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On November 8 Americans go to the polls to vote in midterm elections. The outcome will determine which political party, Democrat or Republican, will hold power in Congress for the second half of Joe Biden’s term as president.
Voting will be taking place in a highly charged political environment. Americans are angry, regardless of political party, age, race or gender. As Robert Stevens, an Indiana University political science professor, explains, heated debate is a sign of a healthy, functioning democracy. And it may result in greater voter turnout as politicians on both the left and the right capitalise on the discontent. But increased social polarisation is not good for the long-term health of a democracy.
And then there’s Donald Trump who plans a rally to “energise” voters while the big tease continues to be whether he will run for president again. What is there still to know about Trump, now embroiled in a web of lawsuits and investigations? It’s a question Matthew Ricketson poses in his review of Maggie Haberman’s new book about the former president, Confidence Man.
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Caroline Southey
Founding Editor
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Steven Webster, Indiana University
Americans voters are angry about everything from abortion to inflation. While anger is good for voter turnout, it’s ultimately bad for solving problems in a democracy.
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Matthew Ricketson, Deakin University
Donald Trump likes books about as much as he does germs, but more than 100 have been written about him. Journalist Maggie Haberman conducted 250 interviews for hers, including three with Trump.
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Erik Gordon, University of Michigan
Completing the $44 billion deal, following six months of turmoil, may be the easy part.
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Filippo Menczer, Indiana University
Elon Musk said he wants to make Twitter a platform for free speech. Here is what research shows about claims of political bias and excessive moderation.
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Al Chukwuma Okoli, Federal University Lafia
Terror alerts, such as the one recently issued by the US and UK embassies in Abuja, should be taken seriously by the Nigerian government as well as citizens.
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Genoveva Esteban, Bournemouth University; James Weiss, Bournemouth University
Microbes are so tiny humans can’t see them without special equipment. But the discovery of 20 new species will help scientists map the evolutionary tree of life.
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Stephanus Nicolaas Venter, University of Pretoria
A new ‘rule book’ for naming genomically sequenced bacteria is a boon for science.
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Kevin C. Taylor, University of Memphis
Shinto and Buddhist ideas about interconnectedness have deeply influenced Japan, shaping centuries-old rituals and stories whose impact continues today.
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Samudyata, Karolinska Institutet; Carl Sellgren, Karolinska Institutet
Many people face persistent cognitive symptoms after COVID-19. A new study, which grew and examined 3D models of the human brain, offers a possible explanation as to why this might be.
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Gareth Dorrian, University of Birmingham
A handful of zombie planets have been spotted – thought to have been born after the death of their host stars.
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Orlaith Darling, Trinity College Dublin
Shakespeare often portrayed crises of legitimacy and reflected on the politics of his day but the Tories might not fare so well in a modern production.
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