A Legacy of Racism: The environmental injustice that Black women must endure as homeowners
By Robin Bartram, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Tulane University Yolanda owns a home in the predominantly Black 7th Ward neighborhood in New Orleans at the age of 61. To fix her leaking roof in 2020, she had to borrow money. “It’s one of them credit card loans,”...
Research explores how higher levels of air pollution can harm the brain and impact mental health
By Clara G. Zundel, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University People who breathe polluted air experience changes within the brain regions that control emotions, and as a result, they may be more likely to develop...
Boosting mindfulness: Small things that anyone can do every day to cope with seasonal depression
By Jolanta Burke; Senior Lecturer, Centre for Positive Psychology and Health, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences; and Annie Curtis, Senior Lecturer, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences (PBS), RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences Many...
Political storm clouds already forming ahead of new year as State prepares debate over 2023 biennial budget
Eyeing a state surplus topping $6 billion, Governor Tony Evers and the Republican-led Wisconsin Legislature are both already putting down markers ahead of deliberations in 2023 on the state’s next biennial budget. They are doing so in rare circumstances. “The state is...
Why the “Independent state legislature doctrine” is latest fringe theory designed to dismantle democracy
By Henry L. Chambers Jr., Professor of Law, University of Richmond In a case of Moore v. Harper, the U.S. Supreme Court could decide that state legislatures have control over congressional elections, including the ability to draw voting districts for partisan...
A triple threat: Children vulnerable to seasonal flu, RSV, and COVID-19 are straining health care systems
By Rebecca S.B. Fischer, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Texas A&M University; and Annette Regan, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, University of San Francisco Every fall and winter, viral respiratory illnesses like the common cold and seasonal flu keep...
A process not an event: Genocide still persists decades after the Holocaust
By Kerry Whigham, Assistant Professor of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention, Binghamton University, State University of New York The newly formed United Nations passed its first international treaty on December 9, 1948, just three years after the Holocaust ended....
Old tropes never die: How White Nationalists use conspiracy theories to promote anti-Jewish racism
By Dov Waxman, Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Professor of Israel Studies, University of California, Los Angeles Antisemitism has been in the news a lot lately. Hip-hop megastar Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, tweeted October 8, 2022 that he would “go death...
How rightwing Christians forced the judiciary to impose a regressive religious vision across America
The Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which reverses the constitutional abortion rights that American women have enjoyed over the past 50 years, has come as a surprise to many voters. A majority, after all, support reproductive...
Digital Privacy: Federal bill aims to give users control over what personal data companies can collect
By Anne Toomey McKenna, Visiting Professor of Law, University of Richmond Data privacy in the U.S. is, in many ways, a legal void. While there are limited protections for health and financial data, the cradle of the world’s largest tech companies, like Apple, Amazon,...
Bad Browsers: How cookie notifications are used online to create friction and influence user behavior
By Elizabeth Stoycheff, Associate Professor of Communication, Wayne State University Website cookies are online surveillance tools, and the commercial and government entities that use them would prefer people not read those notifications too closely. People who do...
Emotional Intelligence: To cry while watching a movie shows empathy and is the exact opposite of weakness
By Debra Rickwood, Professor of Psychology, University of Canberra You have probably found yourself weeping quietly, or even suddenly sobbing uncontrollably, while watching a movie. Common culprits include Marley and Me, The Color Purple, Schindler’s List and The Lion...
