How nonprofits get back on their feet while also playing a key role in local recovery from disasters
By Joy Semien, Research Assistant at the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, Texas A&M University When hurricanes, floods and other kinds of disasters throttle a community, people from all over often rush to give those in need money, bottled water, diapers and...
Understanding Hikikomori: How shame and trauma push some people to live in extreme social isolation
By Maki Rooksby, Post-doctoral researcher, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow; Hamish J. McLeod, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Glasgow; and Tadaaki Furuhashi, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Nagoya University It is...
Divided We Stand: How ALEC’s legislative agenda pushes racist reactions over egalitarian values
America is increasingly becoming two nations, a result of the Great Neoliberal Experiment playing out across the country since the start of Reaganism in 1981. One is made up of states representing modern democracy holding egalitarian values; the other has reverted to...
Beyond achieving a policy goal: The far-right’s obsessive romance with cruelty for cruelty’s sake
Politics has always been cruel. Political candidates can be brutal in trying to discredit, or even destroy, their political opponents. Congressional leaders will at times act harshly when trying to whip party members into line. And as is true in any profession, there...
Carbon waste byproducts: Why “hairdryer math” gets bizarre when applied to global warming
Most people know that a hairdryer draws about as much power as your average modern outlet will give it. Typically around 1000 watts or, at 110 volts, just shy of 10 amps. Plug in and turn on two hairdryers from the same outlet and you will usually blow a circuit...
Federal funding to help Wisconsin communities boost investments in solar and clean energy solutions
Communities across Wisconsin are funding a variety of solar projects after the $1.7 trillion bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations Act earmarked more than $255.7 million for Wisconsin. Sun Prairie is receiving a hefty $3.2 million in federal funding that will go toward a...
Tammy Baldwin’s third term? Why Democrats may have a more difficult time in 2024 to keep the Senate
Democrats celebrating a successful effort to keep control of the U.S. Senate will soon confront a 2024 campaign that could prove more challenging. The party enters the next cycle defending 23 seats, including two held by independents who caucus with Democrats. That is...
Students in Ukraine face daily threats as Russia’s brutal war forces improvisation of education
By Kristina Hook, Assistant Professor of Conflict Management, Kennesaw State University Svitlana Popova’s students did not realize she was leading their online math class while outside the charred remains of her home in Ukraine until they saw a news video about it on...
A parasitic industry: Understanding why America does not define healthcare as a basic human right
Republicans have taken control of the House of Representatives, and already have their sights set on forcing major cuts to “entitlements” like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. One of the promises McCarthy made to become speaker was to force a vote on dialing...
Racial battle fatigue: The cumulative effects of hostility that Black people experience in White society
By Geremy Grant, Assistant Professor of School Psychology, Alfred University When William A. Smith, a scholar of education and culture, introduced the term “racial battle fatigue” in 2003, he used it to describe the cumulative effects of racial hostility that Black...
America’s homeless population remains about the same as before pandemic despite increased local efforts
President Joe Biden’s administration announced in December that it was ramping up efforts to help house people sleeping on sidewalks, in tents, and cars as a federal report confirmed what was obvious to people in many cities: Homelessness is persisting despite...
Reinforcing Redlining: Why Wisconsin’s outdated zoning codes adds to housing shortage difficulties
Wisconsin’s housing shortage is expected to worsen by the end of the decade, and outdated zoning codes could make it harder for municipalities to address the issue. A recent report from Forward Analytics, the research arm of the Wisconsin Counties Association, found...
