Some 79 countries around the world continue to enforce blasphemy laws. And in places such as Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, violation of these measures can result in a death penalty. While the U.S. is not among those countries, it also has a long history of blasphemy laws that reflects a complex fight for the freedom of religion and speech.
The Conversation
The Moral Dimension of America’s Flawed Health Care System
The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has set off soul-searching among many Americans. Part of that reflection is about the public reaction to Thompson’s death and the sympathy the suspect received online, with some people critical of the insurance industry celebrating the assailant as a sort of folk hero. Frustrations are no excuse for murder. But it has become a moment of wider reflection on health care in America, and why so many patients feel the system is broken.
How Foreign Students Boost the Economy
Foreign students pump more than US$40 billion into the U.S. economy and support over 368,000 jobs. That’s not just paying professors and buying textbooks – it includes everything from renting apartments to late-night DoorDash and Grubhub deliveries. And it’s near a record high.
Is News Bias Fueled by Journalists or Readers?
Demand-driven bias happens when newspapers offer slanted news to appeal to readers. Supply-driven bias stems from the ideological leanings of owners or employees. Both had influenced decision-making at The New York Times. The former top editor of The New York Times’ editorial page wrote that slanted coverage at the institution is “pervasive.”
How Liberals Lost Comedy, and Helped Trump Win
Trump’s success with comedy is a result of the new relationship between digital media and the business of joking. For decades, liberals were thought to hold a monopoly on comedy. Moreover, there was little money to be made in comedy acts devoted to right-wing politics. Since 2016, however, a new crop of right-wing comedians has taken to digital platforms and algorithmically driven audience targeting in order to change this reality.
Grieving During the Holidays
Nearly 95% of people who have experienced loss report dealing with at least one symptom of physical or mental distress. Holidays and special occasions, which often include family gatherings, traditions and reminders of what’s missing, can amplify this pain, leaving those grieving feeling isolated and overwhelmed.
Why Teen Girls Are Attracted to Boys who Hurt Them
Messages that link attraction to violence and contempt can occur in different settings and in different ways, and this association is known as “coercive dominant discourse”. Long-term exposure to this discourse leads girls to consider violent boys attractive, eventually pushing them into toxic emotional and sexual relationships.
The Meaning and Controversy of the Global Seed Vault
Today, seed banks around the world are doing much of the work of saving crop varieties that could be essential resources under future growing conditions. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway supports them all. It is the world’s most famous backup site for seeds that are more precious than data.
Merde Alors: Should We Be Worried About Trump Tariffs on French Wines?
Still traumatised by the 25% Trump tax in place from October 2019 to March 2021, the French wine industry is anticipating further difficulties in exporting to the United States. However, a comparison between the previous tax and what the president-elect has announced for his second term provides some hope.
The Importance of London’s New Slavery Memorial
In 2026, a new memorial to the 12.5 million enslaved people transported to the Americas and Europe – and their descendants – will be unveiled on West India Quay in London’s Docklands. The winning commission, an installation piece by US artist Khaleb Brooks called The Wake, will take the shape of a seven-metre bronze cowrie shell – the currency that was used in the trade of enslaved peoples, and an object symbolic of the entangled history of slavery and capitalism.
Kristallnacht’s Legacy as Hamburg Wrestles with Memory and Reconstruction
Over the past few years, the location of the Bornplatz Synagogue, a former landmark, has become the site of controversy as residents debated whether and how to rebuild the old synagogue, which would demolish the memorial standing there today.
Has Syria Just Traded One Barbarian for Another?
The rebel group that just took over Syria, led by Abu Mohammad al-Golani, originated as an offshoot of the Nusra Front, the official al-Qaida affiliate in Syria. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was initially recognized for its combat effectiveness and its commitment to global jihadist ideology, or the establishment of strict Islamic rule across the Muslim world.
Syrian Refugees Get Battered From All Sides in Lebanon
For the 1.5 million Syrian refugees already in Lebanon, having fled civil war in Syria, the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah introduces new uncertainties. Syrians who temporarily fled Lebanon or were displaced within its borders now face growing hostility and restrictive policies regarding their return, namely from the Lebanese themselves, who have a history of brutality toward and ill treatment of refugees.
Notre Dame Rises from the Ashes, But at What Price?
On April 15, 2019, viewers around the world watched live footage of one of the most famous cathedrals on the planet, Notre-Dame de Paris, being devastated by fire. More than five years later, Notre Dame was due to reopen to the public on December 8th. Behind the headlines, a fierce debate has been raging about who is responsible for funding France’s cultural heritage and whether visitors to the landmark should be charged an entry fee.
The Best Exercises to Boost Brain Health After 60
Contrary to popular belief, the brain does not deteriorate continuously with age. Instead, it only sees the number of its brain cells drop and connections deteriorate from the age of 45 onwards as part of a normal ageing process. But cerebral plasticity, although reduced, is present until the end of life. Each individual will build up a cognitive reserve throughout their lives. The more positive, rich and stimulating the lifestyle, the more powerful and effective the reserve. In other words, it’s possible to moderate the effects of age on cognition.
How Growing Opposition Threatens 70-Year-Old Fluoridation of Water
Since 1951, fluoride has been added to community water supplies in many countries to prevent tooth decay. Fluoridation started as an observation, then an idea that ended as a scientific revolution 50 years later. The practice has been hailed as one of the “10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.” But with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal opponent of fluoridation of water supplies, being tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, this progress is under threat.
How to Maintain Healthy Smartphone Habits
While some researchers and media outlets portray phone use as detrimental, the reality is that the effects of technology use, including phones, vary depending on multiple factors. Here are a few tips.
China May Be Winning the Race Back to the Moon
Will the next human to walk on the Moon speak English or Mandarin? In all, 12 Americans landed on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. Now, both the US and China are preparing to send humans back there this decade. However, the US lunar programme is delayed, in part because the spacesuits and lunar-landing vehicle are not ready. Meanwhile, China has pledged to put astronauts on the Moon by 2030 – and it has a habit of sticking to timelines.
Yelp at 20: Confusing and Confounding
There’s a reason review sites like Yelp are so popular. No one wants to spend their hard-earned money on a dud product, or fork over cash for a bad meal. So we’ll seek advice from strangers and use various clues to judge if a particular review is authentic and reliable. But sometimes these cues can lead shoppers down the wrong path. Other times, the reviews are simply fake.
Why Americans Arm Themselves. It’s Not Just Physical Protection.
Gun owners aren’t just protecting against the specific threat of physical violence. Owners are also using a gun to protect their psychological selves. Owning a gun helps them feel more in control of the world around them and more able to live meaningful, purposeful lives that connect to the people and communities they care for.
The Minefield of Religion in the Workplace
The most common concern about bringing up religion in the workplace is that it will lead to conflict – including conflict from people trying to change each other’s beliefs. But workers appreciate when their employers take active steps to let employees know that religious accommodations are available and that religious expression in general is not forbidden. Having upfront conversations about what is or is not appropriate – not only legally but socially – can go a long way toward setting boundaries.
Israel Politicizes Refugee Aid and Puts Millions of Lives at Risk
The Israeli parliament’s vote on Oct. 28, 2024, to ban the United Nations agency that provides relief for Palestinian refugees is likely to affect millions of people – it also fits a pattern. Aid for refugees, particularly Palestinian refugees, has long been politicized, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA, has been targeted throughout its 75-year history.
The Day After: 208 Million Americans Are Obese
Nearly half of adolescents and three-quarters of adults in the U.S. were classified as being clinically overweight or obese in 2021. The rates have more than doubled compared with 1990. Obesity has slowed health improvements and life expectancy in the U.S. compared with other high-income nations. It increases the risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancer and mental health disorders.
Gen Z Heads Home. A Few Tips.
The adult child’s return home, even for a few days or weeks, may produce some stress for both generations. But, the parent-child relationship is always evolving, including negotiating – and renegotiating – power and control as children age.
U.S. House Passes Measure That Could Punish Non-Profits Over Speech
The punishing measure against non-profits is part of a strategy to preempt opposition to Republican policies and encourage self-censorship. It’s a way for the GOP to try to restrict what activists and nonprofit organizations can say or do. And, essentially, it’s a threat to political opponents of President-elect Donald Trump.
Superstition-Biases About Black Cats Have Real Effects
This superstition about black cats and other black animals in general has shaped people’s preferences about animals. It’s left its mark on things such as lower adoption rates for black cats and beliefs that black cats are more aggressive. Yet, these biases are unfounded.
Florida’s New Condo Laws Recognize Price of Living on the Beach
Nearly a million Florida condo owners face an important deadline at the end of the year. That’s when a law passed in 2022 requires most Florida condo associations to submit inspection reports for their buildings and to collect money from owners to pay for any needed repairs. Condo owners are reporting that new condominium rules are driving up fees and inducing outrageous assessments.
Ta-Nehisi Coates on Israel’s Jim Crow-Like Apartheid
Aware of the racism that surrounds him as a Black American, Coates can imagine himself as both Palestinian and Israeli. This generosity of imagination does not prevent critical analysis. His accounts of life in the occupied West Bank underline the reality that Israel has imposed a regime that is effectively based on the subordination and dispossession of Palestinians – and a deliberate attempt, he writes, to deny any possibility of a genuine two-state solution.
Is Marco Rubio NATO’s New Best Friend?
While Rubio has clearly changed his tune on Ukraine to align with Trump, he is not in lockstep with Trump on Nato. In fact, Rubio co-sponsored legislation alongside Democratic senator Tim Kaine, that would make it more difficult for Trump to withdraw from Nato by requiring two-thirds of the Senate to ratify withdrawal.
How a New Generation of Telescopes Will Probe ‘Unknown Unknowns’
All observatories have a list of science objectives before they switch on, but it is their unexpected discoveries that can have the biggest impact. Many surprise advances in cosmology were driven by new technology, and the next telescopes have powerful capabilities.
On Voltaire’s Birthday, a Look Back at Candide, Tale of Human Folly in Times of Crisis
Voltaire’s Candide, or Optimism (1759) is widely recognised as his masterpiece. A darkly satirical novella taking aim at human folly, pride and excessive faith in reason’s ability to plumb the deepest metaphysical truths, it remains as telling in this era of pandemics and wild conspiracy theories as when first published.
What James Earl Jones Can Teach Us About Activism and Art
James Earl Jones was looking to change the culture. He was trying to change the country’s understanding of what it means to fight – and what a freedom fighter is. Sometimes, activism can be as simple as making art to the best of your abilities – or, as W.E.B. Du Bois wrote, “to use beauty to set the world right.”
One More Delusion: Trump Thinks He Can Solve the Middle East.
Donald Trump has promised to end all wars. In his usual impulsive and unpredictable manner, he has pledged to resolve the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office and help Israel finish its Gaza and Lebanon operations quickly. Yet the Middle East is a complex place. Given the absence of a Gaza ceasefire, the thin hope of a halt to the Lebanon fighting, Netanyahu’s intransigence and Trump’s pursuance of an “Israel first” policy, the Middle East’s volatility is likely to persist.
The Taliban’s Violent Erasure of Women Through Its ‘Vice and Virtue’ Law
A newly passed “vice and virtue” law is among the most repressive and discriminatory measures ever enacted by the Taliban, an Islamist fundamentalist group controlling Afghanistan. The new law seeks to completely silence women in public. They are prohibited from speaking, singing or praying aloud. The law also attempts to literally erase them from view, ordering women to cover every part of their body and face in public.
Sewage and Fertilizer Threaten Florida Manatee’s Main Food Source, and Survival
Research shows manatees are eating less seagrass – traditionally their primary food source – and more algae than in decades past. This change occurred along Florida’s Atlantic coast during a period of extensive seagrass decline. This represents an emerging threat to the species’ survival.
How Polls Did This Time
Polls’ collective performance, while not stellar, was improved from that of four years earlier. Overall, polls signaled a close outcome in the race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. That is what the election produced: a modest win for Trump. Trump had received 50.1% of the popular vote to Harris’ 48.1%, a difference of 2 points. That margin was closer than Joe Biden’s win by 4.5 points over Trump in 2020. It was closer than Hillary Clinton’s popular vote victory in 2016.
Federal Judge Bans 10 Commandments from Classrooms
Do the Ten Commandments have a valid place in U.S. classrooms? Louisiana’s Legislature and governor insist the answer is “yes.” But on Nov. 12, 2024, a federal judge said “no.” Litigation over the Ten Commandments is not new. More than 40 years ago, in Stone v. Graham, the Supreme Court rejected a Kentucky statute that mandated displays of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
It’s an Election Victory. It’s Not a New Era.
Despite the lessons of this history, a new round of doomsayers are ready to write the Democrats’ obituary in 2024. According to one journalist, “Democrats are a lost party. Come January, they’ll have scant power in the federal government, and shriveling clout in the courts and states.” But it’s easy to overstate the enduring impact of an election. Unforeseen events arise that alter the political landscape in unpredictable ways. The party in power often makes mistakes. New candidates emerge to energize and inspire the defeated party.
Israel’s Destruction of Gaza Heritage Sites Aimes to Erase and Replace Palestine’s History
Cultural property has been a target of the Israeli offensive since the beginning of the conflict and, as early as November, the devastation of the cities of northern Gaza far exceeded that caused in the infamous bombing of Dresden in 1945. There are at least 130 sites in Gaza that Israel, as an occupying power, is obligated to protect under international law along with the rest of the area’s cultural and natural heritage. As of 17 September 2024, UNESCO has verified damage to 69 sites.
Gaza Fallout: Arab American Voter Likely Tipped Michigan to Trump
Michigan has the largest population of Arabs, Muslims and Palestinians in the United States, currently numbering more than 200,000. Back during the primary in February 2024, a group called Listen to Michigan organized the uncommitted campaign in the state, promoting it as a way to express dissatisfaction with the Biden administration’s support of Israel’s actions in its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Recreational Pot Hits Red Wall in Florida, North and South Dakota
The cannabis legalization movement’s primary obstacle is the “red wall,” the 20 states where Republicans have total control of state government and recreational cannabis remains illegal. Another four states without recreational legalization – Kansas, Wisconsin, Kentucky and North Carolina – could be described as “red wall adjacent.” These states have Democratic governors, but Republicans control the state legislatures.
Quincy Jones, Epic Transformer of America’s Sounds
Quincy Jones transformed our understanding of musical arrangement. His work spanned decades and genres, from jazz and pop to hip-hop and film scoring. He worked with pop icons like Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin, and also collaborated with lesser-known artists such as Lesley Gore and Tevin Campbell.
Why So Many People Voted for Trump
For many people, especially those leaning left, Donald Trump’s disqualifications to be president seem obvious. Why did so many people vote for Trump again, they wonder, and how did he win not just the Electoral College vote this time but the popular vote as well?
America’s Glass Ceiling Remains
Gender wasn’t the main reason Kamala Harris lost. But it was a factor that contributed to her lack of support, especially when you compare her performance with Joe Biden’s in the same places and with almost all of the same voting groups he won in 2020. Gender was part of the campaign landscape in many different ways this election.
Trump’s Comeback Looks a Lot Like Andrew Jackson’s
Trump has survived by – consciously or not – following the example of another American president who created a political party in his own image and used it to rule almost unchecked: Andrew Jackson, whose portrait Trump hung in the Oval Office during his first term.
The Deep Sea’s Potential Gold Mine, As Long As We Don’t Mine It
Deep-sea animals possess unique genes that allow them to live in an environment unlike anything else on Earth, with its intense cold, crushing pressure and total darkness. The essential role of deep-sea life in the functioning of Earth’s systems may be far greater than previously understood. Unfortunately, deep-sea ecosystems are under threat from seabed mining for minerals.
America’s Disappearing Dairy Farms
While the number of dairy farms has fallen, the average herd size – the number of cows per farm – has been rising. Today, more than 60% of all milk production occurs on farms with more than 2,500 cows. This massive consolidation in dairy farming has an impact on rural communities. It also makes it more difficult for consumers to know where their food comes from and how it’s produced.
Why Ancient Mesopotamians Would Have Used A Sheep’s Liver to Predict Donald Trump’s Election Odds
According to 4,000-year-old Babylonian instructions that have survived to this day, every crease on the liver has a meaning, and cuneiform tablets discovered in modern-day Iraq explain how to interpret them. Armed with this knowledge, it’s supposedly possible to calculate the answer to any question, so long as it is yes or no, by adding up the number of positive or negative signs and seeing which comes out on top.
Threatening ‘The Enemy Within’ with Force: The Danger to Americans
Former President Donald Trump has declared that there is “the outside enemy, and then we have the enemy from within, and the enemy from within, in my opinion, is more dangerous,” with past actions suggesting he would use the military to suppress opposition at home. For that reason, in a time of increasing political polarization, military educational institutions are focusing even more explicitly on the oath military members take to the Constitution, rather than to a person or an office.
Is America Ready for a Woman President?
Stereotypes have long hindered female candidates, casting them as emotional, weak and sensitive. But research shows that voters in the U.S. increasingly see women leaders as synonymous with political leadership – and as more effective than men politicians. This transformation reflects a broader change in what voters expect in political leaders. They are now more likely to see a woman candidate as a better “fit” for public office.