Category: Analysis
‘It’s science, stupid’: A school subject emerges as a hot-button political issue
Victoria Knight October 30, 2020 At the top of Dr. Hiral Tipirneni’s to-do list if she wins her congressional race: work with other elected officials to encourage mask mandates and to beef up COVID-19 testing…
Millions still haven’t gotten stimulus checks, including many who need them most
As many as 12 million Americans didn’t get their stimulus payment. Usually it’s because their income was too low. Here’s what they can do: Apply through the government’s glitchy platform (if they even qualify), and do…
‘Bankrolling Extinction’: Report shows big banks lent over $2.6 trillion to fund global biodiversity destruction in just one year, 2019
“Imagine a world in which projects can only raise capital when they have demonstrated that they will contribute meaningfully and positively to restoring the planet’s bounty and a safe climate for all. That’s the future this…
Trump got what he wanted at the border. Would Biden undo it?
Democrats agree that Trump’s caused asylum-seekers unacceptable misery. But the goal of deterring people from migrating to the U.S. — which has motivated Trump’s complex web of border policies — has seduced some Democrats, too. by…
Records show Trump’s border wall is costing taxpayers billions more than initial contracts
As the presidential election nears, a review of federal spending data found modifications to contracts have increased the price of the border wall by billions, costing about five times more per mile than it did under…
How to spot (and fight) election misinformation
Leer en español Summary: Disinformation is deliberately created with the intent to cause harm, while misinformation is incorrect information shared by people who believe it to be true. In 2020, dis- and misinformation about voting are…
COVID-19 causes some patients’ immune systems to attack their own bodies, which may contribute to severe illness
More than half of the 52 patients in the study tested positive for autoantibodies. In patients with the highest levels of c-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) in the blood, more than two-thirds displayed evidence that…
An epidemiologist explains the new CDC guidance on 15 minutes of exposure and what it means for you
Despite the change, most public health professionals have been clear for months that there is nothing magic about six feet. In the same way, there is nothing magic about 15 minutes. These should be used as…
Gig workers urge no vote on Prop 22 in California to stop ‘corporate power grab’
“No company should be able to buy its way out of treating workers fairly,” said one progressive think tank about the state’s ballot initiative that will have national implications. by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Friday, October…
‘Cruelty was always the plan’: pressed on mass family separations in final debate, Trump smears victims as ‘bad people’
“The Trump immigration agenda is defined by cruelty: it’s responsible for six children dying in cages, forced women into unnecessary surgeries including sterilizations, continued deportation flights in the middle of a pandemic.” by Jake Johnson, staff…
Voters implored to submit ballots ASAP as ‘unacceptable’ mail delays caused by DeJoy persist in key states
“Parts of the presidential battleground states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio fell short of delivery goals by wide margins.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Friday, October 23 With a staggering number of Americans voting…
Greenpeace warns of ‘Potential Damage to Human DNA’ at risk with Japan’s plan to dump radioactive Fukushima water into ocean
“The policy of the Japanese government to dump nuclear waste into the Pacific Ocean is not based on scientific or environmental protection principles and has no justification.” by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Friday, October 23 Greenpeace…
Trump executive order denounced as ‘declaration of war’ against federal employees
The order sets up Trump’s “cronies to burrow into permanent jobs in the U.S. government,” said one critic. by Julia Conley, staff writer Friday, October 23 After years of complaining that career federal employees are part…
Study shows US switch to 100% renewables would save hundreds of billions each year
‘What the Future Can Look Like’ “Too often we are told doing the right thing for the environment requires sacrifice and costs more. But we can actually make a better economy and save people money and…
1968’s presidential election looks a lot like today’s – but it was very different
Richard Nixon, celebrating his election on Nov. 7, 1968, campaigned against a backdrop of racial inequality, civic unrest and polarized politics. AFP via Getty Images by David Stebenne, The Ohio State University Thursday, October 22, 2020 In…
Critics say DOJ settlement not nearly enough for Purdue Pharma’s deadly role in opioid crisis
‘Prosecute the Sackler Family’ “Today’s guilty plea comes too late for the millions of lives that Purdue’s crimes destroyed over the past decade.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Wednesday, October 21 The Justice Department announced Wednesday…
Lincoln Project’s anti-Trump ads show power of biting satire
If he’s laughing, it’s probably not at the Lincoln Project’s satire. by Chris Lamb, IUPUI Tuesday, October 20, 2020 The narrator in a recent Lincoln Project ad tells listeners, “In six months, COVID-19 has killed more…
How QAnon uses satanic rhetoric to set up a narrative of ‘good vs. evil’
A QAnon supporter waiting to see Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania. Rick Loomis/Getty Images by Paul Thomas, Radford University Tuesday, October 20 In front of a TV audience on Oct. 15, President Donald Trump…
Billionaire wealth has surged by $931 billion during seven months of pandemic, economic collapse
‘The Gilded Age is here again’ “The juxtaposition between surging billionaire wealth and the imploding livelihoods of ordinary Americans is grotesque and unseemly.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Tuesday, October 20 Over just the past seven…
Investing $2 trillion in US clean energy and infrastructure could create millions of ‘good jobs’
“We don’t have to choose between a strong economy or a healthy environment—we can have both,” says an EPI data analyst. by Jessica Corbett, staff writer Tuesday, October 20 Pursuing trade and industrial policies that boost…
Older COVID patients battle ‘brain fog,’ weakness and emotional turmoil
by Judith Graham October 20, 2020 “Lord, give me back my memory.” For months, as Marilyn Walters has struggled to recover from COVID-19, she has repeated this prayer day and night. Like other older adults who’ve…
Promise or peril? Importing hydropower to fuel clean energy transition
U.S. states hope to tap Canada’s network of large dams to meet low-carbon goals, but do better options exist closer to home? And what effects on the environment and indigenous peoples? by Tara Lohan — The…
Critics say deregulatory rush shows even if defeated the Trump White House willing to ‘Scorch the earth before they go’
From bomb trains to biometrics to workers’ rights, the administration is pushing for last-minute rollbacks that could prove hard for its successor to overturn. by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Sunday, October 18 With President Donald Trump’s…
Colleges and the Thanksgiving COVID-19 risk: Fauci’s right – holiday plans may have to change
College students are making plans to head home for the holidays at the same time U.S. COVID-19 case numbers are rising. William Campbell/Getty Images by Walter Thomas Casey II, Texas A&M University-Texarkana; Marcia G. Ory,…
