The Conversation U.S.

https://newsie.social/@TheConversationUS

A nonprofit news organization dedicated to sharing the knowledge of experts with the public, in accessible, trustworthy articles drawing on their research.

Pictured: just a few of our recent writers.

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Last Notes

2024-06-20 21:31:00

“This year, Colorado’s General Assembly passed several laws that, from my perspective as an expert on real estate and land use, will make Colorado a national leader in expanding housing affordability.”
A business law professor explains more:
https://theconversation.com/colorado-takes-a-new-and-likely-more-effective-approach-to-the-housing-crisis-230195
#affordablehousing

2024-06-14 18:27:56

America saw an upsurge of devotion to the nation's flag, and the writing of the pledge of allegiance, after the Civil War.
Then, on #FlagDay, 70 years ago today, President Eisenhower signed a bill adding “under God” to the pledge – cementing the semi-religious nature of the pledge.
https://theconversation.com/how-reciting-the-pledge-of-allegiance-became-a-sacred-patriotic-ritual-231432
#USPolitics #Religion #History

2024-06-11 23:48:44

Hunter Biden is by no means the first relative to bring grief to a president. The hall of shame includes John Payne Todd, Sam Houston Johnson and Billy Carter
https://theconversation.com/a-brief-history-of-tragic-presidential-relatives-from-alice-roosevelt-to-hunter-biden-208183

2024-06-09 00:53:01

Georgia is in play in 2024.
“I believe that Trump can be placed among a long line of demagogues who possess the skills needed to tap into the fears and anxieties of a group of people that perceives itself as marginalized, at risk and not in control.”
It worked for Democrat Lester Maddox in 1967, and it’s working for Trump this year
https://theconversation.com/preying-on-white-fears-worked-for-georgias-lester-maddox-in-the-60s-and-is-working-there-for-donald-trump-today-227749
#Trump #Election2024 #USPolitics @npub1e4z…xz2t

2024-06-06 12:25:00

Michigan used to be a safe bet for Democrats, but Trump’s 2016 campaign did a number on changing the state’s electoral question.
And today, Michigan is somewhere where small shifts can mean a lot. Low turnout with this voter group, extra enthusiasm with that one – small things like this add up in a big way.
https://theconversation.com/biden-and-trump-will-fight-for-michigans-votes-county-by-county-in-a-state-where-little-things-matter-a-lot-229456
#USPolitics #Trump #Biden #Election2024

2024-06-05 23:50:38

We spoke with an immigration law scholar who explains 4 key points about how Biden’s new executive order will influence #immigration trends.
1. The executive order is basically an asylum ban
2. This could lead to a rise in undocumented minors crossing the border solo, since the order doesn’t apply to them
3. Biden is taking a page out of Trump’s playbook
4. The executive order won’t be so easy to implement
Read more:
https://theconversation.com/bidens-immigration-order-wont-fix-problems-quickly-4-things-to-know-about-whats-changing-231694
#Election2024 #News #immigration

2024-06-05 23:42:43

☀️🔥IT IS HOT in California, Texas and other states facing an unusually early severe heat wave this week. Here's what you need to know about the heat index, and other terms you'll likely be hearing more of this summer.
For one, there is something to the cliche "It's not the heat, it's the humidity."
https://theconversation.com/heat-index-warnings-can-save-lives-on-dangerously-hot-days-if-people-understand-what-they-mean-229174

2024-06-03 23:56:02

On this day in 1984, Bruce Springsteen released “Born in the USA” - a gruff patriotic ballad that was entirely misunderstood by President Ronald Reagan (but Donald Trump is no fan)
https://theconversation.com/born-in-the-usa-turns-40-and-still-remains-one-of-bruce-springsteens-most-misunderstood-songs-228348
#Music #TodayInHistory @npub1uc0…cpgf

2024-05-31 22:05:56

It might be a bit late to get #Newstodon Friday going today, but here's our pick for the day:
Donald #TrumpLies is a non-New Yorker’s idea of a New Yorker: “a well-done steak guy in a bagels-and-lox, or slice-of-pizza, or arroz con pollo or soup dumplings town.”
In a tribal city, Donald Trump belonged to none of the tribes
https://theconversation.com/12-new-yorkers-convicted-trump-but-he-never-fully-fit-in-to-new-york-city-148303
#News (cc @npub19kn…3u4n @npub1y8f…25hj @npub1xf8…0uw6 @npub1pd2…5uph @npub1y8f…25hj @npub1qmg…s6k5 @npub1svp…js2d [@thetyee](https://mstdn.ca/@thetyee ))

2024-05-31 01:55:04

Today's conviction of Trump won’t end the legal case, which could quickly be appealed and possibly rise to the level of the US Supreme Court.
It's a historic conviction, no doubt.
But practically speaking, the verdict means only that Trump can't vote (in Florida, where he's registered) and can't possess a firearm – like all other felons. But a felony conviction won’t keep him from running or serving as president.
A law professor explains a few other key points:
https://theconversation.com/trump-found-guilty-5-key-aspects-of-the-trial-explained-by-a-law-professor-231236

2024-05-30 21:31:03

Beethoven is A great composer, but not THE great composer, according to a music professor who believes it’s time to reframe Beethoven’s greatness “within the context of historic ideals of whiteness and patriarchy.”
“If Americans could acknowledge that our music and music education are deeply rooted in these two ideologies, then we could realize that Beethoven, surely a good composer, was simply one of many.”
https://theconversation.com/was-beethoven-truly-the-greatest-229660
#BlackMastodon @npub1e4z…xz2t #Music
https://assets.newsie.social/media_attachments/files/112/531/699/272/982/147/original/ed68b07cde66890e.png

2024-05-24 13:16:01

Parks that are built in such a way to be welcoming and inclusive to all
Parks that host events celebrating diversity
Parks that offer safety services (like lifeguards)
^ These types of parks take active management, but are beloved and improve city life
https://theconversation.com/successful-city-parks-make-diverse-communities-feel-safe-and-welcome-this-minnesota-park-is-an-example-226869

2024-05-20 17:38:31

Iran’s president and foreign minister died yesterday in a helicopter crash, leaving the country without two of its most influential politicians at a moment of regional and domestic disorder.
#Iran will now need to hold presidential elections within 50 days. Will the country’s ruling conservatives quickly move to repress political expression and manipulate elections?
We have more from an expert on Iran’s #politics
https://theconversation.com/iran-crash-president-raisis-death-leaves-tehran-mourning-loss-of-regime-loyalist-230385

2024-05-17 00:07:34

An expert on deceptive communication says the jury might not like that #Trump is sitting with his eyes closed instead of making eye contact – or they might view it as him sending a message.
That’s just one of the observations he has, in a discussion with a former federal judge about this week’s testimony:
https://theconversation.com/a-silent-trump-with-eyes-closed-and-a-convicted-liar-on-the-stand-2-experienced-observers-of-trumps-criminal-trial-discuss-what-stands-out-230261
#News #BreakingNews #USPolitics #TrumpTrial

2024-05-10 23:52:50

- reply

Correct link for the quiz: https://theconversation.com/the-conversation-u-s-weekly-news-quiz-189437

2024-05-10 22:39:59

It's Friday #news #Quiz time!
Here's the first question:
The first crewed launch of Boeing's new reusable spacecraft was scrubbed again on May 6 because of issues with its booster rocket. What is Boeing's spacecraft named?
Check your answer and see how well you've been following the news, here: https://theconversation.com/the-conversation-u-s-weekly-news-quiz-189437b
(It's a tougher than usual quiz this week, but we're not aiming at the level of #birdnetwork users)

2024-05-08 17:10:12

Why is there a disconnect between the messages campus protesters want to amplify and what is broadcast? According to a #journalism professor:
> Journalists see confrontations, arrests and disruption as more newsworthy than peaceful protests
> Student efforts to educate their campuses were largely ignored while the encampments made the front pages.
> Universities and police have dedicated media teams ready to give quotes, students don’t
https://theconversation.com/media-coverage-of-campus-protests-tends-to-focus-on-the-spectacle-rather-than-the-substance-229172
#Gaza #Israel #campusprotests

2024-05-08 00:11:00

Israel's attack on Rafah shows the limits of Washington's attempts to hold back its ally.
https://theconversation.com/could-biden-stop-netanyahus-plans-a-national-security-expert-looks-at-israels-attack-on-rafah-229460
#Gaza #Israel #Rafah #news

2024-05-05 16:09:01

Sleeping with your dog in the same room could be hurting your sleep quality, according to new research.
Good news for cat people: The research team found no evidence for a negative effect on sleep when co-sleeping with cats.
https://theconversation.com/could-sharing-a-bedroom-with-your-pets-be-keeping-you-from-getting-a-good-nights-sleep-226216

2024-05-04 21:26:00

In Philadelphia – the poorest major city in the U.S. – the minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 per hour for the past 15 years.
It’s not that Philadelphians haven’t tried to change things – but they consistently face pushback from the state legislature.
https://theconversation.com/philadelphias-minimum-wage-has-been-stuck-at-7-25-an-hour-since-2009-heres-why-efforts-to-raise-it-have-failed-223609

2024-04-28 18:03:16

- reply

So don’t vote if you’re worried. I’m sure your sending a reply or favoriting also potentially exposes your instance IP as well.

2024-04-27 07:07:26

- reply

Not to the account running the poll. We don’t even see the usernames of the people who vote.
I have no idea about the backend, but it would be entirely out of character of the Mastodon software to do that.

2024-04-26 20:21:29

In the late ‘60s, to right-wing activists, communists were over-running #college campuses and #university administrators needed to be subpoenaed and law enforcement sent in to forcibly end protests.
In 2024, to right-wing activists, antisemites are over-running college campuses and university administrators need to be subpoenaed and law enforcement sent in to forcibly end protests.
A historian of the reaction to campus protests lays out the parallels:
https://theconversation.com/college-administrators-are-falling-into-a-tried-and-true-trap-laid-by-the-right-228732 [@academicchatter](https://a.gup.pe/u/academicchatter)

2024-04-26 18:11:38

For #news #quiz inspiration this week, we mined The Conversation's weekly Curious Kids column, which tasks experts with answering questions posed by children.
Here's your first question – good luck!
If everyone on Earth got in the ocean and submerged themselves underwater at the same time, about how much would the world's sea level rise?
Check your answers and satisfy your curiosity, here: https://theconversation.com/the-conversation-u-s-weekly-news-quiz-189437?utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon&utm_content=quiz

2024-04-26 00:24:36

- reply

you noticed!

2024-04-25 23:19:17

Is presidential immunity dangerous to democracy or necessary?
Supreme Court hears wildly contrasting takes on whether #Trump can be prosecuted
https://theconversation.com/trumps-immunity-arguments-at-supreme-court-highlight-dangers-while-prosecutors-stress-larger-danger-of-removing-legal-accountability-228652
#News #BreakingNews #USPolitics

2024-04-25 21:31:00

Here’s an article about the science of salt – and how our bodies can be harmed by it. It’s big business, too. The salt industry has lobbied to prevent government regulation, similar to how the tobacco industry did with cigarettes. Salty food is profitable.
https://theconversation.com/salty-foods-are-making-people-sick-in-part-by-poisoning-their-microbiomes-224591

2024-04-24 21:31:00

At 92, John Williams was the oldest #Oscar nominee in Academy history – for the second time. From Star Wars to Indiana Jones, a look back at his Hollywood harmonies of more than 60 years:
https://theconversation.com/from-jaws-to-schindlers-list-john-williams-has-infused-movie-scores-with-adventure-and-emotion-222694

2024-04-22 04:53:02

Fiber-optic cables laid on the ocean floor and used to transmit data between continents are the backbone of the global internet, carrying the bulk of emails, webpages and video calls.
https://theconversation.com/undersea-cables-are-the-unseen-backbone-of-the-global-internet-226300
#technology #science
https://assets.newsie.social/media_attachments/files/112/312/607/109/235/869/original/5572124da645906c.png

2024-04-12 01:03:00

#Trump-era tax cuts contributed to a decline in #highered giving. “Those who no longer itemize have lost a tax break, and for them, every dollar they give to higher ed or any charity has become more expensive.” A new study found the decline in people donating to colleges and universities to be about 7%.
https://theconversation.com/trump-era-tax-cuts-contributed-to-a-decline-in-higher-ed-giving-with-fewer-americans-donating-to-colleges-and-universities-220574
#highered #USpolitics

2024-04-11 12:25:00

Cats’ eyes evolved to see better in low light, partly to look out for predators at night. Or in the case of your cat at home — to better find the catbox in the middle of the night.
https://theconversation.com/why-do-cats-eyes-glow-in-the-dark-179531
#NationalPetDay

2024-04-10 15:25:00

“If a student of mine had submitted a brief making the arguments that Trump and his lawyers assert in their Supreme Court filing, I would have given them an F.”
https://theconversation.com/how-trumps-lawyers-would-fail-my-constitutional-law-class-with-their-supreme-court-brief-on-criminal-immunity-226388
#Trump #Election2024 #USPolitics

2024-03-29 12:16:01

Don’t get fooled by all the hype.
“The field of artificial intelligence has been running through a boom-and-bust cycle since its early days. Now, as the field is in yet another boom, many proponents of the technology seem to have forgotten the failures of the past – and the reasons for them. While optimism drives progress, it’s worth paying attention to the history.”
https://theconversation.com/weve-been-here-before-ai-promised-humanlike-machines-in-1958-222700
#artificialintelligence #AI #science #technology #history

2024-03-29 01:06:00

“The state of #baseball scouting today is a mixed bag.
Some teams seem to be prioritizing analytics. But other organizations – like the Texas Rangers – have actually added scouts to their payrolls since 2019.
When the Rangers won the World Series in 2023, baseball scouts around the league rejoiced: The team’s success confirmed that an emphasis on personal touch and people could still pay off.”
But other teams have slashed their scouting staffs.
#openingday #sports
https://theconversation.com/for-over-a-century-baseballs-scouts-have-been-the-backbone-of-americas-pastime-do-they-have-a-future-226379

2024-03-28 20:31:00

Unsurprisingly, voters with more sexist attitudes were more likely to support Trump over Haley.
https://theconversation.com/yes-sexism-among-republican-voters-helped-sink-nikki-haleys-presidential-campaign-225434
#USPolitics #Election2024 #News

2024-03-26 21:31:00

The price of asthma medication has soared in the U.S. over the past decade and a half.
The pharmaceutical company Teva sells QVAR RediHaler, a corticosteroid inhaler, for $286 in the U.S.
In Germany, Teva sells that same inhaler for $9.
https://theconversation.com/asthma-meds-have-become-shockingly-unaffordable-but-relief-may-be-on-the-way-222858
#health

2024-03-22 00:03:00

Gen-Z doesn’t get its music from the radio. “AI-generated playlists have disrupted this, and the two of us don’t see that as necessarily a bad thing. A stunning range of music is available to young people, and no longer do radio DJs, ratings and record companies serve as gatekeepers.”
By 2 music education scholars:
https://theconversation.com/how-ai-is-shaping-the-music-listening-habits-of-gen-z-224053
#artificialintelligence #music

2024-03-21 11:25:00

Imagine witnessing an overdose and being save somebody with the help of a drone.
“Via a video playing on a screen carried by the drone, the bystander received instructions on how to use the naloxone, which is administered as a nasal spray. We timed each participant on how long it took them to correctly give the medication during this crisis moment.
Average time for someone to view the video and administer the medication: 62 seconds.
Pretty remarkable.
https://theconversation.com/untrained-bystanders-can-administer-drone-delivered-naloxone-potentially-saving-lives-of-opioid-overdose-victims-219387

2024-03-21 00:10:30

Three things could happen next:
1) The appeals court waive the requirement for a bond
2) #Trump or his businesses could declare bankruptcy
3) The State of New York could start seizing Trump’s assets
https://theconversation.com/trump-judgments-whats-an-appeal-bond-what-happens-if-he-cant-get-a-454-million-loan-226187
#BreakingNews #News #USPolitics

2024-03-20 23:53:00

To create ‘Dune’, Frank Herbert found inspiration in unlikely places.
Conservation practices of the Indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest taught him about ecology, and helped inspire the planet Arrakis. Thanks to Leslie Reid’s pioneering ecological study “The Sociology of Nature” he found a model for the ecosystem of Arrakis in the Guano islands of Peru.
The ecological movement fully embraced 'Dune' after its publication in 1965.
https://theconversation.com/how-dune-became-a-beacon-for-the-fledgling-environmental-movement-and-a-rallying-cry-for-the-new-science-of-ecology-225156
[@bookstodon](https://a.gup.pe/u/bookstodon) #Bookstodon

2024-03-20 14:25:00

ICYMI, #SCOTUS has heard oral arguments in 5 cases involving questions about how the First Amendment applies to social media posts – and it’s all part of a larger effort by conservatives to block what they claim is government censorship
https://theconversation.com/supreme-courts-questions-about-first-amendment-cases-show-support-for-free-trade-in-ideas-225877
#USPolitics #FirstAmendment #FreedomofSpeech