitalise on the highest inflation figures in 40 years, America’s rising murder rate, and what Republicans’ perceive as Joe Biden’s underperformance as president.
Why Mastodon Won’t Be a New Twitter
Like Twitter, Mastodon allows users to post, follow people and organizations, and like and repost others’ posts. But while Mastodon supports many of the same social networking features as Twitter, it is not a single platform. Instead, it’s a federation of independently operated, interconnected servers.
The Workplace in Contemporary Capitalism Is Fundamentally Flawed
First it was the “Great Resignation.” Then it was “nobody wants to work anymore.” Now it’s “quiet quitting.” Yet it seems like no one wants to talk about what I see as the root cause of America’s economic malaise. The inability to dictate and meaningfully control one’s own working life is the problem.
Tribal Rights and the Case of Non-Indians Adopting Native Americans
The Indian Child Welfare Act, was originally passed by Congress in response to requests from tribal leaders and other advocates for Native Americans to stop states from removing Indian children from their families. Now, in a case before the Supreme Court, non-Indians seeking to adopt or foster Indian children have challenged provisions of the law.
Number of Encounters at Mexico Border Doesn’t Mean What GOP Claims
Numbers Republican candidates and politicians keep referring to as representing an “invasion” of migrants represent encounters, not the number of individuals who have come across the border. It’s a misleading and inaccurate way of describing the number of people coming into the U.S.
America’s Election Workers: Overworked, Underpaid and Feeling Pressured
The focus on the machinery of elections has obscured a different threat to the nation’s elections: Local election administrators work under increasingly difficult circumstances, with dwindling resources and mounting challenges.
What To Expect at the Climate Summit
This year’s climate summit is seen as the one that can bring concrete actions and commitments on emission reductions and also on the financing of losses and damages resulting from climate change to the global south. But will it be more successful than previous summits?
Pain Management, Opioids and the Promise of Pot
Drug overdose deaths from opioids continue to rise in the U.S. as a result of both the misuse of prescription opioids and the illicit drug market. But an interesting trend has developed: Opioid emergency room visits drop by nearly 8% and opioid prescriptions are modestly lower in states where marijuana is legalized.
There Is No Ethical Reason Not to Vote
Even if November 2022 could see more Americans registering their midcycle political preferences than in recent years, a large chunk of eligible voters – perhaps around half – will not bother. Each of the usual arguments against voting is flawed.
Political Violence, at Home in America
A warning about the threat of political violence heading into the 2022 midterm elections was issued to state and local law enforcement officials by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Oct. 28.
Christian Nationalism’s Gated Community
According to a May 2022 poll from the University of Maryland, 61% of Republicans favor declaring the United States a Christian nation – even though 57% recognized that it would be unconstitutional. Christian nationalism is more than religiosity and patriotism. It is a worldview that guides how people believe the nation should be structured and who belongs there.
Race-Based Diversity in College Admissions Is on the Brink of Extinction
The U.S. military learned a valuable lesson about race during the Vietnam War: Diversity does not happen without affirmative action. The conservative majority of the United States Supreme Court is about to unlearn that lesson.