Editor's note
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The Senate approved the Republican tax plan late last night, and the House is set to follow suit later today after a procedural hiccup forced a second vote. This means the president will likely sign the bill into law in time for Christmas as promised. For the American middle class, however, it’s hardly a present, writes Colorado State’s Steven Pressman. It’s more like a lump of coal. The economist chronicles the rise and accelerating fall of the U.S. middle class and argues that the new law will only make things worse.
To get the needed votes to pass, the tax bill opened up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling, a long-sought objective that will certainly please Alaskans and other proponents of domestic drilling. Scott Montgomery of the University of Washington explains how this pristine patch of land embodies a complex – and seemingly intractable – set of conflicts over resource development and wilderness conservation.
And a trio of consumer psychologists sum up their new theory about why shoppers who want to steer clear of brands associated with child labor and other bad baggage may find that they can’t remember which ones to avoid. “Maybe consumers forget,” the scholars write, “when products are made unethically so they can buy what they want without feeling (as) guilty.”
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Bryan Keogh
Economics + Business Editor
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Top stories
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A big part of that check is being drawn from middle-class accounts.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Steven Pressman, Colorado State University
The American middle class has been on a rocky ride during the 20th century, surging after World War II but falling since the 1980s. The Republican tax plan may be its death knell.
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The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to a great diversity of wildlife – one reason environmentalists oppose oil and gas drilling.
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Scott L. Montgomery, University of Washington
Alaska and oil proponents are cheering a move to open up an ecologically sensitive part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling -- a position environment supporters can't abide.
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You probably don’t remember the Kathie Lee sweatshop scandal of the mid-1990s. What about the more recent debacles?
AP Photo/Michael Schmelling
Rebecca Walker Reczek, The Ohio State University; Daniel Zane, The Ohio State University; Julie Irwin, University of Texas at Austin
People who see themselves as conscientious consumers often buy items made by companies that violate their values because it's hard to keep that information in mind.
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Politics + Society
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Peter Dombrowski, US Naval War College; Simon Reich, Rutgers University Newark
Congress mandates that each president produce a 'national security strategy.' What does Trump's reveal about his administration's values, priorities and prevailing problems?
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Dan Arbell, American University
Wondering why Jerusalem matters so much? A 25-year veteran of the Israeli Foreign Service explains what you need to know.
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Health + Medicine
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Irena L. Kenneley, Case Western Reserve University
After Australia's tough flu season, some experts predict that the U.S. is in for a few difficult months. What does that mean for you?
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Christy Gaines, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
The death toll from HIV/AIDS continues to decline, but more than 36 million people are still living with HIV. A researcher explains why the work for a cure is painstaking.
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Trending on site
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Carter A. Hunt, Pennsylvania State University
At many popular destinations, residents are protesting against crowding, rowdy visitors and low wages. With some research, travelers can use their visits to enrich host areas instead of harming them.
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Michelle Sconce Massaquoi, University of Oregon
With holiday travel in full swing and people packed together in small spaces, it's important to try to stop the spread of germs. But can we really get our hands clean with a few seconds of cold water?
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Deborah Y. Cohn, New York Institute of Technology
Sadly, people sometimes deliberately give bad presents.
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