NightWare: New system uses Apple Watch technology to help Veterans with PTSD find relief from nightmares
Every night for more than a decade, Robert Guithues dreaded closing his eyes and falling asleep. That was because when he did, he was transported back to the burning oil fields outside of Baghdad, or to a forward operating base in the mountains of Afghanistan, where...
The price of pretending: Why conspiracy theories are dangerous even if only a few people believe them
By Keith Raymond Harris, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Philosophy, Ruhr University Bochum There is an open question among pundits and researchers: Do more Americans believe in conspiracy theories now than ever before? But as a scholar of conspiracy theories and...
Milwaukee Votes: Residents cast ballots on a calm Election Day for control of Congress and the State
Voters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and across the United States cast their ballots in the critical midterm elections on November 8 to decide who controls the next Congress and key state positions. One polling place, the Charles Allis Art Museum, featured the “Ghosts of Segregation” exhibit that explores the lingering presence institutional racism.
More than voting machines: Election systems are run by people who are overworked and under pressure
By Amel Ahmed, Associate Professor of Political Science, UMass Amherst When people think about making elections secure, they often think about voting machines, cybersecurity and mechanical threats. They do not think about people. Since 2016, when there was evidence of...
Preparing for the worst: Political violence in America by right-wing extremists will not end anytime soon
By Richard Forno, Principal Lecturer in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County A warning about the threat of political violence before the 2022 midterm elections was issued to state and local law enforcement officials by...
The Cost of Silence: People who avoided voting in 2018 can use a ballot today to kick out hateful politicians
To the 100 million-plus Americans who didn’t vote in 2018, I don’t think about you all that often. I’m usually too busy. Like many people, I’ve spent most of the waking moments over the past four years fighting. I’ve occupied much of my days in battle, pushing back,...
Undermined trust: Why faith in nonpartisan election officials is not enough to protect voting results
By Thom Reilly, Professor & Co-Director, Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy, School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University As the U.S. moves closer to the 2022 midterm elections, a sizable number of Americans express a lack of confidence in...
Abandoning Democracy: Congressional Republicans are refusing to be bound by the 2022 election results
“Far Right Republican extremists have been running their dry mouths, claiming that any election in which they receive less votes than the opposition must be rigged. Well, I’ve got some news for you. Actual Patriots are sick and tired of shameless...
Equivalency of complicity: How both sides of the political spectrum promoted fascism in America
With the end of democracy fast approaching the realization of what will take its place is beginning to settle in. A fascist America steeped in White Nationalism predicted with increasing frequency by pundits, politicians and scholars. While not yet conceding defeat,...
State law for counting absentee ballots means full results from Election Day voting could take time
As Wisconsin prepares for midterm elections on November 8, clerks are reminding voters that full results are likely to take time, especially with so many people expected to vote absentee. Under Wisconsin law, clerks cannot start processing and counting absentee...
New research suggests that unpopular Conservative policies are also deadly to people who live under them
The Republican Party’s regressive policies are not just unpopular, but a new study released on October 26 suggests they are also deadly to those who live under them. Working-age mortality rates have been rising for decades across the United States, but premature...
Mayor Cavalier Johnson fires Milwaukee election official who fraudulently requested military ballots
Mayor Cavalier Johnson held an unscheduled press conference on November 3 to announce the removal of Kimberly Zapata as from the city’s Election Commission, after learning she fraudulently requested military absentee ballots. While the exact motive remains under...
