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Pivotal points in the COVID-19 pandemic – 5 essential reads

  • Written by Amanda Mascarelli, Senior Health and Medicine Editor
imageSARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has evolved over time into multiple variants and sublineages. loops7 / E+ via Getty Images

Experts have made it clear that the end of the COVID-19 national emergency, which was lifted on May 11, 2023, does not mean an end to the pandemic. But this shift signals a remarkable turning point in a pandemic...

Read more: Pivotal points in the COVID-19 pandemic – 5 essential reads

Symbols of the Confederacy are slowly coming down from US military bases: 3 essential reads

  • Written by Howard Manly, Race + Equity Editor, The Conversation US
imagePeople pose next to a newly unveiled Fort Moore sign on May 11, 2023.Cheney Orr/AFP via Getty Images

Without much fanfare, a federal panel is removing the names of Confederate generals from U.S. military bases and replacing them with names that exemplify modern-day values and patriotism.

Most recently, on May 11, 2023, the U.S. Army base in Georgia o...

Read more: Symbols of the Confederacy are slowly coming down from US military bases: 3 essential reads

Attacks on 'segregated' graduation ceremonies overlook the history of racism on campus

  • Written by Crystal Garcia, Assistant Professor of Educational Administration, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
image'Affinity' graduations for certain groups take place on campuses throughout the U.S.Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / Getty Images

For most college students, graduation is a one-time event. But for a growing number of students from various groups, such as students of color or LGTBQ students, there might be multiple graduation ceremonies to attend.

These...

Read more: Attacks on 'segregated' graduation ceremonies overlook the history of racism on campus

Three lessons from Aristotle on friendship

  • Written by Emily Katz, Associate Professor of Ancient Greek Philosophy, Michigan State University
imageAristotle (center), wearing a blue robe, seen in a discourse with Plato in a 16th century fresco, 'The School of Athens' by Raphael.Pascal Deloche/Stone via Getty Images

While most love songs are inspired by the joys and heartaches of romantic relationships, love between friends can be just as intense and complicated. Many people struggle to make...

Read more: Three lessons from Aristotle on friendship

Barbara Kingsolver's 'Demon Copperhead' and the enduring devastation of the opioid crisis

  • Written by William Nash, Professor of American Studies and English and American Literatures, Middlebury
imageBarbara Kingsolver's protagonist, Demon, is much more than his drug habit.SergioZacchi/iStock via Getty Images

Barbara Kingsolver’s literary honors range from the National Book Prize of South Africa to the PEN/Faulkner Award.

On May 8, 2023, she added a Pulitzer Prize to her accolades.

Her winning novel, “Demon Copperhead,” is...

Read more: Barbara Kingsolver's 'Demon Copperhead' and the enduring devastation of the opioid crisis

Vaccines using mRNA can protect farm animals against diseases traditional ones may not – and there are safeguards to ensure they won't end up in your food

  • Written by David Verhoeven, Assistant Professor of Vet Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University
imageVaccines help protect farm animals from various diseases.dusanpetkovic/iStock via Getty Images Plus

While effective vaccines for COVID-19 should have heralded the benefits of mRNA vaccines, fear and misinformation about their supposed dangers circulated at the same time. These misconceptions about mRNA vaccines have recently spilled over into...

Read more: Vaccines using mRNA can protect farm animals against diseases traditional ones may not – and there...

Bees can learn, remember, think and make decisions – here's a look at how they navigate the world

  • Written by Stephen Buchmann, Adjunct Professor of Entomology and of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona
imageA bumblebee lands on the flowers of a white sloe bush. Soeren Stache/picture alliance via Getty Images

As trees and flowers blossom in spring, bees emerge from their winter nests and burrows. For many species it’s time to mate, and some will start new solitary nests or colonies.

Bees and other pollinators are essential to human society. They...

Read more: Bees can learn, remember, think and make decisions – here's a look at how they navigate the world

Lack of affordable childcare is hurting young farm families' ability to grow their businesses – the US farm bill may finally offer some help

  • Written by Shoshanah Inwood, Associate Professor of Rural Sociology, The Ohio State University

Kerissa and Charlie Payne are beginning farmers living their dream of raising two daughters on a farm in Central Ohio. By conventional measures, their livestock farm, Covey Rise, is a success. Yet, below the surface, the challenge of finding quality affordable child care has kept their business from growing and reaching its full potential.

“It...

Read more: Lack of affordable childcare is hurting young farm families' ability to grow their businesses –...

How China uses 'geostrategic corruption' to exert its influence in Latin America

  • Written by Eduardo Gamarra, Professor of Politics and International Relations, Florida International University
imageThe successful courting of Honduras is the latest example of China's influence in Latin America.Lintao Zhang/Pool/Getty Images

Corruption has long been a scourge in parts of Latin America.

Traditionally, it has funneled down domestic routes, with local politicians, business interests and drug lords benefiting from graft and dodgy dealings. Indeed,...

Read more: How China uses 'geostrategic corruption' to exert its influence in Latin America

War rooms and bailouts: How banks and the Fed are preparing for a US default – and the chaos expected to follow

  • Written by John W. Diamond, Director of the Center for Public Finance at the Baker Institute, Rice University
image'Default doomscrolling' again, Mr. Powell? Kimimasa Mayama/Pool Photo via AP

Convening war rooms, planning speedy bailouts and raising house-on-fire alarm bells: Those are a few of the ways the biggest banks and financial regulators are preparing for a potential default on U.S. debt.

“You hope it doesn’t happen, but hope is not a...

Read more: War rooms and bailouts: How banks and the Fed are preparing for a US default – and the chaos...

More Articles ...

  1. Sunzi, 'shì' and strategy: How to read 'Art of War' the way its author intended
  2. Gay men can now donate blood after FDA changes decades-old rule – a health policy researcher explains the benefits
  3. EPA’s crackdown on power plant emissions is a big first step – but without strong certification, it will be hard to ensure captured carbon stays put
  4. International Criminal Court is using digital evidence to investigate Putin – but how can it tell if a video or photo is real or fake?
  5. The Nation of Islam: A brief history
  6. COVID-19's total cost to the economy in US will reach $14 trillion by end of 2023 – new research
  7. Want more good ideas from your workers? Try giving them a reward – and a choice
  8. US has a long history of state lawmakers silencing elected Black officials and taking power from their constituents
  9. A brief history of debt ceiling crises and the political chaos they've unleashed
  10. Meditative mothering? How Buddhism honors both compassionate caregiving and celibate monks and nuns
  11. What is carbon capture and storage? EPA’s new power plant standards proposal gives it a boost, but CCS is not a quick solution
  12. 'Courage is contagious': Daniel Ellsberg's decision to release the Pentagon Papers didn't happen in a vacuum
  13. 4 factors that contributed to the record low history scores for US eighth graders
  14. From Kali to Mary to Neopagan goddesses, religions revere motherhood in sometimes unexpected ways
  15. What does ending the emergency status of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US mean in practice? 4 questions answered
  16. George Santos indicted on fraud, money laundering and other criminal charges -- 3 essential reads
  17. Passport bottleneck is holding up international travel by Americans eager to see the world as COVID-19 eases
  18. I unintentionally created a biased AI algorithm 25 years ago – tech companies are still making the same mistake
  19. Can China broker peace in Yemen – and further Beijing's Middle East strategy in the process?
  20. Biden's dragging poll numbers won't matter in 2024 if enough voters loathe his opponent even more
  21. The coronation of King Charles III: 5 Essential reads on the big royal bash – and what it all means
  22. The real priest behind 'The Pope's Exorcist' was a fan of Hollywood horror films
  23. Peanut butter is a liquid – the physics of this and other unexpected fluids
  24. Fed rate hikes, recession fears and political backlash leave ESG investors at a crossroads
  25. Black mothers trapped in unsafe neighborhoods signal the stressful health toll of gun violence in the U.S.
  26. Yellen puts Congress on notice over impending debt default date: 5 essential reads on what's at stake
  27. Online predators target children’s webcams, study finds
  28. Twitter played a role in the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank – new research
  29. The thinking error that makes people susceptible to climate change denial
  30. Body lotions, mothballs, cleaning fluids and other widely used products contain known toxic chemicals, study finds
  31. Math teachers hold a bias against girls when the teachers think gender equality has been achieved
  32. Rejected Oklahoma plea for death penalty commutation highlights clemency’s changing role in US death penalty system
  33. Are some human rights more important than others? Religious freedom advocates often put it first
  34. Kids cartoon characters that use AI to customize responses help children learn
  35. Generative AI is forcing people to rethink what it means to be authentic
  36. What causes volcanoes to erupt?
  37. Respectful persuasion is a relay race, not a solo sprint – 3 keys to putting it in practice
  38. Whether or not a man convicted of abusing African 'orphans' is exonerated, the missionary system that brought him to Kenya was always deeply flawed
  39. Every cancer is unique – why different cancers require different treatments, and how evolution drives drug resistance
  40. The Federal Reserve and the art of navigating a soft landing ... when economic data sends mixed signals
  41. Recent banking crises are rooted in a system that rewards excessive risk-taking -- as First Republic's failure shows
  42. Cannabis-derived products like delta-8 THC and delta-10 THC have flooded the US market – two immunologists explain the medicinal benefits and potential risks
  43. Sudan's plunge into chaos has geopolitical implications near and far – including for US strategic goals
  44. Emmett Till's accuser, Carolyn Bryant Donham, has died – here's how the 1955 murder case helped define civil rights history
  45. How the US military used magazines to target 'vulnerable' groups with recruiting ads
  46. SNAP work requirements don’t actually get more people working – but they do drastically limit the availability of food aid
  47. In 'Air,' Michael Jordan's silence speaks volumes about the marketing of Black athletes
  48. Human activities in Asia have reduced elephant habitat by nearly two-thirds since 1700, dividing what remains into ever-smaller patches
  49. US-South Korea nuclear weapons deal – what you need to know
  50. Biden's coronation no-show is no snub – more telling is whom he sends to King Charles' big day