Editor's note

The 1965 pop hit “Dirty Water” is still a Boston anthem, but today Boston Harbor – once fouled with sewage and industrial chemicals – is one of the city’s jewels. Marine biologist Michael Moore, who has studied tumors in Boston Harbor winter flounder since the mid-1980s, recounts how a multibillion-dollar cleanup produced enormous payoffs for marine life and humans. “I would not have eaten fish from Boston Harbor 30 years ago, but I would eat them today,” he writes.

The latest effort to end the nearly three-week-old partial government shutdown failed yesterday after President Trump stormed out of a meeting with Democratic leaders, tweeting that it was a “total waste of time.” During the negotiations, both sides reiterated their positions: Trump wants a wall, Democrats don’t. The problem, according to negotiation expert Parker Ellen, is that focusing on positions suggests the outcome is zero-sum, with one winner and one loser. Instead, Ellen recommends both sides emphasize their underlying interests, which is more likely to lead to cooperation – and the shutdown’s end.

Some philanthropy experts are questioning how foundations and big donors give to charity. “While it might seem ungrateful for the rest of us to do anything but cheer about boatloads of money being given away, there are legitimate reasons for concern,” observes David Campbell, who teaches about giving and nonprofits at Binghamton University. Chief among them is a reluctance to fund efforts that could cost rich people some of the advantages they possess.

Jennifer Weeks

Environment + Energy Editor

Top stories

Hull Peninsula and part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Eric Kilby/Flickr

Tumor-free flounder are just 1 dividend from the cleanup of Boston Harbor

Michael Moore, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

A few decades ago Boston Harbor was one of the nation's dirtiest water bodies. Now, healthier fish in the harbor underscore that a multibillion-dollar cleanup has succeeded.

Trump meets with Schumer and Pelosi at the White House in December. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

The science of the deal: A negotiation expert explains how Trump and the Democrats could both end the shutdown with a win

Parker Ellen, Northeastern University

Trump, Schumer and Pelosi have fallen into a classic negotiation trap that often prevents deals from getting made, which has led to the shutdown stalemate.

Michael Bloomberg gave Johns Hopkins $1.8 billion in 2018. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

The downside of doing good with a market mindset

David Campbell, Binghamton University, State University of New York

When the only fixes getting funded are designed to leave the status quo intact, the results of philanthropy inevitably fall short.

Science + Technology

  • Do we really want a nationalistic future in space?

    Scott Shackelford, Indiana University

    In the space beyond Earth's atmosphere, countries are focusing on nationalist pursuits and ignoring the consequences for the rest of humanity. How can we keep the peace and build a sustainable future?

  • Hearing hate speech primes your brain for hateful actions

    Arthur Glenberg, Arizona State University

    A new theory of language suggests that people understand words by unconsciously simulating what they describe. Repeated exposure – and the simulation that comes with it – makes it easier to act.

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Today’s quote

"Republicans are not less compassionate than Democrats, but my research also shows that there is a stark divide between parties in how relevant an individual's compassion is to his or her politics."

 

Who's more compassionate, Republicans or Democrats?

 

Meri T. Long

University of Pittsburgh

Meri T. Long