Souls of ancestors: Cambodia welcomes repatriated statues looted over decades of turmoil
The recent return to Cambodia of 14 sculptures that had been looted from the country during a period of war and unrest was like welcoming home the souls of ancestors, Cambodia’s culture minister said. The items repatriated from New York’s Metropolitan...
Fear of the water: How a menacing monster in the movie “Jaws” inspired a generation of shark scientists
By Gavin Naylor, Director of Florida Program for Shark Research, University of Florida Human fear of sharks has deep roots. Written works and art from the ancient world contain references to sharks preying on sailors as early as the eighth century B.C.E. Relayed back...
Just reporting news: Why America’s mainstream media has failed to defend democracy against Trump
Donald Trump and many of his supporters have explicitly promised to overturn American democracy, using Viktor Orbán’s “illiberal democracy” Hungarian model where the press is controlled, political opposition sidelined or imprisoned, and oligarchs run the government as...
Brute force behavior: Why greed and corruption are the heart of the Republican grift to save America
The complaint of Republican vice presidential candidate Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) recently on CNN that Democrats are bullying him by calling him weird has stuck with me. As I wrote at the time, Republicans have made punching down their stock in trade for decades, and...
An American insult: How the meaning of being a “sellout” was shaped by political corruption
By Ian Afflerbach, Associate Professor of American Literature, University of North Georgia If you follow politics, sports, Hollywood or the arts, you have no doubt heard the insult “sellout” thrown around to describe someone perceived to have betrayed a core principle...
Moments of Joy: A visual look at the historic 2024 Democratic National Convention
Thousands of Democratic delegates officially made Vice President Kamala Harris their nominee in early August, and have now reiterated their choice in a celebratory roll call of states on August 20. It was one of a number of unprecedented moments to come as part of the...
Ukraine marks 33rd Independence anniversary without fireworks or parades as war against Russia rages
A somber atmosphere pervades Ukraine’s 33rd Independence Day on August 24, as the nation’s war against Russia’s aggression reaches a 30-month milestone. No fireworks, parades, or concerts are planned and instead Ukrainians will mark the day with...
A new way forward: Kamala Harris accepts Democratic nomination for president on final day of DNC 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris called on Americans to join her to “chart a new way forward” as she accepted the Democratic nomination on December 22, arguing her personal story and prosecutorial background made her uniquely qualified to protect their...
Bringing the joy: Tim Walz accepts the Democratic Party’s nomination for Vice President
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accepted his party’s nomination for vice president on August 21, using his Democratic National Convention address to thank the packed arena for “bringing the joy” to an election transformed by the elevation of his running...
Forward: Kamala Harris packs Fiserv Forum in snub to Trump while Obamas address DNC in Chicago
Vice President Kamala Harris rallied thousands of voters in one packed Milwaukee arena as former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama energized thousands more in Chicago on behalf of Harris on August 20. the split-screen approach was designed to...
We Love You Joe: President Biden gets rousing ovation as he gives Harris a wholehearted endorsement
President Joe Biden delivered his valedictory address to the Democratic National Convention on August 19 night, as his decision to end his reelection bid released newfound energy within his party with the elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the...
Democratic Delegates at the National Convention will nominate Harris again but with more pizzazz
It has been nearly two weeks since Vice President Kamala Harris officially won the Democratic presidential nomination in an online vote, the first time a nominee was named prior to a party’s convention. But the roughly 4,700 delegates charged with picking a...
