Home insurance rates in Florida are nearly triple the national average, insurers have been losing money. Six have failed since January 2022. Now, insured losses from Ian are estimated to exceed US$40 billion. Hurricane risk might seem like the obvious problem, but there is a more insidious driver in this financial train wreck.
The Conversation
A U.S. Prison’s Scandinavian Make-Over Shows the Way to More Humane Penal System
At a medium-security prison outside of Philadelphia, a correctional officer-guided team has worked since 2018 to incorporate Scandinavian penal principles into its own institution. Prisoners reported feeling safer and having more positive relationships with staff and other people living in the prisons. They also indicated greater satisfaction with their access to food and the reintegration support available to them.
The Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Anti-Putin Human Rights Activists
On the 70th birthday of Russian president Vladimir Putin, the peace prize has gone to imprisoned Belarus activist Ales Bialiatski, Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Center for Civil Liberties in Ukraine.
How Affirmative Action Bans Make Selective Colleges Less Diverse
Since nine states already have bans on affirmative action, it’s easy to know what will happen if affirmative action is outlawed. Studies of college enrollment in those states show that enrollment of Black, Hispanic and Native American undergraduate students will decline in the long term.
The Blessing of Barrier Islands
Barrier islands protect about 10 percent of coastlines worldwide. When hurricanes and storms make landfall, these strands absorb much of their force, reducing wave energy and protecting inland areas. They also provide a sheltered environment that enables estuaries and marshes to form behind them.
How Clarence and Virginia Thomas Are Changing America
With the opening of the U.S. Supreme Court’s new session on Oct. 3, 2022, Clarence Thomas is arguably the most powerful justice on the nation’s highest court. He’s the longest-serving sitting justice and on track to have the lengthiest court tenure ever.
Liz Truss: Are Britain’s Conservatives Facing a Meltdown?
Conservative Party members who chose Liz Truss as prime minister are wondering whether their choice (and the abrupt change of direction in economic policy it enabled) will cost them the next election. And they are right to be worried.
Iranian Women’s Enduring Resistance to ‘Islamic Revolution’
Shouts of “death to the dictator” and “woman, life, freedom” are reverberating throughout the streets of Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, while in custody of the “morality police” in Tehran.
The Supreme Court Is Back in Session. Cue the Controversial Cases that May Change Your Life.
The Supreme Court’s new supermajority overturned abortion rights and expanded gun rights in 2022. Upcoming cases focus on the future of affirmative action, equal treatment of LGBTQ people, and the control of election laws.
Understanding Storm Surge and Why It Can Be So Catastrophic
Of all the hazards that hurricanes bring, storm surge is the greatest threat to life and property along the coast. It can sweep homes off their foundations, flood riverside communities miles inland, and break up dunes and levees that normally protect coastal areas against storms.